2024 Impact Report

EngageNWA’s 2024 Year of Belonging & Bridging is a reflection of the region's enthusiastic support for our work over the last several years, visible particularly in the tremendous growth in partner and community participation in Welcoming Week NWA.

The past year we built on the spirit of Welcoming Week NWA by convening a committee of diverse regional leaders to work collaboratively and support strategic programming throughout the year.

Working in partnership with this cohort, EngageNWA expanded Welcoming Week NWA throughout the month of September. We launched the month-long celebration at Springdale High School, connecting students with community leaders, sponsors, and partners committed to ensuring that young people residing in the region know that they are needed, wanted, and can build a secure and meaningful life here.

13,000

Participants

59

Events

74

Partners

Lady showing a child how to make a craft.

Strategic Initiatives

Welcoming Week NWA 2024

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Welcoming Week NWA has evolved from a week-long national tradition into a month-long regional celebration to build community and bridge connections across Northwest Arkansas. Welcoming Week NWA is inspired by a global movement launched in 2012 by Welcoming America and builds on our work to offer opportunities for residents to connect and contribute towards a thriving and vibrant region for all.

12,510+

Participants

Events

Partners

Event Highlights

2024 Welcoming Week NWA Launch at Springdale High School

We launched Welcoming Week NWA 2024 at Springdale High School in partnership with students, faculty, and community leaders. Students participated throughout the event with speeches and performances and our community partners shared inspiring stories showcasing the welcoming spirit of our region.

Scott Shigeoka: Curiosity as a Bridge for Connection

Scott Shigeoka shared his inspiring vision of how curiosity can unite and transform communities, drawing from his award-winning book "Seek" to illuminate the power of genuine connection. Through his message, we were reminded that curiosity is not just a personal skill, but a powerful tool for collective growth and positive change.

Navigating Uncharted Waters: Leadership Insight from Janie Mines

Janie Mines, the first Black woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, illuminated our event with her extraordinary leadership insights and powerful personal journey. Her inspiring story of breaking barriers resonated deeply with our community, offering a profound testament to courage and resilience.

Marshallese Cultural Training by Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese

Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese (ACOM) led a cultural workshop highlighting the Marshallese community's unique history, values, and contributions to this region, all of which have become an essential piece of Northwest Arkansas’s social and cultural fabric.

Human Library

Springdale Public Library hosted 'The Human Library,' which transforms personal stories into living narratives. Participants were invited to "borrow" human books and engage in meaningful conversations across diverse experiences. Through these powerful exchanges, the Human Library fosters empathy, understanding, and genuine human connection.

Interfaith Peace Dialogue

Interfaith Alliance of Benton County brought together faith leaders to discuss the power of fostering dialogue across faiths to break down divides and build stronger communities. Participants walked away with new ways to tap into shared values and tools to build connection across different faiths.

Ra-Ve Cultural Workshop

Hillfolk hosted Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation’s “NWA Chai Time” that provided ways to connect and embrace diversity such as learning to write “welcome” in different languages, showcasing Indian goods, discovering traditional Indian crafts and enjoying Indian snacks.

The Committee for Belonging & Bridging

The CBB is a diverse group of community leaders who represent a cross-section of organizations working in education, disability, immigrant services, arts & entertainment, faith, health care and other vital community spaces. The CBB’s purpose is to build a common understanding of belonging and bridging, act collectively to meet community goals, listen and learn from each other and build a more welcoming and inclusive region.

Programming Outcomes

We've built a storytelling series at our music venue. This is a great way to tell the stories of our communities throughout NWA.

The Marshallese Cultural training during Welcoming Week was very impactful for me and my work.

I met with ACOM outside of a CBB meeting to see how we can collaborate and best support the Marshallese community. We had our literature translated into Marshallese and they provided vital insights as to how we approach communicating with the Marshallese community.

As a Museum, we have increased our accessible programming and initiatives for individuals in the disability and neurodivergent community. I loved our meeting with Dr. Mia Ives-Rublee and I am still using the toolkit she shared with us.

We were able to launch our Inner Space program thanks to the feedback provided from CBB, along with the financial support. Your leadership was very valuable to thoughtfully think through the issues in development.

Curiosity & Collaboration

CBB meetings are an intentional mix of reflection and action. Each is an invitation to a shared experience designed to spark curiosity and foster meaningful connection. All in-person meetings of the CBB were hosted by regional community organizations.

Media Highlights

A Year of Belonging & Bridging

Dear Community Partners:

This past year has been a transformative journey and a collective movement powered by the extraordinary commitment of our Northwest Arkansas community.

We came together to act on a shared vision for a more inclusive region in profound ways:

Local businesses supported our work and shared their spaces
Nonprofit organizations collaborated across traditional boundaries
Faith communities championed empathy and compassion to build connection
Educational institutions created spaces for dialogue and deep conversations

Every individual who participated in the Year of Belonging & Bridging and Welcoming Week NWA is helping to build bridges by demonstrating respect for all and practicing curiosity to create stronger and more meaningful connections with people outside our traditional groups.

Because of you, we have:

Created over 50 cross-cultural dialogue spaces
Supported more than 200 immigrant community members in leadership development
Engaged over 5,000 residents in meaningful conversations about inclusion
Built sustainable networks of understanding and support

Every conversation, every shared meal and every moment of connection represents a step toward a more unified Northwest Arkansas.

With profound appreciation and hope,

Margot Lemaster
Executive Director