College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

The Office of Global Learning & International Affairs (WKU Global) will partner with the City of Bowling Green’s International Communities Liaison Division to host a panel discussion April 24 on how to best support documented New Americans* living within Bowling Green and Warren County.

For those who were forced to leave their homes by war or other extreme violence before resettling in the United States, the panel will explore the challenges they face and the strengths they bring to the community. This event is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Knicely Conference Center, 2355 Nashville Road.

Panelists at the event include:

• Todd Alcott, Mayor, City of Bowling Green
• Will Spalding, Assistant Director of EL & Federal Programs, Warren County Public Schools
• Dr. Diya Abdo, Professor of English at Guilford College, second generation Palestinian refugee and founder of Every Campus a Refuge
• Sajjad Afzali, WKU student from Afghanistan
• Mariia Novoselia, WKU student from Ukraine
• Tahir Zukic, Founder & President, Taz Trucking; from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Hosted by John Sunnygard, WKU Associate Provost of Global Learning & International Affairs

To facilitate community engagement, local organizations will also be on hand to discuss how community members can get involved with supporting and advocating for New Americans.

WKU Global leads the Resilient Refugee Program on campus and manages implementation of the Kentucky Innovative Scholarship Pilot Program, a scholarship opportunity for refugees, asylum seekers, parolees, or students with Temporary Protected Status or a Special Immigrant Visa living in Kentucky. Launched in July 2022, this scholarship has enabled 15 eligible students from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Uganda, and the Congo to begin their studies at WKU.

The International Communities Liaison Division, in the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, serves to coordinate the City’s role in communicating and working effectively with the diverse international communities represented in Bowling Green, and to serve as an advocate for LEP (Limited English Proficient) persons who may seek City services.

In addition to the panel event, WKU is hosting a training on April 25 for higher education professionals in Kentucky who wish to learn how their campuses can becoming more welcoming to refugees. The training is presented by Every Campus a Refuge and sponsored by WKU Global, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the National Association of System Heads, and will contribute to the statewide conversation on the role colleges and universities play in assisting refugee populations in their communities.

*Note: New Americans includes any foreign-born persons currently living in Bowling Green and Warren County, regardless of their immigration status. This event will pay specific attention to refugees, displaced persons, asylum-seekers, parolees, and those with Temporary Protected Status or a Special Immigrant Visa.

For more information, contact Lauren Reyes at lauren.reyes@wku.edu or Leyda Becker at Leyda.becker@bgky.org.