Spanish in the Community - US Citizenship Preparation Course

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Spanish 4350, Spanish in the Community, was developed as a service-learning course to strengthen the connection between the University of North Texas at Dallas and the surrounding Spanish-speaking community. Aligned with the UNT Dallas mission of empowering students, transforming lives, and strengthening communities, the course provides Spanish students with opportunities to apply their language skills in real-world contexts while supporting community members in reaching their educational, economic, and personal goals. Spanish in the Community is designed as a U.S. citizenship preparation course, offering Spanish-speaking U.S. residents the tools and support needed to successfully pursue naturalization.

Spanish in the Community is a citizenship preparation course geared toward helping Spanish-speaking U.S. residents achieve their dream.

* All instruction and materials are free of charge for community participants.

For more information: citizenship@untdallas.edu

Benefits of Participation in the Citizenship Course

For UNT Dallas students

  • Authentic interaction with native speakers of Spanish

  • Practice of formal oral and written communication

  • Active community involvement

  • Service hours going toward graduation with honors

  • Extensive knowledge of the Social Studies components for teacher candidates

  • Immigration process awareness

  • Bilingual experience teaching adults

For Community Participants

  • Free of charge semester course and materials
  • Learning with experienced professionals
  • Help with review of forms
  • One-to-one tutorials
  • Pre-testing
  • Mock interviews
  • Improvement of oral and written communication in English and Spanish

When does the next Citizenship Course start?

  • Registration (Online): September 9 - October 13
  • Late Registration (Online): October 14-20
  • OnlineTechnology Training and Orientation: October 13and 9, 2025, 7:00pm-8:20pm
  • In-person Technology Training and Orientation: October 14, 5:30pm-6:50pm
  • Classes Begin (In-person and online): October 14, 7:00 pm-8:20pm
  • Days of class (In-person and online): Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 - 8:20 pm
  • In-Person Location: UNT Dallas, Founders Hall #101
  • Address: 7400 University Hills Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75241
  • Online Location: TBD

Register Here

 

History of the Class

In the spring of 2017, Dr. Mara Queiroz Vaughn and Dr. Sheryl Santos-Hatchett piloted Spanish 4350, Spanish in the Community, as a service-learning program in partnership with Rey de los Santos, the Executive Director of the Dallas League of United Latin American Citizens National Education Service Center (LULAC – LNESC) at their Edgefield location.

The goal of the US Citizenship Course is to assist legal permanent residents (LPRs) in learning about the history, geography, culture, and government system of the United States to prepare for the citizenship exam administered by the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). The class had a unique structure, with whole-class instruction led by UNT Dallas professors followed by breakout groups led by teams of UNT Dallas students from the Department of Language, Linguistics, and Rhetoric.

Due to the success of the pilot semester, the course was moved to the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) in Fall 2017 to accommodate more participants. The course now enrolls over 200 students annually in this free U.S. Citizenship preparation program.

For the academic year 2024 - 2025, the course will be held in-person and online. In addition to citizenship preparation, community participants enrolled in the U.S. Citizenship Preparation Program are also granted legal advice, as well as educational opportunities to improve their English skills, to obtain a high school equivalency diploma, and to pursue a vocational career of their choice. As always, all services are gratuitous, provided by UNT Dallas or community partners.

Currently, the course counts with the support of the following partners:

  • United States Institute for Transformation through Education (US-ITE)
  • The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) 
  • League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
  • Proyecto Inmigrante
  • Digital Publishing Inc.
  • Univisión
  • Dallas College
  • Dallas Public Library
  • Service Education Research Community Hope Institute (SERCH Institute)
  • Center for Socioeconomic Mobility through Education (CSME)

The course continues to be held free of charge to aspiring LPR community members.

 

For more information, questions, or concerns, please contact us at the following: