PORTLAND — The University of Southern Maine and the Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services Program have teamed up with other area nonprofits and educational institutions to host an evening of free workshops aimed at breaking down barriers to higher education for the refugee, immigrant and asylum seeker communities.

The evening will also include a community conversation to support Maine’s new residents to access higher education.

The event will be held from 5 to 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at the University of Southern Maine’s Glickman Family Library in the seventh-floor university event room.

“The New Mainers, just like the immigrants of the past, are committed to self-improvement and higher education, but they face challenges in navigating the complex American higher education system, and they face barriers, such as language and financial,” said Reza Jalali, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, University of Southern Maine. “Community conversations help to identify and address some of the barriers that our new neighbors face as they access higher education in Maine.”

At the event, new Mainers will have the opportunity to learn about financial and language resources. Workshops include one on finances by Community Financial Literacy and FAME, another on language and a facilitated community conversation for policymakers, funders, advocates and service providers to network and discuss the resources available and collaborative efforts needed to best support new Mainers in pursuit of higher education goals.

The evening, held in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is co-sponsored by Catholic Charities Maine Refugee and Immigration Services Program, Southern Maine Community College, Portland Adult Education, FAME, Community Financial Literacy and the University of Southern Maine Office of English Speakers of Other Languages and the Office of Community Engagement.

The event is free and open to the public.

FMI: 207-780-5798, 207-493-8913.