Integrated Community :: Comunidad Integrada

Northwest Colorado’s Supporting Immigrant and Families Initiative Planning Process began in December of 2006 with a small steering committee with representatives from both Steamboat Springs and Craig. Steering committee members consisted of people who had committed to taking part in the planning process.

Steering committee members are: Daouda Adama (City Market manager), Mark Andersen (Routt County United Way Director), Matthew Barrman(African CARE group), Terry Doherty(Development Director, Boys and Girls Club of Craig), Sandy Evans Hall (Executive Vice President, Steamboat Springs Chamber and Resort Association), Tom Gangel (Executive Director of Steamboat and Craig Mental Health), Linda Haltom (Finance Director, Yampa Valley Community Foundations), Terri Jourgensen (Moffat County School District), Dai Kato (Independent consultant), Summer Laws (Executive Director, Comunidad Integrada), Jen Leroux, (ESL Program, Colorado Mountain College), Pablo Luviano (Business owner), Maria Martin (Program Coordinator, Comunidad Integrada), Diane Miller (Program manager, Visiting Nurses Association), Vesna Palmer (Macedonian Mission for Humanity), Jerry Raehal (Editor, Craig Daily Press), Corrie Scott (Executive Director, Moffat County United Way), and Christine Villard (Director of Student Services, Moffat County School District).

Vision and Mission

The steering committee met once sometimes twice a month to create a mission statement, vision, and determine the best process for soliciting community input. Community United became the title of the steering committee, with a vision of “All people living and working together to create a community in which everyone feels welcome and respected” and a mission of “Strengthening our community through building respectful relationships between immigrant and local neighbors in Routt and Moffat Counties”.

Discovery

Through the committee process, differences became apparent between the Steamboat Springs and Craig communities. It was decided that the approach to the input process and even program implementation should be tailored to fit each community’s needs.

The committee collected information on the immigrant population in each of the two communities and how it had changed over time using information from the US Census, the two school districts, and estimates from law enforcement.

The committee noted that the immigrant population in Steamboat Springs was smaller than that of Craig, but more varied in national origin. Law enforcement estimated the number of immigrants in Craig as 12% of the population and in Steamboat Springs as 5% of the population, the 2000 US Census shows 8% and 3% respectively. The large number of immigrants in Craig, Colorado are from Mexico, specifically Parral, Chihuahua. The majority of immigrants in Steamboat Springs were born in Mexico, though there is a small population of others from Latin America (approximately 50 people), Eastern Europe, Asia, and West Africa.

A relationship was built in Steamboat Springs with the CARE group, a small group of community members assisting the group of approximately 25 West African refugees living in Steamboat Springs.

Strategy- how activities were chosen

The Community United steering committee decided to hold several World Café style meetings in both Steamboat Springs and Craig targeted at specific sectors such as: Business, Arts, Education, etc, followed by one large forum in each community.

The committee felt that many of our area’s residents would feel more comfortable talking in a small group of their peers before attending a larger forum on the topic of immigrant integration. Steering committee members chose the World Café format feeling that the actually format helped meet the mission of the group by bringing immigrants and receiving community members together in small groups to discuss issues important to them, face to face. Joe Wisman-Horther facilitated two World Café host trainings for the committee members in Steamboat Springs and Craig who then facilitated World Café for their respective categories.

Initially, many in the committee feared that World Café participants in the community would be combative and argumentative around the issue of community integration. Through the World Cafes it was discovered that these discussions were welcome.

Technical advisor, Joe Wisman-Horther, of the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning (LINK TO WEBSITE) , facilitated the large forums for Community United at the Steamboat Springs High School on June 4, 2007 and June 18, 2007 at the Boys and Girls Club of Craig. Activity ideas from the World Cafes were sorted by attendees at the large forums and put into different categories such as: Sports, Social activities, Education, etc. In all, Community United collected ideas from more than 325 people in Moffat and Routt counties.

Generally the needs and general perceptions of World Café and forum participants in Routt and Moffat Counties varied with Routt County participants requesting more intercultural events , a central resource center, and educational opportunities for existing community members and Moffat County residents emphasizing the importance of English language learning. Currently there is no formal English language program in Moffat County, but Routt County has a long-standing ESL program through Colorado Mountain College and an in-home program through Integrated Community.

The steering committee put together the results of the forums and World Cafes and pulled out the most popular activities mentioned. In Steamboat Springs the committee recognized the large number of people requesting: social activities and a central resource center. In Craig, the most popular activities requested were: English classes, Intercambio, and intercultural events.

The committee then looked at the mission, vision, and activities to select the following outcomes:

1. Outcome: Increased knowledge of different cultures by receiving community members and immigrants
Activities: Intercambio, central resource center, intercultural events such as: film series, lecture series, celebrations, intercultural committee.

2. Outcome: Increased knowledge of services in community by immigrants
Activities: Marketing and outreach via: PSA’s in English and Spanish, established bulletin boards in grocery stores and public places, central resource center in Steamboat Springs and Craig, marketing by intercultural committee

3. Outcome: Community members have increased proficiency in Spanish and English
Activities: Intercambio, Intercultural English program in Moffat County

4. Outcome: Increased participation by immigrants at existing community events
Activities: Marketing through: central resource center, bulletin boards in grocery stores and public places, PSA’s in English and Spanish, intercultural committee

5. Outcome: Immigrants have increased feeling of welcome
Activities: Central resource center, thanksgiving dinner, intercultural events such as: sports, dances, picnics, cooking classes, intercultural committees

6. Outcome: Increased acceptance of immigrants by existing community members
Activities: cultural competency training, intercultural events, Intercambio, marketing and outreach

COMMUNITY UNITED ACTIVITIES
The following activities and programs are a part of the Community United project:

International Dances (links to different parts of the website with more information)
International Food Festival, Steamboat Springs
Cinco de mayo, Craig
Fiesta Days, Moffat County Fair
Steamboat Springs In-home English Language Program
Craig Adult English Language Program

GET INVOLVED:
Give us a call or drop us an email if you are interested in serving on a committee, 871-4599, 824-6324 or HYPERLINK "mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it " This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

CURRENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS