Issue 23 Summer 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS SETTLEMENT WORKERS IN SCHOOLS (SWIS)

Multicultural Day at CCH

Getting ready for 2015-2016 Currently, SWIS is preparing for the NOW (Newcomer

Orientation Week) Program, a three-day orientation to student life and programs in the Ontario school system. Eligible students are those who have recently arrived in Canada and

will be attending a secondary school for the first time in September 2015. The program will be held at Central Catholic High School and H. B. Beal Secondary School on Aug 25-27,

2015 from 9:00 am-3:00 pm. SWIS will continue to deliver workshops and groups during the school year. Some of the topics to be covered will be Education in Canada, Progress and

Report Card and Parent-Teacher Interviews.

If you are new to Canada, join us and meet other members in the LGBTQ community on Saturday, August 29 from 10:30am -5 pm for a picnic at Port Burwell Conservation Park. Please contact Joseph to register or if you need transportation assistance as space is limited. 519-432-1133 ext. 237. Youth for Art. Mondays at CCLC 3 to 6 pm. Soccer Mentoring Group. Tuesdays 6 to 8 pm. Saunders Secondary School. Youth Taking Action: Wednesdays at the CCLC from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Fitness Class: Mondays at CCLC 4:30-5:30pm Newcomer Women’s Resilience Group: Mondays at CCLC 5:30-7:30pm Gardening Groups 2015 Tuesdays 3-6pm at place at Pond Mills Garden, Berkshire, Westview Garden, and Meridith Intercultural Conversational Circle: Wednesdays at St. Peters School 3:30-4:30pm Computer Club: Thursdays at CCLC 4:30-6:00pm Sewing: Thursdays at CCLC 6:00-8:00pm Mentoring Groups: Thursdays at different locations 5:30-7:30pm Youth Overnight Camp: August 26-28 Fanshawe Conservation Area Family Overnight Summer Camp: August 24-August 26 Fanshawe Conservation Area Contact Nasreen for information about these and other programs - 519-432-1133 ext 231 Cultural Diversity Tuesdays Speakers Series will resume September 29. Visit our website for the speaker’s biography and a short description of topics. Seating is limited. Please RSVP online at www.eventbrite.com/event/14991676508 or contact Sumbal at ssheikh@lcclc.org or 519-432-1133 ext. 280 Intercultural Competency Training (ICT):

FREE Information sessions— learn about the research, topics, fees, & goals of ICT Fridays September 11, 2015, September 25, 2015 and October 9, 2015 from 1pm to 3pm Train the Trainer Weekend Course A two day course to learn how to facilitate our ICT Program. Participants receive an Cultural Diversity Trainer Certificate. Saturday, September 12, 2015 to Sunday, September 13, 2015 9am - 4pm Certificate Training Course Learn how to become an agent of diversity and use inclusive workplace practices at your organization. Participants receive a Certificate in Intercultural Competency. 6 Evening Classes, 6pm to 9pm—Wednesdays, September 30 to November 4 17, 2015 OR 3 Day Classes, 9am to 4pm—Mondays, October 19 to November 2, 2015 Contact Katy at 519.432.1133 x365 or at kboychuk@lcclc.org, to see if you qualify for our promotional rates. 5th Annual GenNext Backpack Drive United Way London & Middlesex-GenNext is gearing up to send children and youth in our community back to school with the tools they need. In 2014, thanks to community contributions, over 1500 backpacks loaded with school supplies were distributed to children and youth from low-income families. We will be collecting new backpacks and school supplies at CCLC until August 28, 2015. A box for the collection will be located at the reception desk. Thank you! For more information visit - www.gennextuw.ca/events

CCLC’s 34th Annual General Meeting—AGM Thursday, September 24th from 6pm—8pm at CCLC.

Open invitation. RSVP mcook@lcclc.org

Thank you to our contributors Cecilia Daza, SWIS Worker Corrie Kinahan, Job Search Workshop Facilitator/Assessor, Proof reader Katy Boychuk, Intercultural Education Specialist Lina Hernandez, Human Resources & Communications Manager Margarita Rubiano, SWIS Worker Marilyn Cook, Executive Assistant/Portal Support Nasreen Hussain, Community Connections Program Assistant Ann Murray, Editor

The Community Cup took place on August 8th at Jesse

Davidson Park. The Community Cup team did a wonder-

ful job and their hard work and commitment resulted in

excellent participation and feedback from clients,

partners, volunteers, and the community.

Congratulations to everyone who took part!

Community Cup

The SWIS program is a school-community based service that provides direct and immediate professional

assistance to newcomer families in elementary and secondary schools. Settlement workers help to facilitate the adjustment, adaptation and integration of newcomer

families during their initial years by providing information and referrals to specialized resources in the community and in the school. This program is available to every

student and family regardless of their immigration status. In the past school year, SWIS served a total of 34 public and catholic schools. SWIS also organizes events and

activities at the different schools, including Multicultural Winter Festival (Beal, Eagle Heights), Anti-discrimination Assembly (Beal), Multicultural Day (CCH), and End of the

Year Celebration (University Heights).

Club Week at CCH

CCLC recognizes the hard work and commitment of its employees. CCLC’s Excellence Award is recognition from coworkers and

managers, given on a quarterly basis to employees that go above and beyond their normal duties. The program is designed to reward employees’ efforts and loyalty to CCLC.

Criteria for the Excellence award: Above average demonstration of CCLC values of accountability, advocacy, compassion, diversity and ethics

Outstanding contributions that resulted in significant

execution of a project; problem solving of an issue; excellent

sustained performance; significant contribution to a program that resulted in significant overall program or individual performance improvement

Congratulations to the following employees who were awarded in the year 2014 - 2015

2014 - Majida Shahatto 2014 - Mengesha Beyene

2014 - Joseph Jilitovich 2015 - Barb Chambers

CCLC’s Employee Excellence Award Benefits of Hiring Skilled Immigrants Outweigh the Concerns.

Cultural diversity is no longer only a matter of employment equity. It also has the

potential to improve a company’s bottom line.

Changing demographics are having an impact on

businesses in London and many other municipalities

across Canada. In 2011, census data confirmed that the

foreign born population was 21.2 per cent of the total

population of London, Ontario—slightly higher than the

national average. By 2031, 1 in 3 workers in the Canadian

workforce will be foreign born.

Today, immigrants entering the Canadian workforce face

persistent difficulties in finding employment. Talented

individuals from abroad continue to face age-old barriers: a lack of Canadian work experience;

difficulty in getting foreign qualifications and international experience recognized; language barriers;

differences in workplace culture; lack of workplace integration and diversity programs; and

discrimination.

Although immigrants constitute a growing proportion of the Canadian workforce, Canadian companies

are not doing enough to facilitate their workplace integration. For example: only 12 per cent

of businesses in Ontario—the province with the highest proportion of immigrants— provide periodic

diversity training to their staff (Balthazard and Mongodin 2007, Corporate Diversity Assessment).

Canadian companies are falling short. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt are common concerns that

sometimes prevent employers, often working under tight hiring timelines, from fully considering

immigrant job applicants. Only 33 per cent of organizations in Canada (48 per cent in the U.S.)

provide training to their managers and supervisors to help them understand cultural issues that may

arise when working with foreign-born employees (Lockwood, Esen, and Williams, 2008, Dipping Into

a Wide Labour Pool).

Yet the benefits of hiring skilled immigrants outweigh the concerns. You can put your organization in

a position to:

better understand and respond to your increasingly diverse customer base

tap into new local markets, expanding your customer base through improved cultural aware-

ness and communications

enhance creativity, productivity, and decision-making through diverse approaches

broaden your talent pool for recruiting new employees

attract and retain top talent in an environment of labour shortages

Demand for skilled labour is growing and employment opportunities for immigrants and specifically

recent immigrants are important for London’s future economic success. The London Cross Cultural

Learner Centre offers corporate training, tools and resources which can help your business take impor-

tant steps towards creating an inclusive workplace. Call Katy at 519.432.1133 to learn about how

our training in intercultural competency will improve employee productivity and communication as well

as support the integration of new immigrant employees, ultimately improving your return of

investment and your company’s bottom line.

Cultural Diversity Day Partnering with the Hope Committee of CCLC, the London Community Chaplaincy and the Northwest London

Resouce Centre, the 1481 Limberlost Social Committee celebrated the first Northwest London Cultural Diversity Day on

Saturday, August 15th. The event was funded by the SPARKS! Neighborhood Matching Fund, with the support of the

City of London and many other community collaborators. Eight hundred and thirty-nine people attended and

enjoyed food and entertainment from different cultures and had an opportunity to meet MP Irene Mathyssen, MPP

Teresa Armstrong, Councillor Josh Morgan, and London West NDP candidate Matthew Rowlinson.

Thank you to the event organizers, CCLC staff, and volunteers for a great event. The hard work and commitment

resulted in a very successful event. Congratulations to everyone who took part.