Stratagies to Invest in Immigrant Communities

Georgia Immigration Research Network co-founders, Dr. Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez and Dr. Paul N. McDaniel, and their graduate and undergraduate students, along with editing assistance from Dr. Lara Smith-Sitton and her students, at Kennesaw State University, have worked together in 2017-2018 to produce an Immigrant Integration Toolkit: Strategies for Investing in Our Communities. The toolkit focuses on Georgia and the Atlanta region, but many of the strategies are broadly applicable in many places. It shares best practices strategies for working with and on behalf of newcomer or immigrant communities. Topical areas include: demography, civic engagement, public safety, health services, workforce and economic development, language access, education, and housing. The Toolkit includes a Community Resources Guide to facilitate resource and referral. Stakeholders are invited to add their contact information to the Resource Guide through an online interactive portal that will be made available here after publication of the Toolkit in Fall 2018. A Spanish version of the Toolkit and Guide will also be made available in Fall 2018.

For more information about the Toolkit or the Community Resource Guide, contact: Dr. Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez. Thank you!

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immigrant integration tool kit with collage of peoples faces

Acknowledgements

The Immigrant Integration Toolkit would not have been possible without support from different divisions at Kennesaw State University, including the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Undergraduate Research's Creative Activities and Research Experiences in Teams (CARET) program, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), the Department of Social Work and Human Services in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Geography and Anthropology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

  • Principal Authors:

    • Dr. Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, Department of Social Work & Human Services
    • Dr. Paul N. McDaniel, Department of Geography & Anthropology

    Undergraduate Students:

    • Creative Activities and Research Experiences in Teams (CARET) Students:
      • Kayland Arrington (Sociology)
      • Alexandria Dillard (Psychology)
      • Wanjiku Kinhanya (Psychology)
      • Christopher Sipes (Geography and Geographic Information Science)
    • Student Assistance for Leadership in Teaching (SALT) Students:
      • Jennifer Klos (Psychology)
      • Rakesh Patel (Economics)
    • Dr. Lara Smith-Sitton's Students in The KSU Department of English:
      • Allison Dobo
      • Trent Lindbom
      • Katherine Tanko

    Graduate Students:

    • Marie-Dominique Ahebee (MS in Conflict Management program)
    • Soakie Galindo (Master of Public Administration program)
    • Audrey Redmond (PhD in International Conflict Management program)
    • Tiffany Rockwell (Master of Social Work program)
    • Gianni Bisio (PhD in International Conflict Management program)

    Special Thanks To:

    • Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning for the use of their Immigrant Integration Toolkit as a model

    Additional Thanks To:

    • Dr. Mark Tillman, Dean of WellStar College of Health & Human Services
    • KSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion
    • KSU Center for Diversity Leadership and Engagement Diversity Fellowship
    • KSU Center for Excellence in Teaching in Learning and Office of Undergraduate Research: The Creative Activities and Research Experiences for Teams (CARET) program
    • The Student Assistance for Leadership in Teaching Program (SALT) in the KSU Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
    • KSU Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)
    • KSU Office of Community Engagement
    • School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, and Development
    • Dr. Volker Franke, Professor of Conflict Management and Founder of TRENDS Global
    • Dr. Sherrill Hayes, Director of Professional Programs
    • A. L. Burruss Institute for Public Service & Outreach: Dr. William Baker, Executive Director, Ms. Christy Storey, Director of Operations
    • Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach
    • Dr. Jonathan McMurry, Associate Vice President for Research
    • Dr. Feland Meadows, Goizueta Foundation Endowed Chair