School Resource Coordinator With a Focus on the Somali Population

Columbus is home to the second largest population of Somali immigrants in the United States - more than 50,000 people.

Communities In Schools has a full-time staff person who serves as a link between Somali families in Columbus and Whitehall City Schools -- an advocate who will help integrate the Somali community into the schools. The staff person is from Somalia and speaks English, Somali and Arabic.

She is available to meet people at home or school and can assist in meetings with parents, teachers and principals. She is assigned to several Columbus schools where there is a large Somali population, is available to assist on an as needed basis with other schools, and works cooperatively with other Communities In Schools staff to assist Somali families with community resources and information. An important source of information for these families is explaining and understanding immunization requirements and sharing medical services.

There has been a targeted focus on the high school Somali females who are suffering from a real lack of role models; more successful efforts have been accomplished with the young men. Girl discussion groups have been established to assist girls in transitioning successfully and appropriately to life in an American high school.

An after-school program was started at Eakin Elementary School to assist the students with their academics. Columbus City School teachers and Somali tutors worked together to improve the test scores of the Somali students. The site won an award at the After-School Counts! conference for their excellent programming. Due to the success of this program, CIS received funding to create after-school programs in another elementary school and the Mifflin Welcome Center, focusing on Somali students.

Our goal is to provide all families with the information that they need to make proper educational choices for their children.