Welcome Project Inc

Programs

The Welcome Project’s programs include:

A. Youth Aspirations Program. The Youth Aspirations Program focuses on helping immigrant youth reach their full potential by providing academic enrichment, support for youth preparing to enter college or the work force, and hands-on civic engagement projects on community issues of concern to immigrant youth. We do this through our:

• Liaison Interpreter Program of Somerville (LIPS). Trains bilingual high school students from immigrant families in Somerville to use their unique skills to promote their own development as they support the engagement of their families and neighbors in the civic life of the city. High quality training is provided by CrossCultural Communications Systems, Inc, a company that trains adult medical and legal interpreters.
• Mystic Wizards. Provides academic support and service opportunities for youth aged 8-13. Mystic Wizards includes not only homework help but opportunities for self expression and cultural exploration.
• First Generation to College. Offers support, programming and workshops for immigrant families focused on supporting youth in the US educational system. Through weekly sessions, high school students learn about the college process and share their knowledge and skills with their peers and families.

B. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Offers accessible and friendly English classes. Our morning class offers childcare through partnership with the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative. Like our morning classes, our evening classes meet twice a week over 28 weeks throughout the year. We infuse our classes with special topics of interest and concern to residents, including schools, jobs and work issues, health access and housing. Over the last two years, we have more than doubled the number of students in our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. 

C. Civic Engagement Initiatives. The Welcome Project plays a leadership role in helping the city’s immigrants navigate a challenging economic, political, and social landscape. All of our activities -- from our liaison interpreter work with youth to our English classes with adults are designed to do more than develop a skill or increase knowledge. At our core, our mission is to play a central role in building bridges between communities so that immigrants can effectively participate in the life of the city. Three initiatives designed to do this are:

• Stepping Up to a Somerville Promise. The Welcome Project served on the founding governing body of the Somerville Promise Alliance (SomerPromise), a new city-wide initiative focused on public school education in the city. In its initial phase, programs are being piloted at the Mystic. The goal is to better coordinate the resources and programs of the city, schools and non-profit providers in service to children and families who attend the Healey School, which is adjacent to the Mystic. We are leveraging our program strengths to contribute to this effort and play a leading role in ensuring a strong civic engagement component—working with parents and the schools to break down barriers to participation for immigrant families. Our program efforts include an ESOL class called “Helping Your Child in School,” special training for LIPS youth to interpret at school meetings, and the creation of a new parents group that supports parents to become active leaders in shaping the future of their children’s education.
• YUM: A Taste of Immigrant City. Evolving from our Immigrant City: Then and Now exhibit, we developed an initiative to celebrate and promote immigrant-run restaurants in the city: YUM: A Taste of Immigrant City. Through a YUM Restaurant Card and the annual YUM Celebration and Fundraiser, we promote local immigrant economic development and culture, and also raise needed funds to support The Welcome Project's programs.