Team 9, Maria's Mission

You are a fresh out of college seventh grade math teacher at a hispanic majority public middle school on Milwaukee's south side. It's the beginning of the second quarter and your student, Maria, has a lot of missing work. The few assignments that were turned in were A's and B's. What should you do? [[Confront the student]] [[Talk to her other teachers]]

After talking to her you realize that English is her second language and that she has been missing school in order to help take care of her siblings. She mentions that her dad and mom both work a lot. What do you wish to do? [[Ask about siblings, can they help?]] [[Give them a chance to make up their work]] [[Call Parents]] [[First Passage]]

You work with a bunch of experienced, older teachers who do not have the same free time that you have, you must ask them what time works. You find that the time that works best for all of you guys is before the teacher weekly meeting after school. [[Meet up with teachers]] [[First Passage]]

Maria says that she has a lot of siblings two of which are older but they are involved with "groups of bad people" and are not home most of the time. You think that maybe getting them involved would be a bad thing. What do you do? [[See if your colleagues know how to go about this.]] [[First Passage]]

A week has gone by and Maria missed the deadline for her extended work. What should you do? [[Call Parents]] [[First Passage]]

After discussion with the teachers, they decide that they should tell the parents that their presence at the next parent teacher conference is mandatory. Her mother is the only one that shows up to the conference and she explains that Maria is much needed at home to take care of her little siblings and that she cannot always go to school. [[You recommend a community's tutoring program]] [[First Passage]]

They don't answer and it's a Thursday night at 6pm. You also have to do a lot of grading by tomorrow. What should you do? [[Email her parents]] [[Stop calling]] [[First Passage]]

Surprisingly Maria's parents leave a voicemail saying that she has other responsibilities at home that come before school. [[Brainstorm solutions with other teachers]] [[First Passage]]

Just as you thought you had the greatest idea, Maria tells you it is not a matter of time but a matter of other things, she says cryptically for a 3rd grader. [[Keep digging for information.]] [[First Passage]]

After class you rush to the gymnasium to get the advice from the other teachers that you desperately need. They tell you that this kind of a thing is far out of your control and that you should let it go. Seeing as it is your rookie year you feel the need to take this on and help out Maria. [[Wait until you see Maria next]] [[First Passage]]

Maria came to class and for the past week you've thought about what you would say. Here's what you could say. [[Maria, I've noticed you haven't been to class. Is there anything I can do to help, what's happening?]] [[I can give you some work to do outside of school to help you get your grade back up if you would like?]] [[First Passage]]

Maria is hesitant to divulge information, she seems embarrassed about what is going on. What should you do? [[Keep digging for information.]] [[Think about the situation and really try to understand Maria.]] [[First Passage]]

You decide to put together work for Maria to complete. [[Give her a folder with all of the work she has missed]] [[First Passage]]

Maria doesn't show up for another week but she comes back with the folder completed the following week. What is there to do next? [[Give her another folder for what she missed]] [[Talk to her and see what's going on]] [[First Passage]]

She comes the following week with the completed folder but you begin to question how helpful this is. [[Talk to her and see what's going on]] [[First Passage]]

You talked to her and she explains to you that she wishes she could come to class everyday but she is "too busy" at home. [[Explain to her the importance of school]] [[First Passage]]

You have a deep conversation with her about where she can go in life if she were to continue going to school and eventually go to college. She explains to you how her family has different values like taking care of the family. You respond saying, [[I understand your family's values. Do you want me to talk to your parents?]] [[First Passage]]

You email her parents using Google translate and prior knowledge from your high school spanish classes to explain where Maria stands in your class. You offer tutoring, make-up work and extra credit. [[Wait for a response]] [[First Passage]]

After a week and a half Marias parents respond and say that Maria's home dutys are very much needed and if she does not do them her little brothers and sisters will not get ready for school nor eat in the morning because they are too young to prepare breakfest for themselves. If her siblings are sick then Maria must stay home and take care of them. You try to understand how Maria's parents could let her lose her education, but maybe you could go about this a different way. You must get more info from Maria, to do this you must confront Maria about her absences. [[Maria, I've noticed you haven't been to class. Is there anything I can do to help, what's happening?]] [[First Passage]]

She very adamantly tells you not to, because she has also asked them and they have told her that she must help the family because she is needed there. Perhaps you should ask your fellow teachers, maybe they could help? [[See if your colleagues know how to go about this.]] [[First Passage]]

Maria's family raised her proud and she does not explain what is going on. How to go about this? [[Keep ignoring the warning signs and keep pushing]] [[Try to reach out to Maria and understand what she is going though.]] [[First Passage]]

After careful deliberation you think that Maria must have something going on at home that she cannot attend class, but what does this mean? [[It means she is abused at home and you should call the Child Protective Services.]] [[You wonder if her family are illegal and could be hiding from the police.]] [[First Passage]]

Maria shuns you and goes about her day. What do you do now? [[Contact the principal, see what they can do to help]]

You explain to Maria that you also came from a family that would not let you admit the faults of your family. She opens up and tells you how her family does not have money and that she sometimes has to stay home for her younger siblings as her parents both work full time on farms making less than minimum wage. [[Ask why they don't get jobs at the grocer or Walmart?]]

The prinicipal tells you to give him the name of the student and he proceeds to give a call to C.P.S. (child protective services) [[Maria stops coming to class altogther]] [[First Passage]]

A month has passed and you begin to wonder if she will ever come back to class or if she was taken by C.P.S. [[Call CPS]] [[First Passage]]

You call and give the name and discription of Maria, they tell you that the information is confidential and only Maria and the family can give you permission to know about what happened to Maria. [[Pleed with CPS]] [[Contact Marias parents]] [[First Passage]]

This is an astounding failure, you now have no idea what happened to Maria and have lost the game. Try again? [[First Passage]]

Marias parents do not answer, the phone line is giving a dial tone. Curious about what is going on you decide to stop by her house, but you dont know where she lives. [[Go though the school online database for her address]] [[First Passage]]

You know that this is a bad idea but you got her into this mess and you are going to get her out of it. [[Go to the residency and ask neighbors for missing clues.]] [[First Passage]]

She isn't easy to give up her information, you think her parents might be illegal immigrants. [[Preemptivly explain that your parents came from Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union and that America is a country of opportunity]] [[First Passage]]

You explain your familys history with migration, and that you were born in Warsaw Poland. Of course you know it was much easier to come to America back then and you tell her that she has to work much harder for the same things you have. [[Maria opens up]] [[First Passage]]

Maria tells you about how her family, that they are illegal and her parents both work in addition to on the farm, cleaning bathrooms and other undesiarable low paying jobs. That they don't make enough money to fully support her family. Maria must work at home to take care of her younger siblings. [[Talk to your sister that works at U.S.C.I.S. (imigration services)]] [[First Passage]]

You tell Maria that you have a sister who might be able to help. Your sister works for the United States Citizen and Immigration Services. You will try and see what she can do. [[Call your sister up.]] [[First Passage]]

Your sister says that she can cut though the red tape and get your students parents the help they need. You are filled with joy that you can help Maria. [[Tell Maria the good news.]] [[First Passage]]

Maria is extactic and happy to hear that her family can finaly catch a break. She says that she will tell her parents the good news. [[Come back the next day.]] [[First Passage]]

Maria comes in extra early the next day to tell you the news. But she does not have a smile on her face, but a sad frown. you can tell right away that what she says next is not going to be good, but you still ask anyways. Maria tells you her parents cannot take the time off of working to get their citizenship even at the acclerated rate it will be with your sisters help. You are very distraught and contemplate what to do next. [[Make a Gofundme page to help with finances.]] [[Pay for the family's expenses with your own money.]] [[First Passage]]

You make the GoFundMe, but it is a gamble you have to take. to find out if it is sucessful, choose a number between 1-10. [[Odd.]] [[Even.]] [[First Passage]]

With the little money you have as a teacher, you pay for the expenses of the family for the time it takes to get Maria's mother and father to get their temporary visa. [[Pressure Maria's parents to get their full and complete citizenship.]] [[Leave it to Maria's parents to follow up with the citizenship.]] [[First Passage]]

The GoFundMe raised half of what you were hoping to get and you have to raise the other half yourself, as there is little time for other options, to pay the USCIS. [[Pay the rest and get her parents the citizenship.]] [[First Passage]]

The GoFundMe raises the ammount needed and then some, this allows Maria's parents to get the citizenship they need. [[Follow up with Maria one week after the process is started]] [[First Passage]]

You pay the money to the U.S.C.I.S. and plan to follow up. [[Follow up with Maria one week after the process is started]] [[First Passage]]

Maria is back in class to tell you that her parents have finaly got the citizenship they need, Maria lives a happy life and becomes a teacher like you. Thank you for playing Maria's Mission. [[First Passage]]

You call the CPS, they say that they will open a full investigation of the family, they thank you for the tip and hang up. You feel proud that you have done what you believe is right. [[Go back to school the next monday.]]

Your good instincts lead you to calling the police, and Maria's parents are taken back to Colombia. Congratulations you have deported Maria and her family, you despicable prick. [[First Passage]]

You see a man coming out of the house, he says that the Alvarez family (Maria's last name) has moved out to a different state, to hide from I.C.E. [[You know how badly you have destroyed Maria's family and this is something you will never be able to get away from.]] [[First Passage]]

You now have to live your life with the regret that you feel for potentially sending the family back to Colombia. Thank you for playing. [[First Passage]]

Maria's parents are very happy about all that you have done, but think that this is something they can do for themselves. Congratulations, thank you for playing Maria's Mission. [[First Passage]]

Maria's parents are left to their own devices, of course they are thankful for you and your sister. You are now invited to every Christmas and Easter with them! [[Go to Christmas this year.]] [[Don't thank me thank the U.S.A.]] [[First Passage]]

It is a small but festive gathering and you catch up with Maria, she says she is doing much better in school and is looking forward to starting the third quarter. She tells you she has plans to become a teacher to help the other children like you have helped her. Overwhelmed withjoy you shead a tear as the song "Auld lang Syne" plays on an old and rusted radio. You have done what many others would have failed at, Congratulations! [[First Passage]]

They think of you much more now that you tell them it was just what we Americans do. [[Christmas Day.]] [[First Passage]]

On Christmas Day you open presents with your spouse and cannot help but thinking about how Maria is celebrating a nice big Christmas with her parents and lots of gifts now that her parents can afford it. Thank you for playing Maira's Mission, you have helped Maria succeed! [[First Passage]]

Maria, who is visibly shaken tells you that over the weekend some lady visited the house and tried to kidnap her. Her parents were not at home but they told her to never open the door for strangers. She didn't open the door but she still was disturbed. Maria does not know why this happened but does know that she isn't safe at home now. What should you do? [[Comfort her]] [[Comfort her more and ask her questions]] [[First Passage]]

Hello and Welcome to the game "A Mission For Maria." Here you will click though blue options looking for the best way to help Maria. Maria is a hispanic 3rd grader in your class who is very enthusistastic about school and learning, but she is does not do well your class. You, being a teacher, want to see her succeed. Good luck and have fun! -Dev team [[First Passage]]

You have made Maria feel slightly better but she still is shocked that someone would try to kidnap her. She says that she still fears for her brothers, sisters, and parents. [[Comfort her more and ask her questions]] [[First Passage]]

You make Maria feel much better and she tells you that she is in a bit of a situation, she tells you that her family is not of this country but she was born here. that her parents are in fear of the government and the police, things you were taught to know are here to help but will take her parents away if they came too close. Maria cries in your class room, you hug her istinctualy to help her feel better. You want to know more, so you can help her. [[Keep digging for information.]] [[First Passage]]

You must wait until the next weekly meeting to ask them for help. [[Meet up with teachers]] [[First Passage]]