Educator Webinars

The ILC Public Education Institute Educator Webinars give teachers the latest teaching strategies for working with immigrant students and and lesson plans for teaching about immigration in K-12 and adult classrooms. The Institute convenes the best education experts for free, professional development training every July in the two-day Immigrant Student Success virtual conference that features many experts and throughout the year for educator webinars. In addition to the online conference and webinars for educators, we host Immigrant Integration Webinars on related topics including immigrant trauma, local integration policies and re-framing the immigration narrative. We have also created “Welcome to the New World Curriculum and Learning Guide,” a series of lessons based on Welcome to the New World by Jake Halpern, a nonfiction graphic novel following the Aldabaans, a family of Syrian refugees. The curriculum is appropriate for English or social studies classes in grades seven to 11.

A wealth of resources from our webinar series, including material from the 2023 Immigrant Student Success: Strategies and Tools for K-12 and Adult Educators virtual conference, are available below.

To explore more of our educational resources, check out our account on Share My Lesson or explore our Educator Resource Hub, a searchable collection of more than 100 resources for teachers of immigrants and immigration.

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Download our new teacher resource, Teaching Chinese Immigration in the 19th Century.

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Recent Webinar

2023 Immigrant Student Success Toolkit

Learn how to support your immigrant and refugee students and integrate immigration into your curricula with The ILC’s annual Immigrant Student Success conference. This year’s conference covered how to:

  • Foster belonging, identity and agency in your students  
  • Create community in your ESOL class 
  • Understand the complex experiences Black immigrants and South Asian immigrants may encounter
  • Develop a dynamic workforce development program 
  • Choose and use children’s literature featuring under- and mis-represented communities 
  • Incorporate immigration into your middle and high school social studies classes 
  • And much more! 

The ILC’s free virtual conference is for teachers, librarians, administrators, volunteers, social workers, community leaders and anyone interested in immigrants and immigration in K-12 and adult classrooms. The conference toolkit featuring highlights and resources is available here. Resources and recordings from this year’s conference are available below.

This conference is hosted by The Immigrant Learning Center with generous support from the Nellie Mae Foundation.

Day One – Tuesday, July 11, 11 AM – 2 PM

11:00 AM – 11:20 AM 

A Refugee’s Journey

Resource: Video of Maher’s journey to the U.S. 

Video Recording of the conversation with Maher about his experience in a U.S. classroom.

11:20 AM – 12:00 PM 

The Role of Belonging in Immigrant Education

  • Jessica Lander, ELL History/Civics Teacher, author, Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education

Video Recording of presentation

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM  

Immigration Policy and Trends in PK-12 Practice

  • Emily Crawford-Rossi, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor, PK12 Leadership and Policy, University of Missouri

Resources

Video Recording of presentation

12:30 PM – 12:50 PM  

Cultural Competency, Cultural Humility and Structural Competency

Video Recording of presentation

12:50 PM – 1:15 PM 

Black Immigrants in the U.S.

  • Ayanna Cooper, EdD, Consultant and Author; Instructor, Howard University School of Education

Video Recording of presentation

1:15 PM – 1:40 PM 

South Asian Immigrants and Caste

  • Sonja Thomas, PhD, Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Colby College

Resources:

Video Recording of presentation

1:40 PM – 1:55 PM 

Discussion with Ayanna Cooper, EdD and Sonja Thomas, PhD

Video Recording of discussion

1:55 PM – 2:00 PM 

Wrap-Up

Day Two – Wednesday, July 12, 11 AM – 2 PM

On day two, dive into specialized sessions that address the needs and concerns of your teaching level.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR SESSION 

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM 

Highlight Immigrant Stories and Contributions in U.S. History with The ILC Teaching Resources 

Resource: The ILC Educator Resource Hub

Video Recording of presentation

11:15 AM – 11:35 AM 

Curriculum Resources for K-12 Educators: Asian American History

  • Sulynn Miao, Content and Curriculum Manager, Immigrant History Initiative

Resource: Immigrant History Initiative

Video Recording of presentation

11:35 AM – 12:00 PM 

Tools and Ideas for How to Provide Well-rounded Support for Immigrant Students in the College Application Process

  • Andrea Keenan, Director of College and Career Counseling and Program Chair, Excel Academy Charter High School
  • Nyal FuentesCollege and Career Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Video Recording of presentation

ADULT EDUCATOR SESSION 

12:00 PM – 12:25 PM 

 The First Three Weeks in the ESOL Classroom

  • Amber Miller, Adult Education ESL Instructor, Austin Community College

Resources:

Video Recording of presentation

12:25 PM – 12:50 PM

Education and Career Advising at The Immigrant Learning Center

  • Sally Nobinger, Advising Coordinator, The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. 
  • Laurianne PoschEducation and Career AdvisorThe Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.
  • Anna FanEducation and Career AdvisorThe Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. 

Video Recording of presentation

12:50 PM – 1:00 PM

Discussion with Amber Miller, Sally Nobinger, Laurianne Posch and Anna Fan

ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR SESSION

1:00 PM – 1:25 PM

Through the Power of Picture Books: Windows into the Experiences of Young Immigrant Children

  • Wilma Robles-Meléndez, PhD, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice, Nova Southeastern University Florida

Video Recording of presentation

1:25 PM – 1:45 PM

Teach to Reach: Creating a Dynamic and Diverse Classroom Library 

Resources

Video Recording of presentation

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM

Discussion with Wilma Robles-Meléndez, PhD and Jill Eisenberg

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