Dacademy
Guiding the next generation of DACA leaders.
Who We Are
Dacademy, originally founded by six DACA* recipients, is an organization that provides DACA recipients with community and professional guidance via mentorship and educational workshops.
*Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) is an immigration policy enacted in 2012 by the Obama Administration which allows individuals who were brought to the US as children to receive a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and the eligibility to apply for a work permit.
QUICK FACTS
800,000+ DACA Recipients
From 206+ Countries of Origin
70% of Employed, Student DACA Recipients
don’t have anyone to approach for advice regarding their legal status
1 in 2 DACA Recipients are Underemployed
Top 3 Industries are Hospitality, Retail, Construction
The Challenge
The DACA legislation provided life-changing circumstances for this population and their families and yet, limited guidance exists on how to leverage this new status to navigate academic, professional and personal goals.
Our research and proprietary survey identified three key challenges faced by the DACA community. The majority of respondents expressed limited DACA-exclusive resources when navigating academic and professional spaces. This hinders recipients’ quest for higher education and career pursuits due to their limited knowledge of eligibility criteria and available resources. Secondly, given the sensitivity of having undocumented immigration status, it is difficult for DACA recipients to identify other DACA recipients to relate to. This inhibits the means for building a safe, inclusive DACA community where resources can be shared. Lastly, there are limited outlets to express emotional grievances related to DACA, which places a strain on an afflicted individual’s mental health.
Our Solution - Mentorship
Dacademy will leverage our knowledge, resources, and network to develop a mentorship program that specifically targets these three key challenges.
We’ve designed a mentorship program that provides mentees with bi-weekly workshops, one-on-one relationship-building with pre-vetted mentors, and a skill-building curriculum. All components of this mentorship work towards three key outcomes—first, building the mentees’ confidence to navigate their career as a DACA recipient; second, to create a safe space for mentees to openly express their grievances of being undocumented; and the third, to enhance social capital within our community.
Build Confidence
Provide Support
Enhance Social Capital
Contact Dacademy
Get in touch with Dacademy to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.
Fill out the interest form to the right or send us an email!