Peace Corps Group Supports "Teach-In for Freedom" on Feb 17 Opposing Detention of Migrant Children
Teachers across the country plan to join National Teacher of the Year Mandy Manning for a 12-Hour national "Teach-in for Freedom" to be broadcast live over the internet from El Paso, Texas on Sunday Feb. 17 in opposition to the Trump administration's continued detention of thousands of migrant children.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who advocate for immigration reform are calling on RPCVs nationwide to show their support for a national 12-hour "Teach-In for Freedom" on Sunday, February 17, in El Paso, Tex., opposing the Trump administration's detention of thousands of migrant children.
The Peace Corps Community for Refugees, a volunteer group founded three years ago, "strongly supports the Teach-In for Freedom," said Pat Nyhan, spokesperson for the group. "We are urging RPCVs to get involved by viewing the Teach-In on the internet on Feb 17 and contacting the White House, members of Congress and their local newspapers in support of the event."
Led by 2018 National Teacher of the Year, Mandy Manning, who started her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia, the Teach-In is expected to involve teachers from every state in the country who oppose the Trump administration's immigration policies toward children. The teach-in will be accessible nationwide on Facebook and other venues on the internet.
A veteran teacher of refugee and immigrant students at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., Manning says that separating immigrant children from their parents and detaining the children in shelters deprive children of their basic human rights and a quality education.
"It's time for educators to get involved and speak out against the criminalization of immigrant children," Manning said, adding that one goal of the teach-in is to educate the public about the negative impact that weeks of detention can have on children.
The Peace Corps Community for Refugees also is making a special outreach effort to RPCVs who are now teachers, Nyhan said.
"Among the more than 200,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have served in the developing world since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, more than a third have entered the field of education after returning home. Many of them know first-hand what Mandy is talking about," she said.
"We believe Mandy Manning is setting a powerful example for all RPCVs. During the past year, she has transformed her skills, dedication and years of experience as a teacher to become a national spokesperson for a more tolerant and positive approach toward refugees and immigration," Nyhan said.
The Washington, D.C.-based Peace Corps Community for Refugees engages former Peace Corps volunteers in advocating for humane immigration policies and helping refugee families resettle in their communities.
For more information, visit our website: PCC4Refugees.org
For more information on the teach-in, go to teachersagainstchilddetention.org
SOURCE Peace Corps Community for Refugees
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