CARECEN | Citizenship

Citizenship

The main goal of the Citizenship program is to increase the number of Latino US Citizens and their participation in our country's democracy. CARECEN accompanies candidates through the entire naturalization process and beyond, from becoming a legal permanent resident to obtaining US citizenship, while also encouraging civic participation as a tool for empowerment. Components of the program include:

Citizenship Workshops: CARECEN holds quarterly workshops to inform people about the process of becoming a US citizen (eligibility requirements, steps, etc) and assist those eligible in filing their application for naturalization to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. During the workshop, immigration attorneys are present to review applications and answer questions.

Citizenship Classes: CARECEN offers quarterly 10-week citizenship classes to prepare eligible individuals for the naturalization exam. The classes cover the knowledge of history and government necessary to answer the 100 civics questions, and teach English vocabulary and phrases used in the exam. Class activities include a trip to the National Archives or the American History Museum. At the culmination of the 10 week period, the students are evaluated through a mock citizenship interview.

English Classes: The ESL classes complement the civics classes by providing practice in oral, written and reading English in order to enable candidates to pass the English portion of the exam. Class activities include conversation practice with outside groups of volunteers who come every other week to talk to our students and help them improve oral comprehension and speaking skills.

Tutoring: As the exam date nears, CARECEN offers individual tutoring to those who need intensive practice before their interview. Candidates are paired up with volunteer tutors and they meet typically twice a week at CARECEN to practice the history and government questions and English.

Interview Preparation: Before their appointment, candidates receive an orientation in order to know what to take to their interview, what to expect and be prepared when they are interviewed. In certain cases, a CARECEN staff member or volunteer may accompany eligible students to their interview to provide interpretation services.

Citizenship Oath Ceremony and Voter Registration: CARECEN often celebrates its students' naturalization by taking part in the oath ceremony or organizing community events were new citizens and CARECEN graduates can share their interview/exam experience with their peers. CARECEN also follows up to encourage voter registration and civic participation.

This program is run mostly with volunteers. Please visit our Volunteer page for a description of each opportunity related to the civic education program.