CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROGRAM AIMS TO HELP IMMIGRANT, REFUGEE STUDENTS SUCCEED IN AND OUT OF CLASSROOM

Jacqueline Hernandez said she wanted to be a nurse when she gets older, but she fears language barriers and other challenges she faces don’t make that realistic career pathway for her.

The 17-year-old speaks Spanish as her primary language.

For that reason, the Aiken High School Senior signed up for the Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program. The initiative through Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) aims to help immigrant, refugee and non-English speakers in the district learn important life skills and prepare them for starting their own business or expanding one that’s family run.

School program connects students with community partners such as the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center (IRLC). The organization provides free legal immigration services to immigrants and refugees in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana.