COMMUNITY OF CARE

NIIC is a space for all in our movements and sector supporting immigrants and refugees. We work across the country on a huge array of issues and services, and we share a vision of equity and inclusion for all who call the U.S. home. Care, respect, interdependence, learning, and mutual support are at the heart of NIIC. Updates about our Community of Care Guidelines for NIIC 2024 will be available by September 2024. Meantime, background information about our Community of Care Guidelines from NIIC 2022 is below.

Covid & NIIC 

NIIC’s Community of Care Covid Safety Requirements 
Gathering Together Safely at this Time

NIIC 2022 will be the third to take place during the Covid pandemic. In 2020, due to safety concerns and restrictions, NIIC was held fully online. In 2021, NIIC was a hybrid event, taking place both in person in Las Vegas, NV and online. We’re excited that as we mark 15 years of this vital space for our sector, and as the whole world continues adapting to the “endemic” phase of Covid, NIIC 2022 will take place fully in-person in National Harbor, MD.

Safety and care for one another remain our priority and first concerns as we settle into this “new normal.”

We will be gathering at NIIC 2022 as the world continues to round the corner of the pandemic. We are eager to resume “normalcy” and engage fully with each other, and at the same time, we remain vigilant while our communities face challenges in vaccination rates, accessibility, and a continued uptick of Covid. Many of us have also lost family members, leaders and community members to Covid. We are a community of advocates that care deeply about the communities we serve, and equity and safety for all. Holding all of this, we are planning our experience on-site in Maryland with the utmost care: the safety of all at NIIC, our participants, guests and volunteers, and the staff at our venue, are front and center throughout.  

The following protocols and requirements are in place for ALL in-person attendees, guests, staff and volunteers in the NIIC spaces:

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

VACCINE REQUIREMENT:  In an effort to protect public health, we require that all NIIC attendees be vaccinated. Those with health or religious exemptions will be asked to indicate their exemption during registration.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED: Everyone in the NIIC space must wear a mask in all public/shared  indoor spaces. This will be NIIC’s policy even if Maryland does not require it.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: As always, only those registered for NIIC, our invited guests and those working in the space are allowed access to NIIC’s spaces.  Please make sure you are wearing your conference credentials at all times.

 

ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS

SANITIZING OF CONFERENCE SPACES:  NIIC’s venue has strong sanitizing protocols in place throughout the property. For more information see here. Hand sanitizer will be available in all of the NIIC spaces.

LOW CONTACT REGISTRATION: NIIC’s Registration Area will be a “low contact” area including social distancing practices.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: NIIC will practice social distancing in all our meeting rooms and meal spaces with ample space between seats. This includes all our sessions --our MainStage Plenaries, issue area Tracks and Special Sessions.

NIIC also has more space than the size of our program will require specifically to ensure that we have ample room to spread out and move through our spaces easily. Our conference is the only on-site event in our venue’s meeting spaces over these dates. 

REFUNDS / CANCELLATIONS IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY: We have generous refund policies for this year’s NIIC. Should you need to cancel your attendance due to Covid or any other emergency, you will be fully refunded. Refunds are also available for any reason at any time with modest administrative fees. For more details see here.

REMINDER: Canceling your NIIC registration does not automatically cancel any hotel room reservation you have made at NIIC’s venue the Gaylord National Convention Center & Resort. Hotel room cancellations must be made directly with Gaylord. For those details, see here.

 

VACCINATION & TESTING FAQS

VACCINATION INFO:  We require that all NIIC In-person attendees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For vaccination information, please see the CDS’s information here. 

HEALTH COMES FIRST: DO NOT ATTEND NIIC IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING APPLY TO YOU OR ANYONE IN YOUR DELEGATION:  

  • If you test positive for COVID-19 within 5 days prior to your arrival at NIIC, do not attend and please cancel your registration immediately. 

  • If you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive prior to your arrival at NIIC, do not attend and please cancel your registration immediately.

  • If you become ill or begin exhibiting signs of illness/COVID-19 onsite or just prior to your arrival (within 48 hours), do NOT attend NIIC sessions and contact NIIC for support, including cancellation of  your registration. Signs of COVID-19 include: a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking muscle pain/achiness, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

  • Within 14 days prior to attending the conference, you have travelled to any international territory identified by federal or applicable state or local governments as being subject to travel or quarantine advisories due to COVID-19.

NIIC may share additional updates with all NIIC participants in advance of the conference and when we are gathered together onsite. 

We hope these considerations help put you at ease, and we will continue to closely monitor the guidelines, guidance and any restrictions of the CDC, State of Maryland and Prince George’s County where our venue is located to ensure our utmost safety during NIIC 2022.

Care for One Another: Guidelines for the NIIC Space

All NIIC attendees are expected to:

  • Treat all at NIIC with respect, courtesy and consideration.

  • Respect those speaking, presenting and moderating NIIC sessions.

  • Respect and follow the guidelines and instructions of staff and volunteers to ensure that NIIC runs safely and on time.

  • Respect all Covid safety requirements and protocols.

  • Respect and adhere to our Zero Tolerance for Hate Guidelines:

    • NIIC does not tolerate hate, discrimination, violence or harrassment of any kind. No speech or behavior that is abusive, violent, discriminatory, demeaning or harrassing of any one in attendance at NIIC will be permitted at NIIC.
      Anyone engaging in such behavior or speech may be removed from NIIC.

  • Be mindful and respect that NIIC is taking place in a venue that is shared with members of the public, other entities and gatherings.

  • Alert NIIC staff and volunteers of any safety or security issue or anyone violating our Zero Tolerance for Hate Guidelines. 

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

If we can answer any questions or you have additional concerns, please contact us at: niic@partnershipfornewamericans.org.

Photos of NIIC across this site are the work of our talented team of photographers over the years, including: Carolina Kroon (lead), Oliver Contreras, Anja Hitzenberg, Phil Soto, Marcin Szczepanski and Stephanie Williams.