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Immigrant and Refugee Populations Focus of Community Orientation for Area Colleges

Nebraska Methodist College and the College of St. Mary are teaming up for the 15th year of hosting a community orientation. 

Allison Kinney-Walker, an Assistant Professor at Nebraska Methodist College, says these conferences have a different topic each year, with this year’s theme being: “Creating Engaged Campuses: Embracing the Immigrant and Refugee Populations.”  

Kinney-Walker says a large focus of these conferences is service learning opportunities for theirs and other local colleges.  She says this year, in addition, they will be doing strategic planning and networking related to immigrant and refugee populations. 

“But it really is, how can we serve the immigrant and refugee communities through service learning, but then how can our campuses do a better job of making sure that students on our campus, or potential students, feel welcome and included, Especially those students who are in a really difficult position of being undocumented on our campuses – how can we make sure they feel welcome and supported.”

Kinney-Walker says their panel will include representatives from the Omaha Police Department, Justice for our Neighbors and the International Center of the Heartland, and a staff attorney from Nebraska Appleseed will serve as moderator.

She says although the August 15th conference is not open to the public, they are hoping members of the public will share their thoughts and experiences throughout the event at #OmahaCampuses4BridgesNotWalls.

For more information, the website is: http://www.methodistcollege.edu/about/communications/nmc-set-to-co-host-community-orientation-on-immigrants-refugees