- Districts now have research-based guidance on ways to start or expand Dual Language programs and its many benefits thanks to the successful passage of Public Act 104-0266, which requires the Illinois State Board of Education to provide guidance to districts on ways to start or expand Dual Language programs.
- Illinois state law affirms the right of all students, regardless of immigration status, to equal access to education because of the passage of Safe Schools for All, Public Act 104-0288, an effort led by the Forum, MALDEF, and ICIRR.
- New evidence demonstrates the powerful benefits of full-day bilingual preschool for English Learners thanks to a partnership with the UChicago Consortium on School Research. The research fuels Forum advocacy to allocate more support for bilingual programs.
- Undocumented Student Liaisons are able to better support undocumented students thanks to the Forum’s, in collaboration with the Illinois Dream Fund, unique model for convening liaisons at public colleges and universities to share best practices and strategies for helping students navigating college completion.
- More than 4,500 families, students, and educators learned about how to support Latino students during the 2024-25 school year through Forum workshops focused on mental health and wellbeing, the importance of early childhood, research on the benefits of bilingual education, and ways to promote college readiness, retention and completion.
- The Cook County Public Defender can represent Cook County residents in deportation proceedings beyond Illinois, because of the passage of HB 2436, which was led in partnership with The Resurrection Project and the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.
- More than 100,000 people learned about doubled-up homelessness through first-person stories, bilingual blog posts, and educational materials as part of an effort to raise awareness and visibility to this often-hidden and precarious living situation, the most prevalent form of homelessness in the Latino community.
- There are 289 African American and Latino leaders across the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs, representing over two hundred nonprofit organizations, that have been trained in the 16 years of existence of the Forum’s leadership program.
- Black and Latino unity continues to flourish through the community events hosted by MLA alumni. Some of these events include:
- Not Enough Cooks in the Kitchen: A town hall discussion on food insecurity. A collaboration between Metropolitan Family Services, Advance Illinois, Afterschool Matters, New Life Centers, and Concord Community Organizations.
- Healing Every Youth (HEY) hosted a series of conversations to explore the anti-immigrant and indigenous sentiment and how reclaiming indigenous identity, community and narratives empowers all of society.
- Welcome to IL: Over 600 individuals receive timely information on the changing federal political landscape, understand its potential impact in Illinois, share critical resources, and participate in collective advocacy action.
- Latino Unity Day: More than 800 community members, advocates, and civic leaders were better informed about the initiatives being discussed by the IL General Assembly and advocated with legislators for policies and investments that benefit the Latino and immigrant communities.
- Illinois Latino Agenda: Latinos have a stronger and more unified voice when advocating and raising awareness on issues impacting the community because of the collective work of the largest coalition of Latino leaders in the region.
- Approximately 1,000 (double from the previous year) community members, organizational staff, and government leaders across the state are better informed on the changing federal immigration and housing landscapes, their constitutional rights when interacting with immigration enforcement, their housing rights, and how to support their communities during uncertain times through bilingual presentations (English and Spanish).
- Educators, community members, and social service providers can easily access tailored information about cost-friendly, culturally and linguistically informed resources in the areas of legal, housing, food, and mental health, including tips and strategies on how to prepare yourselves and your families for uncertain times ahead, thanks to the Forum’s bilingual (English/Spanish) Safe & Healthy Living Resource Guide.
