New Tulsans Initiative

The New Tulsans Initiative was a community-driven effort to develop a comprehensive welcoming plan for immigrants in Tulsa, fostering a more inclusive city for all residents.  The initiative progressed through phases and was officially launched in September 2018 under Mayor G.T. Bynum’s leadership. The efforts under this initiative have expanded significantly, and Tulsa is now recognized as a Certified Welcoming City, offering numerous programs to support immigrants and refugees.  

New Tulsans Welcoming Plan

The New Tulsans Welcoming Plan is a comprehensive roadmap for building a more cohesive and equitable Tulsa and fostering connections between all immigrant and long-term residents. The New Tulsans Initiative Welcoming Plan is organized into five categories critical to building a welcoming city: Civic Engagement, Economic Development, Education, Health, and Public Safety. 

The New Tulsans Welcoming Plan incorporates the following concepts as a framework for mapping out its work: 

• Vision: An aspirational declaration for the future that will lead to a socially inclusive and welcoming Tulsa 

• Goal: Measured objectives that are to be completed by September 2020 and will be used for tracking progress toward achieving the Visions 

• Action: Policies, programs, or practices that the City and partners will implement to reach the goals. Actions will adapt over time to respond to the new opportunities and resources that may arise during implementation 

• Partners: Organizations, companies, agencies, and individuals that formally partner with the City of Tulsa to accomplish the goals detailed in the New Tulsans Welcoming Plan. Interested entities and individuals can become involved by filling out a New Tulsans Partner Questionnaire throughout implementation of the New Tulsans Welcoming Plan. 

• City of Tulsa Role: The part that the City of Tulsa will play in the strategy – Lead, Collaborate, or Support 
  • Lead: operate as the chief owner and operator of an action 
  • Collaborate: working side-by-side with partners to develop and strategically align actions 
  • Support: promoting work that partners are doing by offering resources 

New Tulsans Initiative Welcoming Plan - English
New Tulsans Initiative Welcoming Plan - Spanish

Ultimately, the New Tulsans Initiative Welcoming Plan is a commitment to the social inclusion of all immigrants and promoting the shared prosperity for all Tulsans.