In a ceremony last week, the White House recognized a community partner in a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill initiative as a Champion of Change. Alvena Heggins, human relations director at the city of High Point, has worked since 2009 with Building Integrated Communities, an initiative of the UNC Institute for the Study of the Americas and the Latino Migration Project.
Champions of Change celebrates leaders across the country who work toward integrating immigrants civically, linguistically and socially into their communities. Supported by the UNC initiative, Heggins convened a series of community focus groups with immigrants and non-immigrants, which led to the creation of a strategic plan for integrating the city’s culturally diverse residents.
“We are delighted that these important efforts of creating equitable and inclusive communities in North Carolina are receiving national recognition” said Hannah Gill, director of the Latino Migration Project. “Engaged scholarship at UNC is dependent on strong partnerships with visionary community leaders across the state like Al Heggins.”
Champions of Change website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions/welcoming-america
Latino Migration Project website: http://migration.unc.edu
Latino Migration Project contact: Hannah Gill, (919) 962-5453, hgill@email.unc.edu