Promising Practice
The Citizenship Preparation Program at Sutter County Library is an incredibly successful program that provides comprehensive support and resources to students in order for them to obtain citizenship.
Agency Awarded: Sutter County Library, 2011
Summary Description of Project:
The purpose of the Citizenship Preparation Program at Sutter County Library is to assist students during the citizenship process as well as help them become contributing members of the community. Through carefully structured curriculum, in-person presentations by USCIS, on-site language translators, and flexible scheduling, students receive information needed for citizenship and experience the greater impact that citizenship has on the community. When students return from their USCIS interviews, they share their experience with their peers. This helps other students to be more comfortable with the citizenship process. The agency also holds Citizenship Ceremonies to celebrate those who have become citizens.
Evaluation Process/Results:
This project is evaluated by examining agency data, attendance rates, and student feedback. Sutter County Library has seen that this project has had a great amount of success, based on the number of students that have participated in the program and gone on to take and pass the necessary exams to obtain citizenship.The agency is proud to report that it has helped over 1,600 students obtain citizenship. Persistence rates in 2009-10 (90%) far exceed those of the state, and of 257 students enrolled in the program, 86% passed the Citizenship Interview Test and 94% passed the Government and History Test.
For additional information contact:
Mary Schumate, Literacy Coordinator, scoelibt@yahoo.com