Supporting New Americans Through Culturally Informed Solutions

Ngozi Enelamah 

Imagine being a high school student in a new country, navigating an unfamiliar school routine and teaching method and negotiating a future laced with language barriers and cultural adjustments.

Now imagine being a large school district needing a better understanding of the challenges this new student faces.

These dual realities are at the heart of UNH Assistant Professor of Social Work Ngozi Enelamah’s research project, “Props for the Flourishing of High School New Americans.”

Multiple New Hampshire cities have a growing population of New Americans—recent immigrants, refugees, or asylum seekers who have settled in the United States. Enelamah is collaborating with a large school district and resettlement agencies serving these families to better understand and address the unique needs of these students.

“Many children in these communities face language barriers as they enter school. State officials supporting youth, families, and equity services have told us that there are about 70 languages identified in New Hampshire schools,” Enelamah says. “These students bring with them unique cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and many are still learning English. Additionally, some have experienced significant trauma, whether from the conditions that caused them to immigrate, such as armed conflicts, or from the difficult and often dangerous journeys they endured, including abuse or injuries.” All of these interact to affect their mental health, academic and future outcomes.

Enelamah’s research, now in the data collection phase, takes a multisystem and life course approach, and is on gathering insights from students, parents, teachers, and community-based organizations serving newcomer families to identify significant barriers to learning and mental health challenges, and culturally appropriate solutions that work for these students. One part of the research process she particularly enjoys is working with her students because not only do they help with data collection, but they also bring fresh ideas to the research questions and methods.

• The findings will guide efforts to:
• Design programs to support New American students within schools.
• Strengthen teachers' cultural competence to better address the needs of these students.
• Inform policies and initiatives that can be applied across the state.
• Support New Americans in achieving academic success and becoming engaged members of their communities.

“It’s an exciting study, and we’re looking forward to seeing what works and what can be improved in terms of policies and programs to support these students and their families,” Enelamah says. “These students are part of the future—they’re the ones who will go on to college, join the workforce, and contribute to their communities. Our goal is to ensure they have the resources and opportunities they need to achieve better outcomes and become productive, engaged members of society.”

A Passion for Helping New American Children and Families

Enelamah is looking forward to the kick-off of her follow-up intervention research projects involving New Hampshire's rising New American population, where she aims to address mental health disparities and systemic barriers that impact families during their resettlement and adjustment to life in the United States.  

“My research aims to support and empower this vulnerable population and generate evidence for meeting their needs,” Enelamah says. “I am passionate about families. As a parent myself, and a Black woman of immigrant origin, I have lived experiences of the issues of my research population. I can identify with their needs and aspirations and see a way out.”

Enelamah’s research accomplishments include 19 peer-reviewed publications and presentations focused on early childhood development and the well-being of New American and US-born Black youth. Most recently, she collaborated on a study examining the mental health needs of newly resettled Afghan minors.

Since joining UNH in 2021, Enelamah has drawn on her global health and public service background. In Nigeria, she worked as a pharmacist on a national program to eradicate polio, followed by roles in integrated public health teams promoting routine immunization and reducing childhood mortality. These experiences and gaps she saw in the system sparked her shift toward social work’s psychosocial approach.