Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Eduardo Antonetti, Senior Director of Advancement at Internationals Network
11:33:31
ยท
131 sec
Dr. Eduardo Antonetti from Internationals Network testifies about the organization's work supporting immigrant and refugee youth in New York City public schools. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining funding for Affinity organization contracts and requests additional support for education programs serving multilingual learners and migrant youth.
- Internationals Network has over 20 years of success in supporting immigrant and refugee students through inclusive, high-quality multilingual learning environments.
- The organization's Project Soaring program works with schools to improve their approach to working with vulnerable immigrant populations.
- Dr. Antonetti urges the city council and mayor to prioritize and preserve funding for Affinity contracts and consider additional discretionary funding for multilingual learners and migrant youth education.
Eduardo Antonetti
11:33:31
Good evening.
11:33:32
Thank you, Chair Joseph and the members of the Education Committee for the opportunity to speak today about our priorities for the fiscal year twenty twenty six budget.
11:33:40
My name is Doctor.
11:33:41
Eduardo Antonelli, and I am the Senior Director of Advancement for International's Network.
11:33:45
As you review the council's budget priorities, I would like to highlight the invaluable work that International's Network is doing across New York City.
11:33:53
In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever that nonprofit organizations like ours are adequately funded and supported.
11:34:01
Our work is crucial to ensuring that immigrant and refugee youth in New York City receive the quality education they deserve.
11:34:08
International's network is an education nonprofit organization with more than twenty years of success in supporting immigrant and refugee students.
11:34:16
We achieved this by designing and implementing inclusive high quality multilingual learning environments for newly arrived youth in collaboration with educators in New York City public schools.
11:34:27
Students at international schools in New York City consistently have graduation rates that exceed the district average for multilingual learners.
11:34:35
Through our Project Soaring program, we are also working with new groups of schools in improving their approach to working with this vulnerable population, especially given the current political climate.
11:34:46
With that in mind, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining funding for the Affinity organization contracts, a cause I know Chair Joseph has championed in the past and we want to thank her for her leadership.
11:34:57
The Affinity contract enables International's team of experts to work closely with New York City Superintendents, School Leaders, Teachers, Counselors, staff to ensure that immigrant and refugee students continue to receive the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed.
11:35:13
In addition to providing coaching, strategic planning, and professional development services, Internationals creates opportunities for educators to collaborate as professional learning communities.
11:35:23
We strongly urge the city council and the mayor to prioritize and preserve this funding in the upcoming budget as well as any additional discretionary funding to support education for multilingual learners and migrant youth.
11:35:35
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued support of our public school system and our newest New Yorkers.
11:35:42
Thank you so much.