Working Together

Community colleges serve as a critical gateway to English-language instruction, higher education, workforce training, and civic engagement for many immigrants and refugees looking to gain an economic foothold in the labor market and integrate into the social fabric of their communities. Coming from various walks of life with different goals and aspirations, immigrants and refugees have turned to community colleges to help them further their education, prepare for citizenship, or launch new careers. At a time when our nation is facing bitter political divides over its immigration policies and gridlock at the federal level, this book tells a different story: It showcases the exemplary initiatives of community colleges and their partners working together at local and state levels to integrate immigrants and refugees into the economic, social, and cultural fabric of our communities and our country, and it illustrates the various ways immigrant and refugee students enrich campus life, strengthen communities, and benefit our economy. This book focuses on two key components of successful immigrant and refugee integration: multisector partnerships that have been essential for increasing immigrant and refugee students' college and career readiness and assuring their transition to further education, training, or jobs; and strategies related to replicating and scaling best-practice models and the policy implications involved.