Metrics

2017–2018
Hispanic American Community Education & Services (HACES) in Waukegan, Illinois.

500+ Community Members Engaged
Serving Waukegan, Zion, North Chicago, and beyond

10+ Local Partnerships
Relationship Building and Partnerships across the U.S.

1,000+ Event Participants
Developing materials for bilingual events, raising awareness of immigration, and civic issues.

15 Volunteers Led
Inter-institutional public/private partnerships, strategic alliance(s), & community engagement

Overview

At Hispanic American Community Education & Services (HACES) in Waukegan, Illinois, I served as Coordinator of Outreach & Citizenship Education. This work brought together bilingual outreach, public education, volunteer coordination, and partnership-building to support immigrant families and other underrepresented communities as they navigated citizenship, civic participation, and local support systems, while partnering with state and national organizations, institutions, and diverse multicultural leaders and advocates.

My Role

My role combined direct community engagement with practical program support. I engaged hundreds of community members and public officials, developed educational and advocacy materials, organized bilingual events, built partnerships with local/state/national organizations, and helped improve communication and access to resources for diverse multicultural communities.

Community Outreach & Citizenship Education

A major part of this work involved helping community members access information, feel less isolated, and better understand their rights and pathways to participation. My role(s) included visiting schools, churches, and official city institutions, along with leadership in Know Your Rights events for undocumented immigrants across Lake County, beginning at Sagrado Corazón. These efforts reflected a practical, public-facing approach to advocacy rooted in trust, presence, and clear communication to empower diverse migrant communities.

Partnerships, Volunteers, & Local-National Advocacy

This role also required coalition-style local/state/national work. I was able to partner with more than ten organizations and the leadership of a volunteer team, while building engagement with mayors, city council members, and state-level elected officials in support of immigrant communities and other underrepresented populations. Together, these materials show a role that extended beyond event support into relationship-building, advocacy, and community(es) representation.

Why It Mattered?

This experience deepened my understanding of how fear, uncertainty, and lack of access affect immigrant families and communities. During this period as one in which many families faced rising anxiety around immigration status, deportation, and family separation, connecting outreach strategy directly to advocacy, trusted institutions, and community-centered accompaniment. This work helped shape your long-term commitment to bilingual communication, civic dignity, and practical support for vulnerable, diverse, and multicultural populations.

Key Contributions:

• Bilingual outreach and community engagement

• Citizenship education and advocacy materials

• Know Your Rights events and immigrant-rights education

• Volunteer coordination and leadership

• Local partnerships and civic relationship-building

• Public-facing communication and language resource accessibility

“My work at HACES strengthened my experience in bilingual outreach, citizenship education, community advocacy, volunteer leadership, and partnership-building, helping connect immigrant families and underrepresented communities to information, support, and a greater sense of belonging…”

Ismael C.