Working Together: How Community Colleges and Their Partners Help Immigrants Succeed

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.

Jill Casner-Lotto serves as director of the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE), where she oversees research, communications, and policy development. She is the author of several CCCIE reports and articles providing best practices and resources to guide colleges in implementing immigrant/refugee education and workforce programs focused on ESL integrated career pathways, holistic student support services, and community-based, cross-sector partnerships.

Teresita B. Wisell is executive director of CCCIE and serves as vice president of workforce development and community education at Westchester Community College, part of the State University of New York. In 2014, the White House recognized Ms. Wisell as a Champion of Change for her contributions to workplace citizenship programs.