The mission of Refugee & Immigrant Services & Empowerment (RISE) is to connect immigrant populations with the quality services, resources and lifelong learning opportunities of the Library through outreach, education, and advocacy.
Contact RISE
RISE Email Newsletter
To sign up, visit this page, enter your email address, click 'select email preferences' and choose the checkbox for the RISE newsletter.
Volunteering
Interested in becoming involved with the refugee and immigrant community in Kansas City? RISE is accepting volunteers to help with our programs! Find out how to become a volunteer.
Programs

Driver Education
This course will include learning about important driving vocabulary, rules of the roads, driving safety, and owning and operating a vehicle.

Financial Literacy
This course will include learning about income and taxes, banking, budgeting, credit and credit cards. Ages 14 and up.

English Basics
English Basics begins Wednesday, April 26th from 1:30-3:15 p.m. This 8-week, pre-literate ESL course teaches students foundational English skills such as phonological awareness, writing the English alphabet, and high frequency sentence frames. Class will meet in person at the North-East Branch on Mondays and Wednesdays at the time listed above.
Students and volunteers must show up for both Monday and Wednesday classes.

English in Action
A few partners are now meeting online!
For intermediate to advanced English language learners. Learners are paired with a mentor with whom they can practice conversational fluency for 1-2 hours each week online.

English for Citizenship
English for Citizenship will be offered on Wednesday evenings from 4:30-6 p.m. at the North-East Branch.
This course is designed to help develop the language skills necessary to pass the USCIS naturalization test. Students will be taught the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation found on the N-400 form and the 100 civics questions.

Citizenship Interview Practice
Nervous about your Naturalization Interview? You can practice your interview for FREE at any of our ten library locations.
Volunteers are standing by to help you practice speaking, reading and writing English along with correctly answering the 100 USCIS Civics Questions.

Conversation Club
Conversation Club will be held via Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6-7 p.m.
Come and practice speaking English! We focus on increasing fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and confidence.

Money Smart Kansas City
Money Smart Kansas City offers information and links to several area resources for immigrants and refugees.