New Gonzalez Benson and Pimentel Walker initiative aims to strengthen civic engagement among immigrant and refugee communities

With support from U-M’s Strategic Initiatives Fund, a new initiative led by faculty from the School of Social Work and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will work to remove barriers that prevent immigrants and refugees across Michigan from participating in civic life.

Voices in Civic Belonging: Strengthening Immigrant and Refugee Engagement in Michigan is led by Odessa Gonzalez Benson, associate professor of social work and urban and regional planning, and Ana Paula Pimentel Walker, associate professor of urban and regional planning. The initiative has received $300,000 to strengthen civic and democratic engagement among immigrant and refugee communities across Michigan by building partnerships at the local, state, and national levels.

The project was one of 37 selected to receive a share of $40 million in initial funding from the Strategic Initiatives Fund through its inaugural call for proposals. Nearly 500 proposals were submitted following the announcement last November of the $1 billion, 10-year fund. Proposals were required to align with one or more of the five impact areas identified in the Look to Michigan vision and encourage collaboration among scholars and staff across academic departments, U-M campuses, colleges, schools and other units.

Researchers and community collaborators will co-design the work of Voices in Civic Belonging. Activities will include engaging community stakeholders, collecting data, developing educational and capacity-building programs, implementing a statewide training program for immigrant and refugee leaders, and evaluating the program’s impact.

Expected outcomes include stronger civic knowledge, media literacy, public communication skills, and leadership capacity among immigrant and refugee leaders. The initiative is also expected to strengthen connections among participants, journalists, public officials, faculty members, and service providers.

The project builds on Gonzalez Benson and Pimentel Walker’s ongoing participatory action research with migrant- and refugee-led organizations in Michigan. Their related work has appeared in the Journal of Community Practice, the Journal of Urban Affairs, and Health Security.