"The first step to advocate is to educate."
We are currently offering IYPEP at Sunset Park High School though, with funding, we hope to expand to an after-school program at our Sunset Park office! If you would like IYPEP to present at your school or community center email Prisma at Prisma.Herrera@atlasdiy.org.
IYPEP has four components 1) Telling our stories 2) Learning the law 3) Studying who makes a great presenter and 4) Becoming an effective advocate for our communities. Students interact in weekly workshops where we identify what stories move us and why, and how to get a message across that will connect with others and cause them to act. At the end of each session we go out and present to schools, libraries and community centers, sharing our life experiences and supporting future change-makers!
At the end of each session we travel to Washington DC and meet with lawmakers and study how American democracy truly works and how we can be more involved in the national movement.
The Immigrant Youth Peer Educator Program: IYPEP!
Why IYPEP?
IYPEP was a program developed by Lauren while she was on a Skadden Fellowship at an awesome youth organization called The Door.
What is IYPEP?
After two sessions, IYPEP's growth inspired the creation of Atlas: DIY. in fact, our three other founders: Yari, Luthfun, and Martina were all in the inaugural IYPEP program in the summer of 2010! Now partnering with Sunset Park High School, IYPEP has educated over 1,000 youth in New York City about their rights.
IYPEP believes that the best advocates are peers, and that young people connect better (and rightfully so!) hearing someone's personal story.
How does IYPEP work?
How can I get involved?
DID YOU KNOW?
We are currently running our IYPEP program entirely UNFUNDED! Crazy right? Imagine what we COULD do! To help us change thousands of lives in NYC donate below and designate "IYPEP'
