Siouxland Magazine - Volume 1 Issue 4

The work of One Siouxland is organized
around five pillars that are essential in a
welcoming community:
Equitable Access; Civic Engagement;
Connected, Safe + Healthy Communities;
Education + Workforce Development; and
Economic Development.
A few of the many vehicles that are driving the implementation
of the One Siouxland Strategic Plan for Welcoming &
Integration are:
Community Resource Center. One Siouxland
stakeholders identified this initiative as the one that would
make the greatest impact on our entire community. We
envision a center that houses the social, health, and other
essential needs of our residents, in addition to professional
and retail services that complement the mission to welcome,
support, and connect all who enter. Together with Growing
Community Connections and dozens of partners, One
Siouxland is developing a business plan and working with
investors to make the center a reality.
Rising Leaders Academy. Community stakeholders
also prioritized the concept of a ‘pre-leadership program’
that would identify and develop individuals from
underrepresented populations to grow into leaders in
business, nonprofit, governmental, and other sectors. The
collective expertise of Leadership Siouxland, Leadership
Dakota County, NAACP Sioux City, the Sioux City Human
Rights Commission, Northeast Community College, and
Women Aware is shaping this program.
Civic & Community Engagement. Most newcomers
strive to engage in their new community, despite the many
barriers standing against them. Whether as volunteers in
their faith or cultural communities, at a local fire department,
or at their children’s schools, newcomers are giving back
in the ways that matter to them. At One Siouxland, we are
working with our city and business leaders, educational
institutions, nonprofit organizations, and newcomer leaders
to develop a culture of civic and community engagement
in Siouxland. The first priority is to equip organizations
providing naturalization education and legal assistance with
more tools to support and maximize their efforts so everyone
who has a legal path to U.S. Citizenship has the resources
to get there. From there, One Siouxland is partnering with
grassroots organizations that provide voter registration and
non-partisan education to present and explore the issues
about which they will vote. And finally, we are working
closely with area Complete Counts Committees to ensure
Siouxland’s 2020 Census is an accurate representation of
our diverse community.
Workforce Development through Postsecondary
Opportunities. Newcomers will play a significant role
in filling tomorrow’s workforce needs. In Iowa, where the
Future Ready Iowa goal is to reach 70% of Iowa’s workforce
with education/training beyond high school by 2025,
that amounts to almost 140,000 additional credentials
beyond the current rate. Siouxland is rich with refugees
and immigrants that are currently underemployed because
of language barriers and restrictive foreign credential
transferring. Connecting them to upskilling opportunities
or new careers not only improves their family’s economic
outlook, but also increases tax revenue to the government
and potentially puts more discretionary income into the
economy.
Supporting Entrepreneurship. Studies show that
immigrants and their children are more than twice as likely to
start a business than U.S.-born Americans, and currently make
up about 40% of the Fortune 500 companies. One Siouxland
wants to help our community harness that entrepreneurial
spirit by connecting entrepreneurs to mentors, information,
training, financing programs, and other tools to plan, launch,
and grow Siouxland’s next great company. We are thrilled
to have local government engagement and support in
this area, and look forward to the day when today’s new
entrepreneurs become tomorrow’s success stories and
mentors for a new generation.
Recently, One Siouxland was selected as one of six cities
on the inaugural Looking for America tour. A collaborative
effort of New American Economy, the American University
School of Public Affairs, and CuriosityConnects.us, Looking
for America uses art as a jumping off point for moderated
conversations about the values that connect us and the
issues that divide us. We are currently looking for artists of all
cultures, political ideologies, faiths, nationalities, and other
diverse backgrounds to be part of the art exhibition, which
will open at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center starting
September 29, 2019. On that same day from 2-5pm, about
50 Siouxlanders will join us for a late lunch and what we
expect to be very empowering conversations. Please reach
out to Erica@OneSiouxland.org for more information about
the event.
Philippa P.B. Hughes is a social sculptor and creative
strategist.
Photos courtesy of One Siouxland.
Siouxland Magazine | Inspire /33