One's ability to enter and retain housing in an increasingly expensive marketplace is correlated to one's ability to find meaningful, living-wage work. The entrance into that work, however, is similarly premised upon one's relationship to various social networks, one's credentials being recognized as valid, and one's ability to advocate for one's self in English. Obtaining employment in living-wage, middle-tier positions is challenging for newcomer communities with limited English-language proficiency and with foreign credentials not being recognized by local employers. Accordingly, many newcomers end up accepting low-tier, poor-paying jobs simply to make ends meet—this directly results in poor housing or desperate housing instability. So too, the pressures of these initial jobs taken, often in agriculture or meat packing, are so great that they prevent these individuals from being able to invest in the needed skill sets that would break that cycle. The Immigrant & Refugee Center of Northern Colorado is an ideal match for these communities, insofar as our programming offers an inexpensive, flexible, and specialized approach to these needs. Our organization offers freeor-low-cost instruction in English as a Second Language, GED preparation, or Citizenship preparation to our students five days a week across multiple campuses and time options for their convenience. Further, our team of Community Navigators, culture-specific staff who help clients in their own native language, meet with upper-level students to help those students pursue their vocational goals. This focus on workplace readiness is intrinsic to our educational programming, and that search for employment is aided significantly by our staff who are constantly seeking out new opportunities to place our clients in the vocation of their interest. Our educational method is evidence-based and strictly regulated by the Colorado Department of Education. Each of our instructional staff is appropriately trained and experienced in working with newcomer communities of various language abilities, skill sets, and life experiences.

2020-2021 People Served by Area of Weld County

• Carbon Valley (Berthoud, Dacono, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, Longmont, Mead, Northglenn, Thornton): 22
• County Seat (Evans, Garden City, Greeley): 641
• Outback (Briggsdale, Grover, New Raymer): 0
• Poudre River Corridor (Severance, Windsor): 8
• South County (Brighton, Fort Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg, Lochbuie): 18
• Thompson River Valley (Johnstown, Milliken): 8
• US-85 Corridor South (Platteville, Gilcrest, LaSalle, Kersey): 4
• US-85 Corridor North (Eaton, Ault, Pierce, Nunn): 0
• Outside Weld County: 42

Find out more about this program:
2019-2020
2020-2021

Abdi was enrolled in English classes pre-pandemic but he really struggled with consistent attendance because of the demands on his life related to his work schedule and his family life. Although making the move to online learning was a difficult one with limited digital literacy skills, Abdi committed himself to learning those skills and adapting to the new normal. What surprised all of us was that his attendance was almost perfect the second semester because he could log in to class while he was home with his children. He even logged in to class as soon as he got in his car after work and would listen and participate from the road. His phone was in the passenger seat, so his classmates always had a view of the inside roof of his car until he got in his driveway and picked it up again. His teacher shared with me that one time he got so excited about knowing the answer to a question that he picked up the phone to say the answer while he was driving and all his classmates started yelling "Put down your phone, Abdi?" "Watch the road, Abdi!" so they had a good laugh and used that as an opportunity to talk about safety.