NAFSA is proud to partner with Welcoming America to promote its annual Welcoming Week celebration from September 12-20. Every day, NAFSA members work towards making their campuses and communities more welcoming places for international students and scholars, and Welcoming Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight this commitment. We invite your campus or institution to participate in Welcoming Week to highlight the work you’re doing to make immigrants, students, scholars and visitors feel welcome.
Welcoming America is a network of U.S. cities, counties, states, and non-profit organizations who bring together host communities and immigrant and nonimmigrant newcomers. Through Welcoming Week, organizations and communities bring together immigrants, refugees, and long-time residents to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity.
Events are the heart and soul of Welcoming Week. They build stronger communities by bringing together new and long-time residents, and encourage dialogue and build connections between people who are seemingly different. This year, we recognize that Welcoming Week will be different due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on where you live, there will be varying guidance and restrictions on how in-person events, but wherever you are, we are confident international educators will find creative ways to show support for a globally-connected and peaceful world.
Ways to Engage
- Invite your institution's president to join leaders across the country in issuing a Welcoming Week Proclamation affirming all are welcome on your campus using our template.
- Get Out the Vote: incorporate voter registration events into Welcoming Week.
- Engage your student government and ask leaders to participate in the #WelcomingWeek and #CreatingHomeTogether social media campaigns.
- Host a pizza dinner, a Twitter chat, or livestream a discussion on Facebook or Instagram to facilitate dialogue among international students and study abroad participants about their experiences in a new country (and amid a pandemic!).
- Invite your Member of Congress to your campus to speak or submit recorded video remarks about the importance of being a welcoming community. Use Connecting Our World’s toolkit for tips on how to invite an elected official to your institution.
More Information
Official Welcoming Week Toolkit, including tips for hosting an in-person event safely.
Register your event with Welcoming America to have it listed on the searchable Welcoming Week map and receive further planning resources and support.