Liz Simons
Donor/Supporter, Educator
"Undocumented young people have suffered in ways that others haven’t; yet they still have a hunger for learning."
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, there really is a place where undocumented students are recognized and acknowledged, there are people who believe we can do it and who believe we can go to college.’” — Isabel Cortes, 2011 Scholar & 2012 Community Engagement Fellow
Back in 2006, undocumented students had little information, resources, and support to help them pursue higher education. As teachers and mentors, Carrie Evans and Katharine Gin found out that undocumented students were excluded from most opportunities available to their native-born classmates, such as government financial aid, loans, and most private scholarships. Carrie and Kathy started Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC) to support undocumented students, at the same time as undocumented students were advocating for opportunities to learn and improve their own lives.
For more than 15 years, our San Francisco-based organization has transformed individuals and fueled broader changes around the country. With our resources and support, undocumented people are able to get an education, pursue careers, and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
In 2018, we changed our name to Immigrants Rising to better reflect who we are, what we represent, and where we are headed. Our collective power is helping our nation edge closer to fulfilling its ideal as a land of opportunity and access for all.
We are a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives.