The International Institute of Connecticut and Myra M. Oliver

Senator Lieberman is proud to honor the International Institute of Connecticut, Inc. of Bridgeport and is executive director Myra M. Oliver as among Connecticut's Best.

The International Institute of Connecticut, Inc. was founded 85 years ago as a comprehensive resource for the waves of immigrants who flooded Bridgeport and other Connecticut cities during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally part of the "International Institute" set up by the Bridgeport Young Women's Christian Association to teach English language classes, cooking and sewing, the Institute broke from the WYCA in 1935 and expanded its mission to include service to all members of immigrant families, including men, women and children.

Through many crises and upheavals over eight decades, including two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Vietnamese War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the International Institute has grown from staff of three in 1918 to a multilingual staff of 31 today, providing assistance in more than 40 languages. The non-sectarian, non-profit agency provides specialized social serve for people of foreign background and their children on problems of immigration, naturalization and adjustment to American life using methods of social casework, group work, community organization and informal education. Funding comes from the United Way, grants from federal and state governments, foundations and from fees, member dues, gifts and special events.

To celebrate the ethnic diversity of its clients, the Institute has been holding an annual folk festival featuring ethnic food, music and crafts for more than 60 years. The Institute also promotes intercultural exchange and holds annual naturalization ceremony where more than 200 people are sworn in as citizens each year.

Myra M. Oliver of Trumbull, a former YWCA social worker, has been the Institute’s Executive Director since 1974 and under her leadership the Institute has evolved into a statewide service, adding offices in Stamford and Hartford. Oliver, a Connecticut native, is herself the daughter of an immigrant. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Central Connecticut State University and her Master's Degree from the University of Bridgeport. Olivier says that she is inspired daily by the lives of the clients that the agency serves - their spirit, zeal and hard work to attain the American Dream. She believes her work gives her deep appreciation for the freedoms and privileges that many Americans take for granted.

"It is a founding principle of our great nation that immigrants have the chance to realize the American Dream that brought my grandparents, wife, and so many others here in search of opportunity," Senator Lieberman said. "For so many of Connecticut's immigrants the tireless work of Myra Oliver and the International Institute of Connecticut provide crucial components for reaching that goal."