You Are Here : Home / Community/ Neighborhoods / New Resident Information / The New American Program

The New American Program

Welcome to the City of Columbus! We are the 14th largest city in the United States, and our community is made up of more than 155,000 people who were born in other countries. Our city also has at least 330 businesses owned by people from different countries, and 6,700 students from around the world. More than 100 languages are spoken in Columbus. This mix of cultures makes our city strong and vibrant.

The City of Columbus New American Program is here to help immigrants and refugees fully take part in and contribute to the economic, civic, social, and cultural life of our city. We do this by working on policies, programs, services, and getting the community involved.

The New American Leadership Academy
The New American Leadership Academy is one way that the Department of Neighborhoods empowers individuals to become advocates for their communities. By empowering New American leaders, we can ensure that everyone has a voice.

New American Program Areas of Focus

• Civic Responsibility: We encourage new Americans to actively participate in our city's government and civic organizations.

• Leadership Development: We offer professional training to help new Americans get involved in civic activities through the New American Leadership Academy’s (NALA). The NALA program lasts eight months and applications are open in the fall of each year.

• Language Access: We provide translation and interpretation services in multiple languages for all City Departments so everyone can communicate effectively with their City government.

• Partnerships: We collaborate with City Departments and community partners on common issues and community projects and work to involve new Americans in these processes.

• Equity and Innovation: We strive for fair opportunities and work to remove causes of tension by promoting understanding and collaboration through partnerships with community stakeholders.

Resources

The Department of Neighborhoods works with partners in the community to ensure that the needs of our diverse population are being met. The following organizations serve the New American community in Columbus.

In addition, should you need help locating a resource, feel free to reach out to Abdi Soofe, New American Program Coordinator at (614) 645-1952 or AHSoofe@columbus.gov.

AACS Asian American Community Services
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Upper Arlington, OH 43220
(614) 220-4023