Writing this, it is hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close. This year the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) has seen remarkable growth across all our programs, completing pilot programs in the iEnglish Project and Immigrant Business Hub. We have formed new partnerships across the state and the country to strengthen our work and learn from others in the field of immigrant integration.
This last quarter of the year we have been busy evaluating our current programs to help 2020 get off to a strong start.
The IWC wishes you a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year. We can't wait for what this new year will bring.
Sincerely,
|
|
Alain J. Nahimana | Executive Director
The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center
Office: (207) 517-3405
|
|
iEnglish Project Program Associate Daniyah Kazadi with Jennifer O'Leary, Workforce Development Manager, HR of MaineHealth introducing the program
|
|
In our continuing partnership with MaineHealth, a new group of learners began taking courses through the iEnglish Project in October. To reduce transportation barriers, courses for MaineHealth employees now take place at two different locations within Maine Medical Center. This new cohort includes 17 new learners, and 5 continuing learners from the pilot program.
|
|
This summer the IWC connected with 20 of the asylum seekers who were staying in the Portland Expo, setting them up with Voxy accounts in our Digital Language Lab. Since then the learners have relocated to different parts of the state, however many have continued to use the platform to make sure their language training doesn't stop.
|
|
This fall the pilot initiative of the Immigrant Business Hub, our Entrepreneur Greenhouse, finished its six month long training program. Four entrepreneurs completed the program and we're looking forward to welcoming the next cohort in the Spring. Applications for the second Entrepreneur Greenhouse will be open this winter. Stay tuned!
|
|
Stay tuned for the official launch of the Business Hub in February 2020. This breakfast and panel discussion event will be about inclusion and immigrant entrepreneurship and celebrate the completion of our pilot and the beginnings of the second Entrepreneur Greenhouse. Date and location will be announced soon.
|
|
Citizenship & Civic Engagement
|
|
Our Citizenship & Civic Engagement Initiative has been wrapping up 2019 by creating a strategic plan for the next two years, including plans for the 2020 Census.
|
|
The IWC would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Kate Snyder for being elected as the new mayor of Portland, and to Alan Casavant for being re-elected as mayor of Biddeford. We wish them the best in serving these cities.
Thank you Mayor Casavant for these especially moving words during your inauguration speech:
"The reasons for people moving to our city are the same as they were for our memeres and peperes. Our goals and dreams are the same, and there is a commonality between us. To paraphrase JFK, 'our most basic human link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.'..... It is time to break down the barriers and walls that separate us from each other, and, instead, celebrate who we are! Instead of focusing on differences of opinion, we must look into each other’s hearts, as, ultimately, we all have the same goal: a city that is safe, welcoming, and economically beneficial for all. "
We also extend our congratulations to all the city councilors elected from the immigrant community across the state this fall.
|
|
IWC ED Alain with Mayor Snyder
|
Alain with Mayor Casavant
|
|
The New Deal for New Americans Act
|
|
On October 30 IWC Executive Director Alain Nahimana traveled to Washington D.C. to represent the IWC as a member of the
National Partnership for New Americans
and endorse the New Deal for New Americans Act. This bill, H.R.4928 aims to establish a National Office of New Americans, reduce obstacles to citizenship and support the integration of immigrants and refugees. More information about the bill can be found
HERE
.
|
|
Welcome the Newest IWC Team Members!
|
|
|
|
The IWC is happy to welcome Laura Beal as the newest member of our team.
Laura is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member at the IWC, supporting our program coordination. She graduated with a degree in International Adult Education. Laura is a Midcoast Maine native who has worked as an English teacher, childbirth support volunteer, and curriculum developer in Atlanta, Georgia before returning home to serve the community of Portland.
|
|
Please join us also in welcoming these three new members to our Board of Directors:
- James Brissenden, Director of Business Development, Clark Insurance
- Deborah Felder, Former Senior Adviser, Broad Reach Fund
- Chris Van Dyck, General Counsel, cPort Credit Union
|
|
National Immigrant Integration Conference
|
|
On October 20-22, IWC Executive Director Alain Nahimana, iEnglish Project Program Associate Daniyah Kazadi, Board Chair Virginia French, and Senior Advisor of Strategic Partnerships Kevin Simowitz attended the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) in Detroit, Michigan. NIIC is the largest conference on immigration in the U.S. and brings together policymakers, academics, corporate and community leaders, funders, faith leaders, researchers and many more to build partnerships, share ideas and inspire one another. Alain and Virginia were on panels on "Innovation and Practical Models to Break Down Barriers & Address Language Needs" and "Igniting Naturalization Strategies that will Lead to Full Citizenship", respectively.
|
|
Alain (middle) and fellow panel speakers.
|
"It was inspiring to see so many who make it their life's work to advocate on behalf of the immigrant community. It empowered us to know that we have national support for our work"
- Virginia French's reflection on NICC
|
|
Portland Buy Local Indie Biz Awards
|
|
This fall we were nominated by
Portland Buy Local
for an Indie Biz Award in the Give Local category. We are honored to have won. Thank you to all who voted!
|
|
New Mainer's Guide to Greater Portland
|
|
After many long months, our New Mainer's Guide to Greater Portland is finally available online and in print.
The IWC created a New Mainer's Guide to Greater Portland in partnership with the
Portland Public Library
as a tool to help New Mainers navigate the different resources available at each phase of their integration here in Southern Maine.
The guide is full of resources relating to food and shelter, legal support, health care, community organizations, education, career advancement opportunities, and everything in between. The guide shares valuable information in a reliable way, compiling information about over 200 support organizations in one source and referred to at any time during one’s first years in Maine. This guide is also for service providers, residents, businesses, and local governments to use to refer New Mainers to essential resources and support services.
The guide can be found online
HERE
.
|
|
Welcome Home Concert Tour
|
|
In November the IWC had the pleasure to be a small part of
Palaver Strings
Welcome Home concert tour. Welcome Home celebrated the vitality of Maine's immigrant communities through music and storytelling. The strings ensemble collaborated with guest artists of Franco-American, Burundian, and Iraqi heritage, sharing traditional music and personal stories of their families' journeys to Maine. The tour performed at seven locations across the state. Audiences laughed, cried, sang and danced along with the three distinct segments.
|
|
Kifah Abdulla speaking in Belfast.
|
|
Alain Iginareza and Maisha Mustafa singing in Bar Harbor.
|
|
The event will take place at 9:00am on Sunday, February 16, 2020, on Congress Street in Portland.
Race proceeds will be gifted to us, and runners have the option of making an additional donation when registering. Sign up for the race
HERE
.
|
|
|
The IWC Co-Working Hub provides an aspirational working space for aligned community stakeholders. The program supplements and helps build the capacity and capital of burgeoning immigrant initiatives and organizations.
If you or your organization are interested in becoming a member, check out our membership benefits
here
or email us at
info@welcomeimmigrant.org
.
|
|
Join us in welcoming this new member to the Co-Working Hub:
|
|
Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants
has been housed in the coworking space of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center since the Center’s inception two years ago. “We feel so fortunate to be here,” says Maine Intercultural’s co-founder Deb Breiting. “It allows us to keep connected with the current issues of local immigrant communities, connect with other people who care deeply about immigrant integration, and, on a practical level, have a great space for working, meetings, and trainings.”
Founded in 2015, Maine Intercultural is known for its passionate and engaging facilitators and for trainings that are interactive, experiential, and impactful. “As former educators, ourselves,” says co-founder Liz Greason, “it’s important to us that we meet people where they are--to balance challenge and support--so that people can stretch themselves and truly grow interculturally. That way, they can enact meaningful change and equitable actions in their workplaces. We focus on ‘What is the goal?’ and ‘What process makes sense to get us there?’ and we adapt and customize our support accordingly.”
“We find that most people mean very well,” continues Deb Breiting. “But there can be a disconnect between intention and impact. Our work focuses on closing that gap.”
|
|
One of the tools that Maine Intercultural uses to do this is an internationally recognized instrument called the Intercultural Development InventoryⓇ, or IDIⓇ, which quantifies where an organization or individual is in their ability to navigate cultural similarities and differences. It also measures where an organization or individual perceives themselves to be, which makes closing the gap mentioned above, by Breiting, actionable, by quantifying it and making it visible.
“The IDI gives people a common language to talk about challenging things--namely, cultural differences. This is something our clients really appreciate,” says Greason. It’s worth mentioning that Maine Intercultural’s work reflects a broad understanding of culture and diversity to include age, race, gender, socioeconomic class, national origin, from Maine/from ‘away’, sexual orientation and gender identity, among many others.
Maine Intercultural’s client list is extensive, including public and private schools and colleges, large and small companies, cities and municipalities, as well as non-profits and hospitals. Their work is increasingly becoming national and international, though their hearts are here in Maine and in the unique challenges faced by our state in terms of integrating difference. “We both lived overseas for many years,” says Greason, “so we love an excuse to get out our passports and get on a plane, but there’s exciting work to do right here, and we are honored to play a part in creating a welcoming place for immigrants--and others--in Maine.”
|
|
Other Co-Working Hub News
|
|
The
Immigrant Music Connection (IMC)
is a grassroots community of recent immigrants and others building community through music: instrument-finding, free instruction when possible, and performance opportunities such as the International Open Mic. In November, founder / director Jenny Van West was awarded a Music Community Leader Award for 2019 by the Maine Academy of Modern Music, who has recently partnered with the IMC to provide scholarships to qualified students. In attendance to accept the award with Jenny were several members of the IMC community. The IMC is extremely grateful to MAMM for this honor, and intends to build on this recognition to further benefit the community.
|
|
|
|
|
In the fourth quarter of 2019, 31 different community organizations have used our meeting spaces, totaling 453 hours.
If you or your organization is interested in using our meeting rooms, book online
HERE
.
|
|
Find us on social media or visit our website:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
