City of Bowling Green Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Academy for New Americans

Published:

February 23, 2026

Category:

International Communities

Contact:

Leyda Becker - (270) 393-3766

Location:

Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott will welcome the program’s eighth cohort, marking the 10th anniversary of the Academy and sharing the vision and purpose behind this initiative.

BOWLING GREEN, KY — The City of Bowling Green will launch its annual Academy for New Americans on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the WKU Innovation Campus, 2413 Nashville Rd., Suite 118. Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott will welcome the program’s eighth cohort, marking the 10th anniversary of the Academy and sharing the vision and purpose behind this initiative.
Thirty-one participants were selected for the 2026 cohort, representing 13 countries and ethnic backgrounds and collectively speaking 14 languages.

Launched as a pilot program in February 2016 with seventeen participants, the Academy for New Americans is the first program of its kind in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Since its inception, seven cohorts have completed the program, totaling 176 graduates. Classes were paused from 2020 through 2022 due to COVID-19 and the devastating 2021 tornadoes.

The Academy follows national efforts to support the linguistic, economic, and civic integration of the community’s newest Americans. Sponsored by the City of Bowling Green, the leadership training program empowers participants to better understand and engage with city government, navigate municipal services, and access community resources. Graduates serve as key connectors within their neighborhoods and cultural communities.

The program’s success has had a statewide impact. The Kentucky League of Cities recognized the City of Bowling Green with a 2017 Enterprise Cities Award for the Academy. The award honors innovative projects that strengthen communities across Kentucky.
“The Academy for New Americans has become a national model,” said Jeff Meisel, Bowling Green City Manager. “It has been replicated in the Louisville Metro Government and highlighted at national conferences.”

The Academy is organized by the Community Engagement Division for Neighbors and New Americans within the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. Participants attend monthly daylong sessions culminating in a graduation ceremony in June.

About the Academy for New Americans

The Academy for New Americans is a City of Bowling Green initiative designed to foster leadership, civic participation, and community connection among our newest American residents by providing education about local government, services, and resources.