Ethiopian Community Association Of Chicago Inc

PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN RE-SETTLEMENT AND ADJUSTMENT OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING & ADJUSTMENT.RESETTLEMENT, PLACEMENT AND ADJUSTMENT SERVICES: REFUGEE PLACEMENT, COUNSELING, ADJUSTMENT, AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO REFUGEES, ASYLEES, AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS TO FACILITATE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD NEW LIVES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES RECEPTION AT THE AIRPORT, PLACEMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CULTURAL ORIENTATION, FACILITATING ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SUPPORT AND HEALTH SCREENING, CASE MANAGEMENT, REFERRALS TO NEEDED TO ADDITIONAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT, AND SEVERAL OTHER ACTIVITIES.ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) INSTRUCTION: ECAC ALSO PROVIDES BASIC AND VOCATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION TO NEW REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS TO ENHANCE THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS. ECAC OFFERS ESL CLASSES AT THE BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE LEVELS. STUDENTS WHO ARE MORE ADVANCED ARE REFERRED TO OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES: ECAC HELPS PREPARE REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS TO BECOME UNITED STATES CITIZENS BY OFFERING FREE CITIZENSHIP CLASSES, ASSISTING IN THE EDUCATION, AND FILING APPLICATION FORMS.DEVELOPING ETHIOPIAN CULTURAL MUSEUM: ECAC ASPIRES TO DEVELOP THE ETHIOPIAN CULTURAL MUSEUM IN CHICAGO AND HAS COLLECTED HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF ARTIFACTS WORKING TOWARD ESTABLISHING A MUSEUM THAT WILL PROMOTE THE CULTURES, TRADITIONS, AND HISTORY OF THE DIVERSE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE GLOBAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE, CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND COLLABORATION. THE MUSEUM WILL PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF ETHIOPIAN HERITAGE AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ABOUT THE RICH TRADITIONAL, CULTURES AND HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA, ONE OF THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES.EMPLOYMENT & JOB TRAINING SERVICES: ECACS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO SERVE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT AND ENHANCE THEIR SELF-SUFFICIENCY. JOB READINESS TRAINING AND PLACEMENT PROGRAMS AT ECAC PREPARE AND ASSIST CLIENTS TO BE PLACED ON JOBS ALONG WITH POST-HIRE COUNSELING SERVICES TO ENSURE JOB RETENTION. ECAC ALSO OFFERS FREE SHORT-TERM SKILL ENHANCEMENT TRAININGS SUCH AS ELECTROMECHANICAL ASSEMBLY TRAINING (EMAT) THAT PROVIDES REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS WITH TECHNICAL JOB SKILLS TRAINING TO GAIN ACCESS TO ASSEMBLY JOBS AND TO DEVELOP CAREERS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

YOUTH.CHILDREN YOUTH & MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS: ECAC YOUTH PROGRAM SERVES YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6-13 IN ITS SUMMER CAMP/SCHOOL BREAK PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS MENTORSHIP FOR YOUTH IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAMS ARE TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES, TO HELP THEM FURTHER THE IDEA OF CREATING POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE AND TO GIVE THEM CULTURAL EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CULTURAL EDUCATION CLASSES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, SOCCER, AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. YOUTH MENTEES WILL BE PAIRED ONE ON ONE MENTORS AND PARTICIPATE IN GROUP ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS.