The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.

05/22/2026

🧑‍🍳 Looking for something new to cook this Memorial Day weekend?

One of our favorite things is trying foods from our students' home countries... and now it's your turn!

To practice writing step-by-step instructions in English, our teacher Christiana's class compiled a cookbook of simple but tasty recipes. We're excited to try them and hope you are too! (Be sure to post a pic and tag us if you try any of the recipes!)

You can find all seven recipes — including one from Christiana — over on The ILC's website! Link in the comments

05/15/2026

Want to drive opportunities for immigrants? Join us at The ILC Golf Classic! 🏌️

Spots are filling up fast so register now for a day of golf, networking and opportunities to win prizes. Have fun while giving immigrants a voice!

🗓️ Monday, June 8, 2026
📍 Pine Brook Country Club
💻 RSVP now on our website. Link in the comments!

Want to create visibility that makes a difference? Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Show your support for immigrants and give them the tools they need to succeed. More info on our website and also in the comments below.

05/14/2026

Malden is an important part of The Immigrant Learning Center's DNA. 🧬

Our founder Diane Portnoy was inspired to start the organization because growing up here, she saw the needs of Malden's immigrant population. But she also saw how immigration had shaped the city's culture, with a vibrant downtown that had grown into a diverse hub with restaurants, grocers and other businesses.

Its accessibility via public transit doesn't hurt, either.

Thank you GBH News for spotlighting what makes Malden so special!

What was once a department store hub has transformed over decades into a destination for dim sum and other Asian-inspired cuisine. But why exactly did Asian ...

05/07/2026

"I feel like there's a new immigrant story now."

Author Shubha Sunder drew from her own history as an immigrant for her book "Optional Practical Training," and spoke about how the immigrant experience isn't universal.

Thank you Shubha for your amazing insights into how immigration and our sense of community coincide! And thank you to The West End Museum and Institute for Immigration Research-GMU for partnering with us on this event!

05/05/2026

☀️ Teachers, how do you help your students in the transition to summer break to ensure their mental and physical health is supported?

Join us for a free webinar on how to support immigrant students during this time!

📅 Monday, May 11, 2026
🕔 5:00-6:00 PM ET
🖥️ On Zoom

We'll be joined by presenters Tamara Schlez of El Futuro and Amanda Macadam, school nurse at Melrose Public Schools, who will discuss practical strategies for getting students ready and how to apply school-based supports to promote wellbeing.

Register now at the link in the comments!

05/04/2026

💭 Did you know immigrant-owned businesses are a vital part of our economy and our communities? Nearly one-third of all new U.S. businesses are founded by immigrants!

We were thrilled to see several immigrant entrepreneurs — including, Mariana Matus of Biobot Analytics, Luiz Thomaz DaCosta of Modular Concepts and Wendy Estrella of Estrella Enterprises, LLC and Estrella Law Offices — were recently included in a Small Business Spotlight series by the Boston Business Journal. As prior winners of our Immigrant Entrepreneur Award, we want to give them — and all of our award winners — a shout-out.

National Small Business Week is a great opportunity to learn about — and support! — small business owners in your community. You can learn more about Mariana, Luiz and Wendy, along with other immigrant entrepreneurs, by visiting our YouTube channel. All links in the comments!

04/30/2026

Congratulations again to all the students who submitted to our Teen Perspectives contest, and a special congratulations to Everett Public Schools, Massachusetts for taking home the top prizes in both categories. 👏

Carolina's artwork, "Celebrating Columbus Day at the Church," was inspired by her home country of El Salvador and Everett's diversity, while Shashi's essay "Sacrifices and Contributions of Immigrants," expresses how the struggle to fit in while also keeping her culture alive became her strength.

Both are incredible works that you should see for yourself. Visit our website to see all the submissions at the link in the comments.

04/28/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Teen Perspectives Award winners! 🏆

Student voices are powerful, so we were honored to celebrate the creativity, expression and experiences of high school students from Malden Public Schools, Everett Public Schools, Massachusetts and Medford Public Schools. Their art and essay submissions inspired (and challenged!) us to think more deeply about how immigration impacts our communities.

Our first-place art winner, Carolina, is from El Salvador 🇸🇻 and her piece portrayed a dynamic scene showing how the Latin American community comes together to support one another. Our essay winner, Shashi, is from Nepal 🇳🇵 and her essay explores how growing up as an immigrant, "brought struggle, but it also brought strength, culture, language, and connections." You can view their work, along with all the other submissions, at the link in the comments.

Thank you to all who attended the ceremony, including City of Malden (Official) Mayor Gary Christenson, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Everett Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Margaret Adams, who encouraged the students to keep creating and keep sharing their voices.

And a special thanks to Eastern Bank and the Malden Cultural Council, a part of the Mass Cultural Council, for their support!

04/24/2026

Join us for The ILC's first Book Club and Author Talk! We'll hear from author Shubha Sunder on how themes of identity, race and immigration emerge in her debut novel, "Optional Practical Training" (Graywolf Press, 2025).

📖 Author Talk! Immigration, Community, and Identity: A Conversation with Author Shubha Sunder
🗓️ May 6, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
📍 The West End Museum, Boston, MA
🎟️ Get tickets: http://bit.ly/4sT5tsU

Our discussion with Shubha will explore how others shape our sense of community, where we call home and how “home” changes due to…

🏙️ urban renewal,
💭 fading memories,
🏘️ changing communities, and
🧳 our own migration to newly adopted homes.

This past fall, Shuba won the New American Voices Award, co-sponsored by the Institute for Immigration Research-GMU and Fall For The Book at George Mason University. She currently teaches in the creative writing MFA program at UMass Boston.

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This event is made possible in partnership with The West End Museum and the Institute for Immigration Research-GMU at George Mason University.

Complimentary soft drinks, wine and cheese provided.

The first 10 registrants will receive a free copy of Shubha's book, "Optional Practical Training".

Reserve Your Spot: http://bit.ly/4sT5tsU

Explore themes of immigration and community as experienced in present day Boston in conversation with the past in this dynamic book talk!

04/23/2026

Let's Tee Off to Support Immigrants! ⛳

Spots are going fast — register now for The ILC's Annual Golf Classic!

🗓️ Monday, June 8, 2026
📍 Pine Brook Country Club
💻 Sign Up at www.ilctr.org/events/golf-classic/

Join us for a fun-filled day of golf, networking at lunch and dinner, and (of course!) many opportunities to win prizes 🏆 while supporting The Immigrant Learning Center’s mission to give immigrants a voice. 📣

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SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: Become a sponsor and create visibility that makes a difference.

Visit our website for a list of sponsors and available sponsor opportunities.

www.ilctr.org/events/golf-classic/

04/20/2026

We have amazing volunteers! 🥳

Our 100+ classroom volunteers assist with writing assignments, coaching students through citizenship interviews and leading study groups. They help our students learn and help them feel like they belong.

We are honored to have dedicated volunteers who invest their time and talent in helping our students and giving immigrants a voice. The depth and breadth of our work wouldn't be possible with out these highly trained classroom volunteers.

During National Volunteer Week — and all year long -- we celebrate and appreciate our volunteers!