The Borderless Access to Education Project (B.A.T.E.)
Borderless Access to Education is a six-year, multi-funded community research and engagement project focused on improving educational access for young people with precarious or non-status immigration backgrounds. The project brings together Justice for Children and Youth, S4 Collective, CASA, and the Black Creek Youth Initiative as core partners, working alongside youth with lived experience to challenge the barriers that limit their opportunities.
BATE creates space for young people to share their stories, shape research, and influence policy. Through workshops, leadership development, storytelling, and youth-led initiatives, the project highlights the realities faced by students who often feel invisible within the education system. Many of these youth navigate school without clear pathways, documentation, or support, and BATE works to change that by raising awareness, equipping youth with tools and information, and mobilizing communities and institutions.
A key part of the project is building capacity for youth to lead. BCYI plays a central role in creating culturally grounded, relationship-centered spaces where young people feel safe to speak, connect, and advocate for themselves. BATE also brings educators, administrators, legal experts, and community partners together to understand how immigration status affects educational access and to push for systems that are more inclusive and equitable.
The goal of BATE is simple but powerful: no young person should be denied the chance to learn, grow, or pursue their goals because of their immigration status. Through research, storytelling, community events, and policy engagement, BATE continues to build momentum toward an education system that is truly borderless.
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