A Student Movement That’s Changing the Conversation on Immigration
Students of Welcome is a national, nonpartisan student movement that equips students like you to thoughtfully engage in immigration conversations and create a culture of welcome towards immigrants. Our mission is focused on making immigration conversations more informed, compassionate, and solutions focused. The complexity and polarization of immigration make it a challenging topic. Through education, service, and advocacy opportunities, we’re creating space for students like you to lead the way on engaging fellow students and your communities in productive conversations, find ways to serve together, and reframe immigration as an asset to both our past and our shared future.
Get involved in our national movement by following us on Instagram, getting involved with advocacy campaigns, intern with us in DC, or run a local chapter on your campus to help folks have better conversations about immigration.
Students of Welcome is part of the Forum, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to the nation. We build trusted relationships across the political spectrum to convene different perspectives, bring new allies into the immigration conversation, and advance constructive and compassionate policies.
“I joined Students of Welcome because I am passionate about learning more about the immigration system in the United States. I love helping bridge barriers of misunderstanding by helping others understand the system better. Students of Welcome has provided me with countless opportunities to learn and grow in my understanding of immigration in the United States!”
Allie Oberhelman, Student Ambassador, Northwestern College, Iowa
Get Involved!
Whether you’re just starting to explore the topic of immigration by following us on Instagram or are ready to launch your own chapter, there’s a place for you.
What Does Students of Welcome do?
- Educate our fellow students about immigration through events, book groups, discussions, Bible studies, panels, national webinars, and more
- Serve immigrants and your local community by looking for ways to meet practical needs and build bridges
- Advocate for the value of immigrants and immigration. It can feel very hopeless watching our screens, but you can help change what’s happening to help immigrants and all of us flourish together. Get students at your school to take action and get involved in national campaigns to raise your voice for change to our elected officials. All of us together can make a difference!
How can I get involved?
- Submit the interest form to join the national movement
- Follow Students of Welcome on Instagram
Become a Student Ambassador
- Plan and lead campus events related to immigration & immigration solutions.
- Are you a storyteller or artist or writer? We have a place for you to write op-eds, capture content for socials, and use your creativity for campus campaigns!
- Recruit students to join your campus chapter.
- Coaching and leadership training.
- We can connect you with nationally renowned speakers you can have speak on your campus.
- Collaborate with the National Students of Welcome Leadership team to create a strong and welcoming community across the country.
- Students of Welcome Student Ambassador Description
FAQ
What is Students of Welcome?
Students of Welcome is a national, nonpartisan student movement focused on making immigration conversations more informed, compassionate, and solutions driven. The complexity and polarization of immigration make it a challenging topic. Through education, service, and opportunities to make a difference, we’re creating space for students to lead the way on engaging fellow students and their communities in productive conversations that examine the future of immigration not as a crisis but as a solution. We have both a national movement where you can learn from webinars, go on trips, engage on Instagram, access resources, network with students on other campuses to get ideas through GroupMe, and we have a growing number of local chapters at campuses around the country. Is yours on the list?
How can you get involved?
Sign the principles that drive how we think about immigration, register with us your interest, and we will equip you to run a conversation, book group, or event on campus on immigration. Try it and let us know how it goes!
What is the National Immigration Forum?
Students of Welcome is one of the projects of the Forum which advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to the nation. Our vision is a 21st century immigration system that helps new Americans gain the opportunities, skills, and status they need to realize their full potential. We believe we can be both a nation of laws and a nation of grace.
Is there a way I can learn more about immigration if not part of a chapter?
Yes! Find out more about Students of Welcome resources, trips, and advocacy opportunities by registering for Students of Welcome here. Follow us on Instagram!
What support do chapters receive from the Forum?
You will get a coach to run events, learn how to have better conversations about immigration, build bridges, and more. You have access to resources at the Forum from policy and communications experts to help you tell your story and learn about changes to immigration policies and how they affect our neighbors. We also encourage you to get support from a faculty member at your university and are happy to chat with them as well!
Are there leadership or internship possibilities?
Yes! You can decide to lead a local chapter as a student ambassador. You can be part of our National Student Leadership Team where you’d contribute ideas with other students to help shape where Students of Welcome goes and the resources we create for students around the country. The Forum also offers internships in DC (and occasionally remotely) every spring, summer, and fall with our field, policy, or communication teams.
Is Students of Welcome a Christian organization?
We were heavily developed by Christians who work at the National Immigration Forum. Our four pilot schools were Christian schools as we have had a long relationship with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. However, anyone is welcome to join Students of Welcome that wants to see immigration conversations more informed, compassionate, and solutions driven. Many of us think about immigration and immigrants the way we do because of our faith, and that will come out in some resources available and the content that some chapters lead with, but you do not need to have a particular faith to be involved! We know people care about immigrants and immigration for a lot of reasons. Join us!
How does Students of Welcome deal with partisanship?
We are a nonpartisan organization. That means we do not endorse parties or candidates. We want to make a case to elected officials of any party on a better way forward on immigration, how we want immigrants to be treated, and to ask for our elected officials to work on bipartisan solutions in immigration reform. The Forum builds trusted relationships across the political spectrum to convene different perspectives, bring new allies into the conversation, and advance constructive and compassionate policies. We hope you will join us!
How can I give to support Students of Welcome?
You can donate here!
Interested in learning more? Connect with us at field@immigrationforum.org and check out our webinars to see what we’re all about!
Ready to join? Sign up today: