Elk Grove Adult and Community Education (EGACE) has been selected to receive a $160,000 grant to help promote immigrant civic integration and prepare permanent residents for citizenship from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) through its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. 

EGACE was one of 31 immigrant-serving organizations from 21 states and the District of Columbia selected to receive the grant.  The grant will be dispersed over two years.

EGACE will use the grant to launch Project Naturalize Now!, in partnership with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, an experienced naturalization legal services provider.  Through this program, EGACE expects to serve low-income, permanent residents from Latin America, China, Vietnam and Russia and anticipates providing citizenship instruction to 300 permanent residents and naturalization application services to 240.

“Our goal is to help provide English-as-a-second-language and citizenship instruction and naturalization workshops for at least 300 lawful permanent residents over the grant period,” said Kathy Hamilton, director of career technical education, adult education and charter schools for the district.  “We are also very fortunate to have a partnership with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF).  Through our partnership, law students from the University of California, Davis, will help guide and advise people as they go through the naturalization process, including assistance with the N-400 form, mock interviews and fee waivers."

This year marks the fourth year USCIS has awarded competitive grant funding to immigrant-serving organizations.  The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program is part of a multifaceted effort to provide citizenship-preparation resources, support and information to immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations.  Click here for more information about the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program.

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