
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association fosters the well-being and independence of refugees and immigrants who resettle in Rochester and surrounding areas.
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association and Families First of Minnesota are leading a multi-disciplinary team to partner with families and community agencies to explore the social-cultural barriers to success for pre-kindergarten to kindergarten-age children whose families are first-generation immigrants and refugees.
Prototypes
Local community organization grantees work with families to create innovative program designs called “prototypes”, which address racial disparities in human services and outcomes facing the families in their community.
Whole Family Systems partners with independent artists to create visual representations of the program's problems and solutions. This graphic was created by C. Bonner of Illustrating Progress. The graphic captures the barriers Rochester area immigrant and refugee families face when accessing early care and education.
Digital equity and literacy
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association will provide laptops, internet access and digital literacy training to address the digital equity gaps for immigrant and refugee families. Families will have opportunities to be successful by having access to virtual learning and other family needs, such as communicating with teachers, childcare providers and other formal and informal supports.
Early childhood learning access
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association will partner with families who are part of the cohort for digital equity and literacy to identify and address the social-cultural determinants and the systemic policies, practices, programs, initiatives, funding, governance, data and communications that affect immigrant family access to and engagement with early childhood learning programs in southern Minnesota. The project will also work toward the continued engagement of parents when their children transition from pre-kindergarten into kindergarten. The project will break down barriers in state and local programming and identify new opportunities to increase access to early childhood learning.
News and resources
Research Brief: Understanding Obstacles to Digital Equity in Minnesota
Broadband access is increasingly necessary for people seeking access to government services. And, yet, despite an abundance of state and federal funding and programs to improve access, many low-income Minnesotans do not have it. The Office of Broadband Development (OBD) states that nearly 92% of the state has access to internet speeds that meet the state’s 2022 broadband goals. However, when focusing on rural access alone, this percentage drops by approximately 10 percentage points. Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helps households afford broadband and internet access. Yet, Minnesota is behind other states in ACP adoption. For instance, as of August 2023, only 27% of eligible Minnesotans had enrolled, compared to the national adoption rate of 37%.
Digital Literacy Pilot overview | Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association
This brochure gives an overview of the Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association prototype focused on providing digital literacy and access to first-generation immigrants and refugees.
Rochester Early Education Timeline
This guide is designed to help parents prepare their children for early childhood education. It includes links to resources every step of the way.