Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota

Helping Somalis in Minnesota Catch Up, Keep Up, and Get Ahead

The challenges our community face are more urgent than ever:

Minnesota's Somali population has weathered immense challenges in recently years, and our community continues to face acute challenges, including poverty, low levels of literacy in their home and second languages, unemployment, immigration issues, low social support, homelessness and poor housing conditions, and social isolation that is a product of linguistic and cultural barriers. Newly arrived refugees are particularly vulnerable. 

Refugee students are often 10 or more years behind their peers academically and many face severe social and emotional challenges. You can help Somalis in Minnesota succeed today by supporting the Confederation of Somali Community's Newcomer Academy and Shaqodoon Employment Program.

While there are no magic bullets, the Confederation of Somali Community's Newcomer Academy and Shaqodoon Employment Program are proven, effective solutions. Your donation helps  us continue our high-quality afterschool programs for at-risk youth, and create employment opportunities 

What is the Newcomer Program? 

The Confederation of Somali Community’s innovative Newcomer Academy, built in partnership with Wellstone High School is focused on providing a welcoming and respectful environment to meet the unique linguistic, academic, and social/emotional needs of English language learners in Minneapolis Public Schools, who are at the beginning levels of English proficiency, and may have had limited or interrupted formal educations in their native countries. 

Who are newcomer students?

Our newcomer students come from a wide variety of native countries and face unique challenges in school and in daily life. Newcomer students often have limited or interrupted formal educations, lack English language skills, and research has shown newcomer students are as much as 10 years behind their peers academically.

The Newcomer Academy serves students who are learning English, who have been in the United States three years or less.

What are the goals of the program?  

Our teachers teach social and academic language through the four content areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. This program is intended to supplement students’ school program to facilitate the rapid acquisition of basic English skills.

The program prepares students by:

• Developing students’ essential basic English language listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills
• Assisting students with acculturating to U.S. schools, community, and culture
• Developing students’ school study and social skills

Our Newcomer Academy helps students catch up by:

• Giving students the accelerated English instruction they need to succeed
• Giving them the support at school and at home to help them have the best chances of success
• Helping students grow socially and acculturate to life in America.

As a part of the Newcomer Academy we have built  one-of-a-kind STEM after school program for East African youth interested in computer science and building a career in the STEM field. Your donation will help our innovative Student STEM Success Program at Wellstone and in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, which will provide computer science enrichment, supplementary education, and mentoring opportunities for East African youth, with the ultimate goal of enabling our students to take and pass the AP Computer Science exam. 

Your support helps these targeted intervention programs that can have a dramatic effect on the lives of East African youth. Donate today and help us close the opportunity gaps between refugee students and their peers, and build equity in Minnesota. 

For over 20 years the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM) has made it our mission to help East Africans in Minnesota succeed while retaining our culture. Our organization has helped thousands East African refugees resettle to Minnesota and build productive, thriving lives here. 

To get in touch with CSCM please email info@csc-mn.org or call 612-332-8402