Dr. Diya Abdo (Center for New North Carolinians) received new funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the project “Triad Naturalization Application and Education Services Collaborative.” Betsy Jenson is co-principal investigator on the project.
In partnership, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC) and New Arrivals Institute (NAI) (sub-awardee) propose to provide comprehensive and streamlined citizenship instruction and naturalization legal services to immigrants and refugees in the Triad area of North Carolina. NAI has provided ESL and citizenship instruction to immigrants since 2010. NAI provides educational and supportive services to over 700 refugees and immigrants each year. The CNNC, among its many services to the immigrant and refugee community, has provided immigration services, including assistance with naturalization since 2014. The CNNC provides immigration services to approximately 150 clients per year, with an average of 20 naturalization clients per year. However, the CNNC is in the process of expanding immigration services, particularly naturalization services.
Through this grant, the researchers propose to serve refugee and immigrant populations primarily from: Burma, Bhutan, Vietnam, DRC, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Syria, Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Central America. Researchers will provide a minimum of 14 English Language and Citizenship classes per year for 240 non-duplicated students over two years. Eighty percent of students will demonstrate measurable educational gains. We will provide naturalization legal services to at least 200 clients with at least 90% naturalizing.
