Citizenship test preparation and quality legal services go hand in hand in assisting an immigrant along the path to citizenship. A prospective bill for comprehensive immigration reform will most likely bring changes in legal and language requirements for citizenship. It is the job of all legal service providers and teaching professionals working with the foreign born to anticipate these requirements and prepare clients in advance. The Creating a Citizenship Program Preparation Toolkit will be helpful to anyone seeking ways to better serve the foreign born as they prepare to naturalize.
Also see CLINIC’s Creating a Workplace ELL Program for information on how to partner with local businesses and implement a workplace English Language Learning program.
Click on the chapters below to read sections of the Creating a Citizenship Program Preparation Toolkit or click here for the entire document
I. Introduction: Tools for a Legal Program Interested in Starting a Citizenship ProgramDesigned for legal immigration programs interested in creating a citizenship program.
II. A Client’s Road to CitizenshipFollow the client’s road to citizenship with this chart that details the step-by-step process a client follows in order to become a U.S. citizen.
III. Program Needs for Legal and Language Service Programs CombinedCompare the programmatic and equipment needs for legal and language programs, and learn what components of these two programs can be shared.
IV. Citizenship Program ModelsMany citizenship programs start small and grow over time. This chart will identify easy services to implement now plus provide ideas for services to plan for in the future.
V. Planning for a Citizenship ProgramCreating a legal and language service program requires a lot of planning and thought. A sample Logic Model is provided to assist program development and a blank template can be printed for individual use.
VI. Program Development Funding must be considered when planning to open a new program or to offer new services. Use this resource to learn about possible program standards required by funders as well as potential sources of funding.
VII. Integrating Technology into your ProgramThe use of technology is becoming increasingly important in the legal and language services field. This chart will pinpoint technological advances and improvements programs can make today and into the future.
VIII. Sample Course Outlines for Citizenship ClassClick here to view sample course outlines for both ELL-based civics classes and citizenship classes.
IX. Training and other Resources Visit this page to access resources that can be used for planning legal and language service programs.
X. FAQsFind answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding a citizenship preparation program.
XI. TerminologyLearn the definitions of commonly used terms and acronyms.
Questions? Contact Leya Speasmaker at lspeasmaker@cliniclegal.org.