Switchboard Blog

Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.

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How to Develop and Run a Community Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting

A community advisory board (CAB) is a group of individuals from a specific community who come together to provide guidance, feedback, and support to organizations, projects, or initiatives impacting their community. CABs are often useful in health care, education, research, and community development projects to ensure that the voices of community members are heard and…

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A community advisory board (CAB) is a group of individuals from a specific community who come together to provide guidance, feedback, and support to organizations, projects, or initiatives impacting their community. CABs are often useful in health care, education, research, and community development projects to ensure that the voices of community members are heard and…

This blog post is Part 1 of our two-part series on workplace rights for newcomers. In this post, we debunk some common employment-related myths about newcomers and underscore accurate facts. For example, it’s a fact that newcomers can begin working while waiting for their Social Security number; newcomers can choose which valid documents to present…

This blog post is Part 2 of our two-part series on workplace rights for newcomers. If you haven’t read Part 1: Debunking Common Misconceptions, we recommend starting there for important background information that will strengthen your advocacy efforts. This post offers practical tools to help you support newcomer clients in overcoming common workplace challenges. You’ll learn…

When screening newcomer clients for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), service providers need mental health screening tools that are simple and easy to use. Below we provide a brief introduction to these tools and links to resources with further information. With appropriate training, referral networks, and organizational support, these tools can be applicable…

This blog highlights early childhood education (ECE) as a promising career pathway for newcomers, detailing various roles from child care providers to program directors along with their education requirements. It outlines opportunities to gain practical experience through internships and offers strategies for career advancement through leadership development, certifications, and professional networking. Service providers will find…

Newcomers who develop digital skills find employment faster and achieve economic self-sufficiency sooner. By investing in digital literacy training, resettlement agencies can help newcomers build confidence and create meaningful connections as they transition from initial support to full workforce participation. Many local resettlement agencies have requested guidance on offering a robust digital literacy (DL) curriculum to…