Community Integration Programs
The Community Integration Program focuses on outreach towards community inclusiveness and adjustment, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and relationship-building. Activities are conducted in partnership with CEDARS and include:
- Advocacy and Partnership Building
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training: Open workshops and individualized trainings are available for individuals, business, agencies community organizations, service providers, and other interested community members. For more information, please contact nadia.deleon@wku.edu.
Programs
Family Mentoring
This program will partner local families with refugee families. Please contact julie.rivas@wku.edu if you are interested in joining! Volunteerism (recruitment of campus and community members to volunteer providing refugees with basic assistance);
Multicultural Service-Learning
Cultural Diversity classes at WKU partner students with local refugees to learn from each other, assist with adjustment process through $100 Solution projects, and foster community integration, while developing the students multicultural skills. The class is FLK 280 from the department of Folklore & Anthropology. It counts for general education credits and it's offered every semester! If you are interested email nadia.deleon@wku.edu
Cultural Celebrations events to showcase the culture and history of particular refugee groups within our community.
Community Threads Weaving Cooperative
This program is a partnership between the WKU Students in Free Enterprise, ALIVE CCP, and the Department of Folk Studies & Anthropology, with CEDARS, the Bowling Green International Center, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, and Greenwood Park Church of Christ. Burmese women make beautiful hand-woven scarfs, baby wraps, and purses. For more information visit: http://www.facebook.com/CommunityThreadsCooperative.
Community Leaders and Interpreters
In August 2012, we will begin offering interpretation and translation services. The refugees involved in the program are also leaders in their respective communities and help us in maintaining up to date understanding of the needs and assets within their communities.
Community Partnership for Immigrant and Refugee Issues
The Bowling Green community is fortunate to have many organizations who support our immigrant and refugee populations, as well as a group for these organizations to get together every two months and stay informed of each other's efforts. It is a very large group, including active partners from Warren Co. Schools, BG city Schools, International Center, KY Office for Refugees, Commonwealth Att., Warren Co. Judge Executive, BG Police, ALIVE Center, Life Skills, Community Action, Warren Co. Health Dept. If you want to know more, please email skip.cleavinger@warren.kyschools.us.
