New American Cities

At Global Refuge, we believe that immigrants and refugees have an inherent right not to simply survive, but to thrive.

Yet there is a fundamental problem in the refugee resettlement system. Refugees are required to accept the first job they are offered—often a low-wage, entry-level position. They work long hours and overtime just to make ends meet. There is little opportunity to save money, much less time to dream or plan for the future. Often, they are not sufficiently equipped to anticipate and navigate the systemic challenges to long-term economic and social inclusion that they will encounter in their new communities.

The New American Cities program seeks to solve that problem by promoting economic empowerment, social mobility, and diverse, inclusive communities through a three-prong system: pathway building, career navigation, and harnessing the power of champions and coalitions.

Thank you to our founding sponsors, Walmart and the ICONIQ Capital Network, for their support.

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The New American Cities Model

• Individualized career navigation services for refugees
• Connections to pathway builders who forge relationships between immigrants and refugees and employers, expose training opportunities, and aim to address systemic barriers to advancement
• A network of coalitions and champions who will challenge negative narratives about refugees and create opportunities for social connections at the workplace, in the neighborhood, and beyond