Government Alliance on Race and Equity Panel
On December 11, 2024, Rachel Joy, Director of the Equity and Engagement Department, served as one of two panelists for the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) conversation on Operationalizing Policies to Foster Connected and Prosperous Immigrant Communities. GARE includes 13,000 plus members who serve as racial equity practitioners and other governmental staff representing […]
2024 Welcoming Interactive
April 10-12, 2024, April Faulkner, Community Relations Specialist with the Equity and Engagement Department, attend the 15th annual Welcoming Interactive in Dallas, Texas. This Interactive, hosted by Welcoming America, is dedicated to immigrant and refugee inclusion in every facet of American life. The conference brought together more than 800 participants from around the United States […]
City of Champaign Designated as First Certified Welcoming Place in State of Illinois
The City of Champaign is proud to announce it has been recognized as a Certified Welcoming place by Welcoming America, becoming the only municipality in Illinois to achieve this distinction. In 2022, Champaign participated in Welcoming America’s comprehensive evaluation process and is now one of 20 other municipalities in the United States who have earned […]
Communities of Practice
On May 15, 2023 the Communities of Practice team met to continue work on implementing the Welcoming Plan. This team is made up of leadership across the county from City departments, not-for-profits, and other public service entities. The Welcoming Plan is a set of strategic initiatives to welcome immigrants and better integrate foreign-born residents into […]
Welcoming America Certification Audit
The City of Champaign was recently selected as one of three communities nationwide to be a pilot site to beta test the Welcoming Standard 2.0 and the starred certification system for Certified Welcoming. The certification demonstrates our commitment to our values of welcoming everyone who chooses to call Champaign home, including immigrants and refugees. The […]