Mayor Matt Nicholson will release each task associated with the Burkart Opportunity Zone Agenda and what is being done.
The Tribune will provide information as it is released from the city of Seymour. The city released information on task 2.2 of the Burkart Opportunity Zone Agenda below.
Being able to communicate and share information with our non-English speaking residents is vital to the wellbeing of our community. Local schools, banks, churches, medical and government offices, and businesses are struggling to meet the needs of their clients, many of whom speak Chuj, Spanish or French-Creole.
Given the lack of available translators in the area and the limited literacy skills of some new immigrants, Seymour needs to utilize creative ideas to communicate with its growing population of new immigrants. One way to reach these residents is to utilize forms of audio communication, such as podcasts or YouTube, which are low-cost and highly accessible. A weekly summary of news and information on social services and events could help bridge the communication gaps.
Some ideas being successfully utilized in the community by St. Ambrose Catholic Church and the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour are Spanish-language social media and on-demand translation services. Local high school students with language and social media skills could be utilized to create and manage Spanish language social media accounts.
Alongside these efforts, there needs to be growth in the number of available translators locally and education programs to help immigrants develop skills in reading and writing.
This task will take at least two years to complete with Su Casa and Jackson County United Way leading implementation and support from the Community Foundation of Jackson County, the Jackson County Learning Center, the McDowell Center for Adult Education and the local business community.
Potential sources of funding include the Lilly Endowment and local employers.
This post is about Task 2.2 – Strengthening multilingual communications for immigrants needing to learn English.
We will post again tomorrow about Task 1.1 – training existing workers for advancement and Task 1.2 – encouraging small business growth through entrepreneur support.
You can read the entire Burkart Opportunity Zone Inclusive Economic Development Agenda on our website at https://seymourin.org/…/pdf/2023-0801-Burkart-Agenda.pdf.
This agenda was developed with the input of many people. The Core Team was Mayor Matt Nicholson, Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Davis, Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. Workforce Partnership Director Jackie Hill and JCIDC Executive Director Jim Plump. The Advisory Coalition is made up of Kevin Johnson, Marvin Veatch, Dan Robison, Dr. Eric Fish, Nate Tormoehlen, Ryon Wheeler, Ginger Schneck, Maci Baurle, Rexanne Ude, Brandon Harpe, Danny Mendez, Andy Royalty, Colin Smith, Heather VonDielingen, Brian Terrell, Marnie Dirks, Solomon Rust, Sehrish Sangamkar, Tammy Barker, Yesenia Otero and Ardell Mitchell. Focus groups were conducted with Pet Supplies Plus employees, Aisin USA employees, the Mayor’s Youth Council, Seymour High School’s Jobs for America’s Graduates Program, local pastors, Seymour Young Professionals, Brown Elementary School leaders and the 4-H Juntos Group and their families.