Community Science is conducting the evaluation of The Colorado Trust’s Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families (SIRFI) Immigrant Integration Strategy. Community Science was engaged to examine the impact of the strategy on ten Colorado communities from 2004 until 2009 (2004-2010). Unlike previous models for assimilation and multiculturalism, The Colorado Trust’s immigrant integration model recognizes the integration process as bi-directional and requires both the host community and newcomers to be responsible for making their community a better place for everyone.

The evaluation uses a mixed-method approach to answer three questions: 1) How do communities come together to collaborate and support immigrant integration? 2) Did the grantees achieve what they set out to accomplish? 3) Did the sense of integration among community residents, collaborative members, and project participants increase? Community Science’s evaluation team works closely with the foundation’s staff and coordinating agency to ensure seamless support to the grantees.

A final report will be disseminated in the Spring of 2011.