Choosing a public high school in New York City is an overwhelming process! It’s hard for any new student to make a decision about which of the more than 600 schools is the right one for them. But for recently arrived immigrant students and their families, there are even more barriers to enrolling in school. Resources to help with this process are hard to find and rarely available in languages other than English. Many students don’t know they have the right to ask for help in their language, and that there are schools and programs that specialize in supporting immigrant students. They might end up in a school that offers little help to someone struggling with a new language and culture, putting them at risk of dropping out of high school.
To help immigrant students and their families in NYC find the right school, CUP worked with Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project and designer Njoki Gitahi to create Your School, Your Choice!, a multilingual, step-by-by guide explaining the enrollment process. This guide helps students and their families understand their rights, their different school options, and how to enroll in the high school of their choice. The colorful foldout poster is in English, Haitian Creole, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic—helping students from all over the world adapt to life in their new country.
Your School, Your Choice! will launch at an immigrant student-led event at Flanbwayan’s offices. Flanbwayan is distributing thousands of copies at their local Family Welcome Center, in their neighborhood of East Flatbush, and around NYC through their network of partner organizations.
Get your copy of the poster here.