Internationals Network for Public Schools

Students should be focused on learning, not worrying about what happens on their way to or from school. On June 4th, about 100 educators, parents, and immigrant advocates gathered at Tweed Courthouse, calling on the NYC Department of Education to strengthen protections for immigrant students and their families.

Internationals Network's Senior Director of Advancement, Eduardo Antonetti, joined the call, urging training for everyone who interacts with our schools, including school safety agents and bus operators, so every adult in a student's day is equipped to ensure they get to school.

Advocates emphasized that clear guidance is needed for teachers and staff to ensure that students feel safe, so they can show up and do what they're supposed to do: learn.

Read more from Brooklyn Paper: https://www.brooklynpaper.com/educators-seek-stronger-ice-safeguards-nyc-schools/

Equity, opportunity, relevance, choice. These aren't buzzwords. They're the foundation of career-connected learning for multilingual learners.

Internationals staff, Nedda de Castro and Marguerite Lukes took that conversation to Hispanic Education Summit, presenting our CCL Continuum and exploring how these principles can shape real pathways for immigrant youth.

A packed room worked through the continuum from exposure to acceleration, leaving with resources from our first two CCL Learning Briefs (https://bit.ly/4e46WbR).

Grateful to for the invitation and the engaged dialogue.

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and our Network school students showed up and showed out.

Yesterday, PAIHS Elmhurst students took the stage at NYC Public Schools' Immigrant Heritage Month celebration at Tweed Courthouse, performing alongside powerful immigrant voices from across the city. The Dream Team Club from IHS at Prospect Heights was also invited and honored. This student-led group advocates for the rights of immigrant and undocumented students, supported by New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC).

Internationals Network Executive Director Lara Evangelista was there representing the Network and celebrating our students.

This is what it looks like when schools open their arms and let students shine.

Grateful to New York City Public Schools, Project Open Arms Director Tamara Mair for organizing such a meaningful event, and Commissioner Faiza Ali of NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs for joining in the celebration.

🌍 Happy Immigrant Heritage Month!

"What we ask students to do as learners, we do ourselves as adults."

That was one of the key ideas shared by Internationals Network Executive Director Lara Evangelista at NewSchools Venture Fund Summit 2026, on the panel Rethinking Teaching from the Inside Out.

Internationals was proud to be part of the conversation throughout the Summit, from a shout-out in Frances Messano's opening remarks, to a session spotlighting Albuquerque International's approach to school design, to Lara's discussion on reimagining the teaching profession that impacts multilingual learners and all students.

At the heart of it all is a belief Internationals has long held: when we design for students and educators together, everyone benefits.

Watch the full Summit recordings: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtA15W69lN178t0OXzir43benBnYsKZsy&si=sCkHhyvcEEUgRdMq

New York just took a major step to protect immigrant and newcomer students. Last Friday, Internationals Network's Executive Director Lara Evangelista joined Governor Kathy Hochul at a press event highlighting new laws that codify every child's right to a free public education regardless of immigration status and ensure schools remain safe, welcoming places to learn.

Lara was there to represent our schools and the newcomer and multilingual learner students we serve. In response to the new laws, she said: "These protections are an embodiment of the long-standing commitment by the Governor and the state of New York to uphold the rights of all students — especially immigrant and refugee youth — to learn and thrive in supportive school environments."

We are grateful to Governor Hochul for ensuring these rights are now written into state law.

🔗 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-highlights-new-laws-protect-new-yorkers-and-stand-against-ice-overreach

📷 Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

To the Class of 2026: Today, you graduate high school. Congratulations! 🎉

88% of your class graduated, likely the highest rate in school history. Among you are 6 Maryland Merit Scholars, 26 Seal of Biliteracy recipients, and 12 MSDE Meritorious Service Award honorees who each gave 100 or more hours in service to their communities. Together, you earned $1,971,681 in scholarships.

These are not just numbers. They represent the work, dedication, and resilience of an extraordinary group of young people. We could not be prouder.

CCL is often framed as a workforce strategy. At Internationals Network, it's something more. It's a strategy to:

💡 Harness students' imaginations
🧭 Develop their agency
🔓 Equip them to build choices and take advantage of opportunities

When designed with multilingual learners at the center, CCL shifts from sorting and limiting options to expanding opportunity, serving as a lever for dignity, choice, and long-term possibility.

🔗 Read the brief: https://www.internationalsnetwork.org/publications/ -brief-4-2