Today we are going to talk about how to support newcomers as they settle into our communities, and help them to get connected, build a sense of belonging and move into a place of strength and leading. As the Community Schools’ strategy has, as one of its pillars, to actively engage families and the community, Community Schools have some structures and systems that focus on this and we will find out more, as we talk to a Community School Coordinator and a Settlement worker on the episode today.

RESOURCES:

https://www.ilctr.org/engage-families-to-support-immigrant-students/

https://www.ilctr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Four_Stages_Immigrant_Parent_Involvement.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260380070_ATTEND_toward_a_mindfulness-based_bereavement_care_model


QUOTE:

"Schools and districts that take steps to proactively engage immigrant families will find their students more successful, their schools more vibrant and their community enriched. All immigrant parents deserve to be actively involved in their children’s schooling, and every school deserves to have the diversity of its community represented in decision-making."

- Megan Rosenberg, Immigrant Learning Centre

BIO:

Souad Hage-Hassan has volunteered and worked in community schools for over 15 years and currently holds the position of settlement worker in a lower mainland school district. Souad was born and raised in a small town in Lebanon surrounded by extended family and a close-knit community. She describes that growing up, everyone was considered her uncle or aunt. She immigrated to Canada in 1994 at the age of 18. As a settlement worker, she hopes to use her immigration story to inspire her clients with their settlement journey as they navigate the many barriers she once experienced as a newcomer. Besides her work as a settlement worker, Souad enjoys spending time in nature and watching movies with her husband and three children.

John Nanson was born and raised in BC and has also lived in Quebec, France and Manitoba. He grew up on a hobby farm, a ranch, and in urban landscapes. When John was a child he shares that he was raised by a single parent and was on social assistance for a number of years. He says through those experiences, he learned the importance of family, community and relationships. John’s education is varied and broad – ranging from studies in English Literature, Political Science and also studying and working in architecture. John first taught in North Manitoba, where he learned best practices for community engagement and the importance of traditions, perspectives and values. He says he has had the privilege to work, live and play here on the traditional territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and now works as a Community School Coordinator, working with people from all around the world, and together he says, they share the richness and civic love for community, family and futures for the generations to come.