OoC is charged with promoting instruction and training on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. USCIS recognizes that naturalization is a key milestone in the civic integration of immigrants. Naturalization requirements, such as knowledge of English and U.S. history and government, encourage civic learning and build a strong foundation upon which immigrants can fully integrate into society. Through preparing for naturalization, immigrants gain tools to become successful citizens and meet their responsibilities as United States citizens.
The goal of the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program is to expand the availability of highquality citizenship preparation services for immigrants across the nation and to provide opportunities for immigrants to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate into the fabric of American society.
Educating future citizens is a core component of the Citizenship and Integration Grant program. Citizenship education provides immigrants with the skills and knowledge they need to prepare for citizenship, including instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), U.S. history and government, and the naturalization process. Citizenship education programs have always faced challenges, such as student recruitment and retention, hiring qualified instructors, and tracking long-term program success. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified these challenges and created new hurdles to preparing immigrants for citizenship.
Simultaneously, the pandemic greatly accelerated change and innovation across nearly every sector. Many citizenship education programs have developed new and innovative ways of preparing students for citizenship. Similarly, welcoming communities are experimenting with creative ways to re-engage and reconnect with both immigrant and native-born populations.
Accordingly, USCIS is launching a special initiative – Innovations in Citizenship Education – designed to amplify innovation. USCIS will award innovations grants to organizations that foster creative approaches to preparing immigrants for naturalization and encouraging the civic, linguistic, and cultural integration of immigrants into their communities.
Deadline: Aug. 5, 2022
The following entities are eligible to apply to this announcement: a. City or township governments b. County governments c. Independent school districts d. Indian/Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) e. Indian/Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments) f. Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization g. Public/Indian Housing Authority h. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) IRS status, other than institutions of higher education i. Private institutions of higher education j. Public & state-controlled institutions of higher education k. Special district governments l. State governments m. Small businesses n. For-profit organizations other than small businesses
There is a minimum cost share requirement for this program of 20% of the total requested funding amount. Applicants should clearly identify which budget items are to be supported by federal grant funding and which are to be supported by in-kind contributions and/or other funding sources, along with an estimate of the value of these non-federal funding sources. All proposed cost share contributions must be clearly described in the budget portion of the proposal. Applicants will be scored on this during the technical review.