Entrepreneurial Excellence: Social Venture Award
In December 2016, the University Y was one of 18 YMCAs nationwide selected by Y-USA to pioneer the development of a New American Welcome Center (NAWC). New American Welcome Centers are designed to help immigrants fully integrate into American society and prepare receiving communities to be welcoming and inclusive. This is accomplished through a combination of integration services, collaborations with community partners, and strategies to connect and build cross-cultural understanding between immigrants and U.S.-born residents. Their efforts currently focus on facilitating a community-wide immigrant welcoming plan, community bridge-building activities, resource navigation services, legal services, and pathway to citizenship.