City of Bowling Green to Celebrate Largest Academy for New Americans Graduating Class

Published:

June 9, 2025

Category:

General

Contact:

Leyda Becker - 270-393-3766

Location:

Bowling Green, KY

Thirty trailblazing New Americans will graduate June 13 in the City of Bowling Green’s largest-ever Academy for New Americans class, representing 13 countries and 21 languages. Their journey wraps with hands-on community service, turning leadership lessons into real impact with Habitat for Humanity.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The City of Bowling Green will host a graduation ceremony at 12 p.m. Friday, June 13 for the 30 graduates from its seventh cohort of the Academy for New Americans, making it the largest graduating class to date.

The graduation reception will be held at the Sloan Convention Center, following the conclusion of the final session of the Academy focusing on Volunteerism, Civic and Community Engagement.

The fifth and final session of the Academy for New Americans will take place on Thursday, June 12 where the participants will be putting their leadership skills to the test by volunteering their time for Bowling Green/Warren County Habitat for Humanity.   Half of the group will volunteering as part of the construction project for a new home at the Durbin Estates Subdivision.  The other half will be volunteering at the Bowling Green/Warren County Habitat ReStore, a store and donation center located at 813 College St Suite 401, Bowling Green, KY, 42101. 

The 2025 cohort had 36 participants selected representing 13 different countries and ethnicities and speaking 21 different languages collectively.  Participants immigrated to the United States from the following countries:  Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Iraq, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, and Thailand.   In order to complete the program, participants had to commit to attending at least four of the five sessions hosted which began in February and met monthly through June.

The Academy for New Americans was developed by the City of Bowling Green as a leadership training program to empower New Americans to understand and participate in City Government.  Its purpose is to provide the tools necessary to successfully navigate City services, community information and resources in order for participants to become key stakeholders in assisting their respective ethnic communities and neighborhoods.

The Academy for New Americans launched in 2016 and since its inception, it has created a ripple effect statewide.  The Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) selected the City of Bowling Green as a 2017 Enterprise Cities Award recipient for its Academy for New Americans.  The Enterprise Cities Award recognizes outstanding projects and programs in Kentucky cities.  The awards celebrate cities and allow KLC member cities of all sizes to be inspired by, learn from and replicate successes happening in other Kentucky communities.   The Enterprise Cities Award program is sponsored by Collins & Company, Inc. The sponsor provides $1,000 for each winning program to help continue its success.  In addition, The City of Bowling Green partnered with Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government to assist in launching a similar effort through its Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs, the Global Louisville Leadership Academy launched in February 2017. 

The Academy for New Americans was developed and is led by the Community Engagement Division: for Neighbors and New Americans in the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.  For more information, contact Leyda Becker at (270) 393-3766, email at leyda.becker@bgky.org or visit:  http://www.bgky.org/new-americans