In its various iterations over the span of three years, $15,000 were fundraised and awarded in scholarships to over a dozen immigrant youth to use towards their college tuition and materials. For immigrant youth, information and financial aid are two fundamental resources needed to achieve higher education. Low-income, first-generation students often find themselves at a loss trying to navigate the college application and enrollment processes.

States without tuition equity laws like Louisiana pose a particularly hostile and demoralizing environment for undocumented youth, as they are made to pay non-resident fees in addition to being barred from government financial aid. IYEF has worked leveraging the community to address those barriers.

This animation is a visual representation of how the community comes together to open doors and create opportunities for immigrant youth. Dr. Ana María López Caldwell partnered with Linett Luna Tovar to create IYEF.