Toolkit to Organizing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Events

For the past two years, Education Austin received a grant from the National Education Association Minority Community Organizing and Partnership Grant and also grant from the American Federation of Teachers. The grants helped Education Austin organize a campaign focusing on informing the community in Austin about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The grants helped us hired a part-time college student to help us organize, plan , coordinate and outreach to our members and partners. We partnered with the University Leadership Initiative, a United We Dream affiliate at the University of Texas.In addition, our union established partnerships with the Equal Justice Center, Casa Marianella, ACC-AFT, NALEO, Texas AFL-CIO, Mexican Consulate, UT-Immigration Law Center, Austin Independent School District and Univision.

Education Austin has hosted over thirty-six DACA/DAPA Educational forums at multiple elementary, middle and high schools in Austin ISD. We have hosted a total of 12 DACA Clinics and have helped more than three hundred and fifty DREAMERS to apply and submit their DACA application.

We put together this toolkit with the collaboration of organizations mentioned above to help other unions to organize DACA Forums and Clinics in their communities.

Toolkit to Organizing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Events
Overview
Working with Partner Organizations

       Agenda & Audience

             For University Leadership Initiative

             For Equal Justice Center

             For Education Austin

     Communication

     Meetings/Check-ins

Working As a Team

    Communication

    Meetings/Check-ins

    Team Roles

DACA Forum Timeline, Supplies, and Tasks

    Before the Forum

    During the Forum

    After the Forum

DACA Volunteer Training Timeline, Supplies, and Tasks

    Before the Training

    After the Training

DACA Clinic Timeline, Supplies and Tasks

    Before the Clinic

    During the Clinic

           Registration

           Volunteer Runner

           Registration Runner

After the Clinic

Resources and Background information about DACA

Organizational Tools

Overview

This toolkit attempts to describe how to organize a  successful  DACA forum or clinic. This toolkit will explain the roles that are involved during the educational forums, trainings, and clinics, as well as everything in between.

Working with Partner Organizations

Agenda & Audience

A DACA clinic is a great event to engage different audiences for different purposes. The partners involved might have different audiences they wish to engage for a specific purpose.

• Lawyers
• Community Organizations/Nonprofits (and their beneficiaries/members)
• Churches (and their congregation)
• Schools
• Undocumented immigrant community
  •   Parents
  •  DACA eligible youth
• Allies to the undocumented immigrant community
• Professionals that interact with undocumented immigrant youth
  • Teachers, counselors, school administrators, religious leaders
• Media
• Volunteers                   

Partner Organizations:

Working As a Team

Communication

• • GroupMe:
    • DACA Leads
    • DACA
  • Email (DACA Group)
    • A google email group can be used to send emails to the entire team without having to put everyone’s individual emails.  
  • Text Messages
  • Phone Calls

Meetings/Check-ins

• Have a meeting at the beginning of every semester with all partners to discuss the calendar for the semester.
• Bi-weekly meetings for team to train others, discuss/plan upcoming events

Team Roles

• 1. DACA Leads
• 2. Program Integration & Engagement
• 3. Volunteer Management
• 4. Media and Social Media (Community Outreach)
• 5. General Community Outreach
• 6. Locations Logistics
• 7. Resources (Food, materials, digital equipment, signs, supplies)
• 8. Data Tracking
• 9. Legal Resources

1.   DACA Leads

• Find ways to keep the team connected, in communication, clearing misunderstandings. Make sure everyone is on the same page. (Ex:  encourage people individually to send an email to everyone saying how their task for the week is going; text someone to see how they’re doing, etc.) HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION (Not just vertical communication)
• Have one on ones with committed members. Coach and mentor growing team members/leads.
• Lead trainings for trainers
• Provide team with resources
• Networks on behalf of the team, introduces leads to people that could help

                     [DELEGATES & FOLLOWS UP]

2.  Program Integration & Engagement
Education Austin works in collaboration with the Equal Justice Center and the University Leadership Initiative, a United We Dream affiliate.

ULI implements all 4 UWD programs within the organization, Dream Educational Empowerment Program, Deportation Defense, Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project, and Own The Dream DACA.

The person in charge of this role will make sure there are certain people engaging parents and applicants at the forums and clinics.

*TIP:  Make sure at least 3 people in the DACA team are very familiar with most of the programs and that they will be able to talk about them even if program leads are not around.

3.  Volunteer Management

• In charge of creating Google Form and bit.ly with the link to this Google Form in which you ask volunteers to sign up
• Responsible for following up with volunteers,
• Responsible for recruiting DACA forum and clinic youth attendees.  
• Sends Thank You emails to volunteers

*TIP: Plan accordingly, so that you have enough time to recruit volunteers before events.

4.  Media and Social Media (Community/Applicant Outreach)

• In charge of creating flyers for clinics and forum promotion
• Television news station interviews
• Promotes events before, during, and after events
• Gives media trainings

*TIP: Create flyers as soon as you have confirmed dates for events; this should give community enough time to plan to attend our events.

5.   General Community Outreach

• In charge of creating Google Form and bit.ly with the link to this Google Form in which you ask applicants to sign up. Example: bit.ly/julio25DACA
• Contacts churches about making announcements at their mass times (Contact them a month before an event because it takes them a while to approve your message, and then another while to put it in their church calendar)
• Sends emails to places/organizations with high community accessibility and outreach
• Makes sure there is someone flyering at the Mexican Consulate during certain days prior to a clinic (Makes sure that person is equipped with all materials to table)
• Manages the Google number and the people that are signed up for it.  Trains people to answer the phone (Practices with them)

*TIP: Should create a TIP SHEET for how to answer the Google Phone

6.  Location Logistics

• Designated person will take care of confirming locations, and sending an email to all the partners regarding the set calendar for the semester (locations & dates)
  1. Also in charge of asking for cell phone numbers for the people that will be at the location the day of the clinic, that way, if we are locked out, they can call the person who should be aware we are there.

*TIP: Visit the location a day prior to event to set up. If set up isn’t possible the day prior, then make a mental picture of how set up should be the day of event and arrive earlier to accommodate setup.See an example of DACA Clinic layout

7.   Resources (Food, materials, digital equipment, signs, supplies)

• Food: Designated person makes sure there is food at volunteer trainings, breakfast at DACA clinics, and sometimes also lunch for the DACA clinics
• Handouts: Materials must be up to date. Copies must be ready and arrange in folders.
• Digital Equipment: Make sure that it runs properly.
• Signs: Must be displayed at different locations around the school or facility.
• Supplies: Make sure to have plenty of supplies.

*TIPS:

• After every DACA clinic, Supplies must be put back in place
• When making copies, do not make more than 100 (as they get outdated often)

8.   Data tracking

• Trains other people on how to use database software that the team decides to use to organize applicant and volunteer data.
• Uploads database sheets
• A week after every DACA/DAPA event, they must provide partners with the specific number of participants, lawyers, and volunteers that participated. Input data into a spreadsheet on shared Google Drive
  1. Send an email to partners with final data spreadsheet (from above) and the debriefing notes.

9.  Legal Resources

• Attorney lead or organization must recruit attorneys who can volunteer at the DACA clinics.
• Attorney lead must  check that application and materials are updated

DACA Forum Timeline, Supplies,and Tasks

DACA Forum Purpose:DACA forums are held to make informational presentations to educate the community on what DACA is and what the eligibility requirements and application process of DACA are. Required supporting documents and other pre-requisites are explained to the participants so that they will be appropriately prepared to attend a DACA clinic and successfully fill out their DACA application. Attorneys attend the forums to answer any legal questions that the forum participants might have.

Before the Forum

• Confirm DACA forum location logistics with location contact person at least two weeks before the forum
  • Forum location examples: Schools, churches, community organizations, etc.
• Confirm which volunteers and attorneys will attend the forum
• Prepare supplies and snacks

DACA Forum Supplies

How to Promote the forums and clinics

Share with Parent Support Specialist (PSS), social worker, teacher,  or lead person at the school the following expectations: 

• Share information about the forum in the school’s marquee
• Ask PSS to make a robocalls about the event in English and Spanish for the whole school
• Provide flyer and ask to distribute flyer to all classes
• Flyers must be bilingual
• Promote forum in the school’s bulletin board and/or website

During the Forum

Volunteers

• 2 Presenters
• 2 volunteers for registration
• 1 volunteer to help handout resources
  • Split the above volunteers to also help with engagement

After the Forum

• Help put away equipment
• Make sure you leave space the way it was found
• Thank Parent Support Specialist or person in charge of location for allowing us to use their space.
• Make sure to debrief about pluses and deltas (you should update manual based on suggestions to keep improving)

DACA Volunteer Training, Supplies, and Tasks

DACA Volunteer Training Purpose:

DACA clinics volunteer trainings are conducted by immigration attorneys to explain DACA eligibility requirements, supporting documents, how to fill out DACA applications, and explanation of DACA clinic flow and volunteer roles to volunteers prior to DACA clinics.

Before the Training

• Confirm DACA training location logistics with location contact person at least a week before the training
• Confirm which volunteers and attorneys will attend the training
• Prepare supplies and snacks

After the Training

• Help put away equipment
• Make sure you leave space the way it was found

DACA Clinic Timeline, Supplies, and Tasks

DACA Clinic Purpose: DACA clinics are held to assist the community in appropriately filling out DACA applications by having trained volunteers review their supporting documents and ensure that they meet DACA eligibility requirements, as well as doing a final review by immigration attorneys to ensure that their DACA application is completed correctly. Official document translations and passport photos are also provided to DACA clinic participants.

Before the Clinic

Supplies

*To be covered in full detail below

 DACA Applicant Packets

During the Clinic

Staff and Volunteer Roles

ROLE	JOB DESCRIPTION	HOW MANY NEEDED
Volunteer Registration	Register volunteers, have them sign  DACA Clinic Volunteer Confidentiality Forms , and give name tags	1-2 people
Applicant Registration	Register applicants and parents and have them fill out Photography Consent Form and  Continuous Residence Chart ; Close registration at designated time and put up sign with next clinic information	4-5 people
Welcome Runner (Entry —-> Registration)	Welcome attendees and give them number and packets **TIP: Give number in order of arrival and check off number in clipboard so you don’t lose track of what number you’re on	1 person
Registration Runner (Registration —> Intake Waiting Area)	Explain to applicants that they will be called by the number assigned and also explain clinic flow as you guide them to the waiting area	2 people
Waiting Area Engager	Collect attendees’ stories, explain the process of the clinic, and answer any questions for attendees	2-3 people
Intake Runner (Intake Waiting Area —> Intake)	Checks to see if any red flags are raised at intake tables; tend to those Takes applicants from waiting area to intake station Call applicants by number On clipboard, write down the applicant’s name next to their assigned number Takes birth certificates to translation area, creates copy, and returns the original to applicant	1-2 people
Intake	Explain to the applicant the process in which they are going through in the clinic Sign Statement of Understanding with applicant Fill out intake form (Either Initial  or Renewal ) Organizes documents, prepares expenses worksheet, continuous residence worksheet, and address worksheet. Documents organized in reverse chronological order If you think there are not sufficient documents, raise a red flag and call an attorney. Ask for their approval and see if applicant can go on in the process Go over all sheets on left side of applicant packet with the applicant	1-2 people per table; 5 tables
Translation Runner (Translation —> Applicant)	Returns translated birth certificate to owner once completed	1 person
Translation	Translates birth certificate from copy and signs the  Certificate of Translation  for each document that is translated**TIP: For Birth Certificate translations, make translation templates for repeated use	2-3 people
Applicant Runner (Intake —> Application)	Takes applicant from Intake to Application (If Application station is full, have applicant wait in waiting area) Writes down applicant’s name in order of completion from Intake station (If they are in waitlist, call them in the same order)	1-2 people
Application	Fill out all documents on right side of applicant packet	1-2 people per table; 5 tables
Passport Photos	Take passport photos **TIP: Use a Wi-Fi Photo printer that can be used with a smartphone or tablet app (Example: Canon Selphy CP910) Print and cut out the 2 best pictures; return the rest to applicant If applicant is Initial, lightly write name and date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy) on the back of the 2 pictures. If applicant is Renewal, lightly write name and A# on the back of the 2 pictures. Place the pictures with information written on the back inside #3 coin envelopes.	1-2 people
Attorney Runner (Application —> Attorney)	Takes applicant from Application to Attorney If Application station is full, take them to Passport station If they have taken their passport pictures, take them to waiting area Write down their name in clipboard in order of completion from Application Station	1-2 people
Attorney Review	Attorneys do final review of DACA application and explain to applicants that the left side is just information, NOT TO BE SENT TO USCIS, and that right side is the TO BE SENT paperwork	1 attorney per table
Check Out Runner (Attorney —> Check Out)	Ask if applicant has taken their passport pictures If yes, take them to partner organization resources area If no, take them to Passport photo station and explain to head to check out area afterwards	1 person
Check Out	Be on the lookout for applicants leaving! Complete exit form with applicants, Take out any documents that may still be in packet and that we need (Including Photography Consent form and Statement of Understanding) Explain mailing process Give them envelope addressed to USCIS to mail their application	1-2 people

**TIPS

• Put DACA Clinic posters throughout facility to direct people to exact location of the clinic
• Put DACA Clinic Station posters for each station (Registration; Intake; Application; Translation; Passport Photos; Attorney Review; Checkout) for station visibility
• Use a Clinic Volunteer Roles Poster
   to keep track of volunteer’s roles and post on a location that is visible to all volunteers (Ex: volunteer break room)

• DACA clinic leads could carry a clipboard with volunteer roles to have handy at all times
• Invite partner organizations to have information tables between Attorney Review and Check Out stations
• Debrief immediately after DACA clinic to reflect on what went well with the clinic and improvements that can happen for following clinics
  

After the Clinic

• Volunteers
  • Send a thank you email to those that volunteered.
  • Decide if you want to have a thank you celebration for them at the end of the semester, if you plan one.. let them know to look out for that!

• Applicants
  • Call applicants 2 weeks after to follow up and see if they have sent their application
    • Let them know to call the Team at Google Phone number if they have any questions

• Partners
  • Make sure partners have access to debrief notes from the clinic.
  • Thank everyone
    • Locations
    • Attorneys that volunteered
  • Appreciation party!
  • Rest and prepare for the next clinic

Resources and Background information about  DACA

• USCIS-DACA Information
• United We Dream -DACA Information
• Department of Education-Resource Guide for Undocumented Youth
• DACA TOOLKIT: Resources for Community Partners
• Welcome Dreamers Poster
• Legal Issues for School Districts related to the education of undocumented students
• Dear Colleague letter (School District obligations to English Language Learners and parents
• Guide for Educators and school support staff for immigrant and refugee children

Organizational Tools

The table below lists online tools and resources that can be used for storing, updating, organizing, and sharing information for DACA event purposes