The graduation reception will be held at the Sloan Convention Center following the conclusion of the Academy's final session, which focuses on volunteerism, civic engagement, and community involvement.
The fifth and final session of the Academy for New Americans will take place on Thursday, June 18. Participants will put their leadership skills into practice by volunteering with Bowling Green/Warren County Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center located at 813 College Street, Suite 401, Bowling Green.
The 2026 cohort includes twenty-three (23) participants representing twelve (12) countries and collectively speaking fifteen (15) languages. Participants originate from Burma/Myanmar, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Lithuania, Mexico, South Korea, and Tanzania. Expanding the Academy's global reach, this year's cohort includes participants from three countries not previously represented in the program: Egypt, Lithuania, and South Korea. To successfully complete the program, participants were required to attend at least four of the five monthly sessions, which began in February and continued through June.
During the graduation ceremony, the City will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Academy for New Americans. Launched as a pilot program in February 2016 with seventeen participants, the Academy was the first program of its kind in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Since its inception, seven cohorts have completed the program, resulting in 199 graduates. Over the past ten years, the Academy has welcomed participants from dozens of countries and language backgrounds, helping strengthen connections between new Americans and the Bowling Green community. Classes were paused from 2020 through 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating tornadoes that impacted the community in 2021.
The Academy follows national efforts to support the linguistic, economic, and civic integration of the community's new Americans. Sponsored by the City of Bowling Green, the leadership training program empowers participants to better understand and engage with local 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. In 2017, the Kentucky League of Cities recognized the City of Bowling Green with an 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. "Over the past decade, it has helped hundreds of residents build connections, develop leadership skills, and become more engaged in the life of our community. Its success has inspired similar programs in Louisville Metro Government and has been 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.
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 new American residents by providing education about local government, services, and community resources.