About the Project

Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration (MAII) is an NLC project that is part of the Center for Research and Innovation. MAII is focused on promoting civic engagement and naturalization among immigrant communities in cities throughout the United States. MAII has two components to support these efforts: (1) the NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign, which includes materials to help city officials launch naturalization awareness campaigns in their communities; and (2) the CITYzenship Community Initiative through which MAII provides technical assistance to promote civic engagement at the local level.

In addition, the project will establish a knowledge-sharing network across different cities and organizations. The goal of MAII is to be a resource for municipal officials and community-based organizations who seek assistance in addressing immigrant integration challenges in their communities. MAII seeks to establish international connections between cities in order to further the goal of developing a knowledge-sharing network. Promoting these international connections ensures that NLC member cities are able to draw ideas and best practices from a wider pool of examples of successful immigrant integration initiatives. The opportunity to participate is open to all NLC member cities.


 
The NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign will focus on highlighting the many benefits of naturalization – voting rights and beyond. Cities will have the opportunity to use the Campaign Toolkit to launch naturalization campaigns in their communities. The Campaign Toolkit is available to NLC member cities.



The CITYzenship Community Initiative is designed to help city officials establish working relationships with immigrant communities and organizations. The centerpiece of the Community Initiative is the MAII Citizens' Academy curriculum. The curriculum serves as a starting point for cities to develop Citizens' Academies for immigrant residents. MAII provides assistance with Census 2010 outreach and training sessions for city staff and community leaders through the Initiative. Examples of training areas include diversity awareness and public safety in the immigrant community.