NewsRelease

BOG APPROVES UNCG’S CENTER FOR NEW NORTH CAROLINIANS

GREENSBORO – Today, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina approved the creation of a Center for New North Carolinians on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

 The Center, to be based in UNCG’s School of Human Environmental Sciences (HES), is designed to provide research, training and evaluation for the state in addressing immigrant and refugee issues, collaboration with government and social organizations to enhance responsiveness to immigrant and refugees needs and community support to help provide training and workshops. The Center will also focus on the development and enhancement of educational programs and services, which address the unmet needs of immigrant populations within our state.

 “Immigrants and refugees are an important key to the growing North Carolina economy and its vital to bring them into the education system as well as the workforce,” said Dr. Cynthia Farris, who has headed UNCG’s Task Force on New North Carolinians. “Educational and human service intervention in the new North Carolinian community aids in the overall growth and resourcefulness of our state.”

 Recent census data shows that North Carolina has the greatest in-migration of Hispanics/Latinos in the nation. During the last decade the Guilford County Hispanic/Latino population has grown from less than 2,000 to over 12,000. In addition, there is an African population that is comparable in size to the Latino population.

 These new residents contribute to the economic boom and culturally enrich the community, Farris said. The addition of the Center will be a positive for Guilford County and the state.

 “The Center will incorporate educational and collaborative initiatives that can become models for other North Carolina institutions to use in serving this growing population.”

 While the Center will be part of HES, it will be housed within the existing AmeriCorps ACCESS (Accessing Cross-Cultural Education Services Systems) Program. ACCESS works to help refugees, immigrants and their communities gain better access to human services, become economically self-sufficient residents of our state and build bridges of understanding with their neighbors.

 The Center is another important piece to UNCG’s institutional commitment to helping ease the transition to this state for immigrants and refugees. For over three years, the campus Task Force has sponsored a number of programs for New North Carolinians including cultural events, special admissions programs and a scholarship funded by Centura Bank. #####

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