ImmigrantChildren.ca Archive

Category: Conferences

  • Researching resilience, a workshop for those working with marginalized and vulnerable populations living in challenging contexts

    Dr. Michael Ungar and Dr. Linda Liebenberg are offering a five day long workshop entitled ‘Researching Resilience’.  From the announcement/poster:
    “the workshop will present a comprehensive review of resilience theory as well as theoretical and methodological approaches (both quantitative and qualitative) to investigate the phenomenon across cultures and contexts. The workshop is designed to equip researchers in academic, government and NGO sectors, as well as graduate students, with the skills and tools to study resilience as a process across the lifespan”.
    The workshop is being held April 28 to May 2, 2014 at the Resilience Research Centre, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will be followed by two concurrent workshops on May 5th and 6th.

    Using visual methods in challenging contexts with Dr. Linda Liebenber. A brief description: “Image-based elicitation methods are gaining prominence in social science research. This workshop will review the grounded theory behind elicitation methods, current approaches to using image-based elicitation, the value of these approaches in answering particular research questions, and the integration of these approaches into research designs. Participants will discuss ethical considerations of elicitation research, and the limits and cautions to consider when using these approaches. The workshop will also provide hands-on experience with the steps to organize and analyze image-based data, which include coding visual tools and developing coding categories. No prior knowledge of or experience with visual methods or grounded theory is required”.
    Counselling children, youth and families with complex needs: An Ecological approach to nurturing resilience across cultures and contexts with Dr. Michael Ungar. A brief description: “When treating children, youth and families who have experienced poverty, violence, marginalization, or psychological trauma, the focus is often too narrowly placed on individual complex needs and problems. Such focus on delinquency or conflict between children and caregivers misses the broader sources of healing and resilience in people’s lives. This workshop will present a strengths-focused model of intervention that draws on the potential capacity of people’s social ecologies (e.g. friends, cousins, parents, teachers, community and cultural mentors, government service providers, NGOs, etc.) as sources of resilience in contexts of significant adversity. Participants will learn how to identify and facilitate people’s access to seven factors that enhance resilience: 1) relationships; 2) a powerful identity; 3) a sense of personal control, agency and power; 4) social justice; 5) material resources like food, clothing, and safety; 6) a sense of belonging, life purpose, and spirituality; and 7) cultural rootedness. Participants will also learn 20 skills to help the people they work with experience each of these seven factors in their lives in ways that are psychologically meaningful and contextually relevant. Finally, the workshop will discuss a five-phase model of clinical practice to make interventions effective”.

    Bonus: If you register for both the 5-day workshop and a 2-day workshop, you will receive a 50% discount off your registration for the 2-day event.
    Learn more about the workshops here.
    See highlights from the 4th On New Shores conference: Resilience of immigrants – Coping with stress in various cultural contexts where Dr. Ungar was a keynote speaker.

  • Call for papers: Children and migration in Africa and the African diaspora, European Social Science History conference

    From the H-Childhood Listserv:
    “Call for panelists: Children and migration in African and the African diaspora at the European Social Science History conference, April 23-26, 2014.
    “Following a successful interdisciplinary workshop on children and migration in Africa, held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2012, we invite abstracts for papers that explore this theme further. We particularly welcome papers that will expand the georgraphical scope of the panel into the African diasporas and that emphasize the experience of children themselves.
    “While African children are heavily involved in migration, they remain obscure in grey and scholarly literatures dominated by the male labour migratory model. Furthermore, work on young migrants often conflates the social categories of ‘child’ and ‘youth’ and children themselves are divided into the binary states of agents or victims. Although recent scholarships on children and migration in Africa has acknowledged the importance of African children as discrete agents in migratory processes, analytical shortcomings remain.
    “Papers could address, but are not limited to, the following issues:

    family structures
    patterns of fosterage
    child circulation between Africa, Europe and the Americas
    the role of education
    child labour
    religion and ritual
    cultural exchange and conceptions of place and ‘home’”.

    Interested scholars should send us an abstract in English (250 words max) and a short bio (200 words max) by April 15, 2013 to: Marie Rodet mr28@soas.ac.uk, Jack Lord jl79@soas.ac.uk, or Elodie Razy elodie.razy@ulg.ac.be.

  • Call for papers ~ Growing up global: Childhoods in a transnational context

    Announcing a joint session of the Association for Research in Cultures of Young People (ARCY) and the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English (ACCUTE) to be held at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC June 1-8, 2013.
    From the call for papers:
    “As people and institutions connect across the borders of nation-states, children are invariably part of the processes of transnationalism. Yet their presence has largely been ignored by much of the scholarship on transnationalism. While they may lack the abilities to fully articulate and engage with the social, political, and economic forces behind transnational movement and circulation, young people are just as affected by – and central to – these global currents. Thinking about childhood in a transnational context requires a greater awareness of how contemporary global culture is creating a unique experience of childhood itself, both of childhood, and for children themselves.
    “The purpose of this panel is to put children and childhood at the center of discussions concerning transnationalism. We seek papers that investigate the ways in which ‘the child’ both impacts and is impacted by circulation across global borders. We encourage research that questions how children experience transnationality and how we understand the child and childhood in the context of nation states whose borders are not what they once were.
    “Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

    -researching children and childhoods in transnational contexts
    -the experiences of children in the transnational context
    -the relationships between global capital and the transnational child
    -securitization and the transnational child
    -children in transnational families
    -cosmopolitanism and the transnational child
    -transnational migration and the child”.

    Deadline is November 1, 2012.
    For more information, visit the ACCUTE C4P page.

  • On new shores immigrant children conference, 2012

    The program for the 2012 On New Shores: Understanding Immigrant Children and Youth (ONS) conference is now available.
    The theme this year is Social Support and Capital: Happiness in Immigrant Families.
    The 5th ONS conference will be held October 25-26 in downtown Toronto at two venues: The Ryerson Centre for Immigration Studies (RCIS) and the Downtown Holiday Inn.
    Attached is the ONS 2012 program, but here are some highlights:

    DAY ONE

    Opening keynote is by Fons Van De Vijver, Tilburg University, The Netherlands, on the topic of Identity and Well-Being in Immigrants

    Ethnic Identity and Acculturation of Turkish-Bulgarian Youth: Evidence from Self and Parents Reports, with R. Dimitrova, A. Chasiotis, et al., Tilburg University et al., The Netherlands
    Acculturation in 3D: Psychological Assets and Liabilities of Black Jamaican Immigrants in the United States, G. Ferguson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, US

    Immigrant Mothers’ Interactions with their Children’s Teachers, Mehru Ali, Ryerson University
    Welcoming All Voices: Building Inclusive Parent Groups in Schools, M. Abbott, London Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership

    DAY TWO

    Social Support in the Lives of Russian Immigrant and Sudanese Refugee Men as Fathers in Canada, David Este, University of Calgary

    Communication Brokering in Immigrant Families: Avenues for New Research, Vappu Tyyska, Ryerson University
    Social Support Systems at Play for Newcomer Youth E. Ghassemi & T. Velox, Newcomer Centre of Peel

    Closing keynote is by Dr. Ross Parke, Wellesley, on Future Directions

    POSTER PRESENTATIONS

    Connecting immigrant children to the outdoors, Alka Burman, Region of Peel
    Resilience of Colombian immigrant youth living in Canada, M. Cabal Garces & S. Chuang, University of Guelph
    Welcoming newcomer children and families: Understanding “Three Big Ideas” – settlement, culture and readiness, Judith Colbert
    Depressive symptoms of Italian immigrant children and parents, R. Dimitrova, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
    When support is left behind: Experiences of lone immigrants in Canada, B. Martin, Ryerson University
    Chinese adoptees in Canada: The Role of policy and parents in facilitating transnationalism, M. Symington, Ryerson University
    ONS 2012 Registration form.
    See highlights from the 4th ONS conference: Resilience of immigrants – Coping with stress in various cultural contexts.

  • Call for papers: Children and war

    Call for Papers: “Children and War: Past and Present”. 2nd international and multidisciplinary conference, July 10-12, 2013 at the University of Salzburg, Austria. Organized by the University of Salzburg and the University of Wolverhampton, in association with the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.
    From the Forced Migration listserv:
    “This conference is planned as a follow-up to the first conference, which took place at the University of Salzburg in 2010. It will continue to build on areas previously investigated, and also open up new fields of academic enquiry.
    “All research proposals which focus on a topic and theme related to ‘Children and War’ are welcome, ranging from the experience of war, flight, displacement and resettlement, to relief, rehabilitation and reintegration work, gender issues, persecution, trafficking, sexual violence, trauma and amnesia, the trans-generational impact of persecution, individual and collective memory, educational issues, films and documentaries, artistic and literary approaches, remembrance and memorials, and questions of theory and methodology. Specific conference themes anticipated are:
    – Children as victims, witnesses and participants in armed conflict
    – Holocaust, genocide and forced labour
    – Deportation and displacement, refugees and asylum seekers
    – War crimes, trials and human rights
    “A special focus will be on the ‘Changing nature of armed conflict and its impact on children’. In the past two decades, UN reports, including the 1996 study by Graça Machel and its 10-year review, noted with concern that the character and tactics of armed conflict are changing, creating new and unprecedented threats to children. Characteristics of the changing nature of warfare include the blurring of lines between military and civilian targets, the use of new technologies and the absence of clear battlefields and identifiable opponents. Extensive research is needed to deal with challenges emerging from this context, including the use of children as suicide bombers, the deliberate targeting of traditional safe havens such as schools and hospitals, the detention and prosecution of children associated with armed groups, and terrorism and the use of counter-terrorism measures (for more information, please see the ‘Note by OSRSG-CAAC’).
    “Please send an abstract of 200-250 words, together with biographical background information of 50-100 words by *31 July 2012* to: J.D.Steinert@wlv.ac.uk. All proposals are subject to a review process. Successful candidates will be informed in October 2012 and will be asked to send in their papers by the end of April 2013 for distribution among conference participants on a CD. Further information will be made available in due time. The organizers intend to publish a selection of conference papers”.
    For more information, please contact J.D.Steinert@wlv.ac.uk.

  • Update: On new shores immigrant children conference

    The deadline for papers has been extended to March 30th for Dr. Susan Chuang’s fifth On New Shores conference. It will be held October 25-26 in Toronto.
    From the call for papers: “The goal of the conference is to bring together various stakeholders (academia, community, and governmental sectors) to collectively examine and discuss the various forms of social support (informal, formal) by families, communities, and governmental agencies to promote subjective and family well-being for immigrant and refugee children, youth, and families. Discussions of social capital and protective factors will also be addressed. Researchers from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, social work, education, anthropology, business) are welcomed. Community service providers and governmental agencies are encouraged to present work on research, effective programs, social issues, and challenges.
    “Leading scholars from various disciplines will be presenting, including: Robert Bradley, Xinyin Chen, Catherine Costigan, David Este, Jo Ann Farver, Uwe Gielen, William Jankowiak, Deborah Johnson, Jay Mancini, Luis Moll, Felix Neto, Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, Vappu Tyyska, Fons van de Vijver and more! National and local organizations will also be presenting!”
    “Submission deadline is March 30th. All proposals must be submitted to Dr. Susan S. Chuang by email (schuang@uoguelph.ca), accompanied by a ons submission form”.

  • 14th National Metropolis conference, Feb 29-March 3, sessions on immigrant children, youth & families

    The 14th National Metropolis conference theme is Future Immigration Policies: Challenges and Opportunities for Canada. It will be held February 29 – March 3, 2012 at the Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto.
    immigrantchildren.ca is delighted to see so many workshops and a dedicated poster session that focus on immigrant and refugee children, youth, and families:

    Thurs March 1, 2012 Workshops

    Family violence towards young newcomer women
    This workshop will explore family violence towards young newcomer women (ages 15-30). Presentations will examine factors that contribute to abuse and violence, barriers and facilitators to seeking help, the experiences of shelter staff in offering appropriate services, and existing government policies and programs related to this type of family violence.
    Organizer
    Lucia Madariaga-Vignudo, Qualtrica Associates
    Tuula Heinonen, University of Manitoba
    Participants
    Priya Sharma, University of Manitoba
    Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Help: The Experience of Young Newcomer Women Affected by Family Violence in Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Lucia Madariaga-Vignudo, Qualtrica Associates
    Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Help: The Experience of Young Newcomer Women Affected by Family Violence in Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Janine Fraser, Edmonton Women’s Shelter Ltd.
    Providing Shelter to Young Newcomer Women Fleeing Family Violence: A Service Provider’s Perspective
    Hoori Hamboyan, Justice Canada
    Family violence policy and its impact on ethno-cultural minority communities
    Anna Korteweg, University of Toronto
    Religion, Culture, and the Politicization of Honour-Related Violence: A Critical Analysis of Media and Policy Debates in Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada
    Chair
    Tuula Heinonen, University of Manitoba
    At the margins but longing to belong: Immigrant and refugee youth in Canadian schools Immigrant teenagers experience a steep learning curve as they attempt to learn either English or French, complete high school and integrate into Canadian society. In this workshop we will explore the social and linguistic integration experiences of newcomers at school in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec as well as policy implications.
    Organizer
    Antoinette Gagné, University of Toronto
    Participants
    Ranya Khan, University of Toronto
    Meeting the needs of war-affected refugees in Manitoba high schools
    Sunny Lau, Bishop’s University
    Developing immigrant learners’ academic expertise through the promotion of identities of competence
    Stephanie Soto Gordon, Toronto District Board of Education
    Growing new roots: Coming together – New immigrant and Canadian teenagers
    Antoinette Gagne, University of Toronto
    Growing new roots: Coming together – New immigrant and Canadian teenagers
    Yamin Qian, University of Toronto
    More than English proficiency: Chinese adolescents’ peer networks and English use in Toronto
    Marilyn Steinbach, Université de Sherbrooke
    Social integration of immigrant adolescents in secondary schools in regional Quebec
    Chair
    Antoinette Gagné, University of Toronto
    Discussant
    Clea Schmidt, University of Manitoba
    Female genital cutting in the Canadian context: Global bodies and immigration The 1990s was a time of much attention to the issue of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in Canada with the development of legal policies, original research and innovative programming in the community. In this workshop, presenters from different sectors and disciplines will address a renewed interest in all of these areas.
    Organizer
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Participants
    Shereen Denetto, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Women, Men and Youth’s Perspectives of Female Genital Cutting and Change In Winnipeg
    Gillian Einstein, University of Toronto
    Pain in Somali – Canadian Women: Neurological Consequences of Female Genital Circumcision
    Perron Liette, Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologist Canada
    Female Genital Cutting / Mutilation: SOGC Working for Change
    Notisha Massaquoi, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre
    Policy Development in Canada: Past, Present and Future
    Bilkis Visandjée, University of Montréal
    Clinical Imperatives, Research Perspectives: Giving Quality of Care in the Context of Traditional Practices
    Chair
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Immigration and mothering This session will examine the multiple and shifting roles, relationships, constructions and representations of mothers and mothering in the processes of immigration. Various dimensions will be explored from issues of identity (and intersecting identities in terms of race and class), to work in the home, family and community, as well as the negotiation of family arrangements, relationships with the second generation, and roles with respect to transnational and cross-cultural mothering. In so doing, this workshop will consider how mothers contribute to immigration, settlement and integration, as well as the impact such processes have on mothering.
    Organizer
    Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Evangelia Tastsoglou, Saint Mary’s University and Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Guida C. Man, York University and CERIS-The Ontario Metropolis Centre
    Participants
    Guida C. Man, York University and CERIS-The Ontario Metropolis Centre
    Negotiating Work and Family: Exploring Transnational Migration Practices of Immigrant Women Professionals in Canada
    Mehrunnisa Ali, Ryerson University
    When Mothering Never Ends: The Experiences of Mothering Teenagers and Young Adults in the South Asian Diaspora
    Farishta Murzban Dinshaw, COSTI Family Violence Initiative
    Mothers of Sons: Gender Roles and Cultural Continuity in Immigrant Communities
    Anna Kirova, University of Alberta and Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Involving Newcomer Parents and Children in Negotiating Cultural Identities Through Art-Making
    Chair
    Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Discussant
    Evangelia Tastsoglou, Saint Mary’s University and Atlantic Metropolis Centre
    Improving the lives of immigrant and refugee youth: Collaborative community, research, and policy initiatives The complex needs of our growing population of youth from immigrant and refugee families will be addressed by academic, professional, and community participants. Promising collaborative approaches in youth activism, local partnerships, diversity training, and health improvement among immigrant youth will be highlighted, with an eye toward policy and programming.
    Organizer
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Participants
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Learning from Youth Leaders in Social Justice Activism
    James Baker, Memorial University
    The Making of a “Welcoming Community”: Youth Perspectives on Inclusion, Integration, and Participation
    Marisa Cardeal-Casagrande, McMaster University
    Fostering Leadership and Engagement with the “Youth Futures Program”
    Hassan Vatanparast, University of Saskatchewan
    Improving the Health and Nutrition of Immigrant and Refugee Children
    Mischa Davison, Saskatoon Open Door Society
    “Creating Youth Culture”: Teen Diversity Leadership Training Program
    Chair
    Darren Lund, Prairie Metropolis Centre
    Discussant
    Fariborz Birjandian, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society

    Friday, March 2, 2012 Workshops

    Second generation youth: Educational and employment trajectories among Filipino youth in Canada The Philippines is now Canada’s top source of immigrants and this population has a distinctive set of arrival and settlement experiences. The echoes of these experiences are evident in the educational and employment outcomes of second generation Filipino-Canadian youth. This session explores these outcomes across four cities in Canada.
    Organizer
    Philip Kelly, York University
    Participants
    Philip Kelly, York University
    Geographies of the Second Generation: Filipino-Canadian Class Reproduction in Urban
    Canada
    Maureen Mendoza, University of British Columbia
    Educated Minorities: The Experiences of Filipino Canadian University Students
    Darlyne Bautista, Winnipeg School Division
    Exploring Culture in Our Schools: Policy Discussion and Community Practice
    Veronica Javier, Community Social Worker
    Julia Mais, York University
    Behind the Resume: Influences on the Educational and Employment Trajectories of 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino-Canadians
    Daisydee Bautista, Aksyon Ng Ating Kabataan (ANAK) Inc.
    Exploring Culture in Our Schools: Policy Discussion and Community Practice
    Chair
    Mila Garcia, Community Alliance for Social Justice
    Discussant
    Conely De Leon, York University
    The Concepts of age and generation in the migration context: Implications for policy-research This workshop focuses on the concepts of age and generation in migration contexts and examines the inter-play of age, generation, as well as gender, race and immigrant and family status in the social and economic outcomes of immigrants in Canada. Conceptual and methodological issues will be explored. Research findings related to how age and generational status are key indicators of both the context of migrations and the settlement and integration processes will be shared. Policy and program implications for governments and service providers will also be identified.
    Organizer
    Christina Clark-Kazak, York University
    Laure Lafrance, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
    Participants
    Alexandra Ricard-Guay, McGill University
    Unpacking human trafficking definitions through the lens of age-sensitivity
    Ranu Basu, York University
    Building Community in Suburban Inner-City Schools: Scarborough as Site for Emancipatory Practice
    Yogendra Shakya, Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services
    Challenges and Opportunities in Family Role Changes for Refugee Youth from the Afghani, Karen and Sudanese Communities
    May Farrales, Unversity of British Columbia
    Holding spaces: geographies of Filipino-Canadian students’ educational experiences
    Chair
    Christina Clark-Kazak, York University
    Post-secondary education participation: Access and supports among immigrant youth in Canada This workshop reports, compares, and contrasts findings with respect to post-secondary education participation of immigrant youth with particular attention to access and supports (e.g. structural factors, social supports, special needs, engagement) from two sources — 17 year olds in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and 19 year olds in British Columbia’s Metro Vancouver School Districts (MVSD).
    Organizer
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Vicky Maldonado, McMaster University
    Participants
    Robert Brown, Toronto District School Board
    Gillian Parekh, York University
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Post-secondary Participation of First, Second, and Third Generation Students: The Role of Social and Academic Supports in Secondary School
    Vicky Maldonado and Scott Davies, McMaster University
    Horizontal Stratification and the Maclean’s Rankings: University Participation of Native-born and Immigrant Youth in the Toronto District School Board
    Kristyn Frank, Independent Researcher
    Does Parental and Teacher Engagement Influence the Field of Study Choices of Immigrant and Canadian-born University Students?
    Maria Adamuti-Trache, University of Texas at Arlington
    Robert Sweet, Lakehead University
    High School to PSE Pathways of Metro Vancouver Students: Ethnic Group Differences
    Chair
    Paul Anisef, York University
    Discussant
    Roula Anastasakos, Toronto District School Board
    Limited access to healthcare for uninsured families and children: Ontario and Quebec This workshop focuses on health status and access to care of immigrant, refugee, and migrant children, youth and pregnant women who do not have provincial health care coverage. It will present new research findings, health provider perspectives and health service delivery challenges, and discuss implications for policy and practice.
    Organizer
    Joanna Anneke Rummens, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
    Cécile Rousseau, McGill University and CSSS de la Montagne (Parc Extension)
    Sharon Chakkalackal, The Hospital for Sick Children
    Participants
    Joanna Anneke Rummens, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
    Sharon Chakkalackal, The Hospital for Sick Children
    Access to Health Care for Uninsured Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Child and Youth in Ontario
    Audrey Laurin-Lamothe, McGill University
    Francesca Meloni, McGill University
    Alexandra Ricard-Guay, McGill University
    Health Status of Uninsured Children & Pregnant Women in Quebec
    Manavi Handa, Assocation of Ontario Midwives
    Karline Wilson-Mitchell, Sages-Femmes Rouge Valley Midwives Scarborough/Durham Region
    On the Ground: Access to Healthcare Issues for Uninsured Women and their Canadian Babies
    Joesiann Nelson, Black Creek Community Health Centre,
    Simone Atungo, Mount Sinai Hospital
    Before and After: Seeking Pathways to Care for Uninsured Moms and Children at Community Health Centres and Hospitals
    Chair
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Discussant
    Wendy Katherine, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
    Community-based health promotion programs for children and their families: How the Public Health Agency of Canada is improving the health of recent immigrants This workshop will highlight the Public Health Agency of Canada’s community-based programs and their work in the health promotion of recent immigrants and their families. There will be an overview of the programs from a national perspective, along with specific regional issues and the experiences of projects delivering health promotion programming in the community.
    Organizer
    Dana Gaertner, Public Health Agency of Canada/Agence de santé publique du Canada
    Participants
    Jennette Toews, Public Health Agency of Canada – National Office /Agence de santé publique du Canada – Bureau central
    CAPC and recent immigrants: A national health promotion program for children and their families
    Blanca Serrano, Public Health Agency of Canada – Ontario Region /Agence de santé publique du Canada – Région de l’Ontario
    Promoting the health and well-being of children and families in Ontario: Working with new immigrants
    Julie Burdon, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre
    Innovative solutions that meet the needs of a diverse population at our prenatal and parenting programs
    Marie-Michèle Delisle-Bédard, Maison pour femmes immigrantes
    L’intervention auprès des femmes et de leurs enfants victimes ou exposés à la violence: succès et défis
    Immigrant and refugee visible minority youth in Canada The presence of immigrant and refugee visible minority youth in Canada has enhanced the growth of Canada’s population and labour force. As this is an advantage for the country, it is also important to determine who these youth are, their circumstances, needs, and how they can contribute to Canada’s multicultural society.
    Organizer
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Participants
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Miu Chung Yan, University of British Columbia
    Tejwant Chana, University of Alberta
    Dorla Harris, MOSAIC
    Farah Prashadcolah, Youth Settlement Worker
    Lianne Lee, Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary
    Heather Robertson, Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (N.E.E.D.S.) Inc.
    Cristina Guerrero, University of Toronto
    Chair
    J. Alejandro Hernandez-Ramirez, Simon Fraser University
    Engaging immigrant children in Ontario and Quebec schools through the creation of multimodal identity texts How can teachers, researchers and community members collaboratively draw on the cultural and linguistic resources that immigrant children bring to their learning? This workshop examines how students’ expressions of their diverse identities and experiences through multimodal and multilingual creations deepen their engagement and facilitate their integration at school.
    Organizer
    Gail Prasad, University of Toronto
    Marie Paule Lory, Université de Montréal
    Participants
    Marie Paule Lory, Université de Montréal
    Quand le plurilinguisme prend corps dans des ateliers d’expression théâtrale et d’éveil aux langues
    Gail Prasad, University of Toronto
    What Moves Me? Exploring Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children’s representations of their mobilities through self-portraits and photography
    Saskia Stille, University of Toronto
    Engaging in cultural production at school: Using digital media to create identity texts with emergent bilingual children
    Susan Hind, Toronto District School Board
    Found in Translation: Showcasing home-school-community cultural and linguistic diversity through visual media creation
    Amelia Jimenez, Inner City Angels
    Found in Translation: Showcasing home-school-community cultural and linguistic diversity through visual media creation

    Saturday March 3, 2012 Workshops

    Muslim students in Canadian schools: Meeting students’ academic, social and faith-based needs How can Canadian schools meet the needs of their Muslim students? This session will highlight the findings from a study that included teachers’ voices, experiences and practices related to the schooling of their Muslim students, and discuss how schools and teachers attempt to support religious practices in a secular space.
    Organizer
    Ranya Khan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
    Participants
    Sararoz Niyozov, University of Toronto
    Ranya Khan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
    Arif Anwar, University of Toronto
    Nadeem Memon, Razi Group
    Uzma Jamil, McGill Transcultural Research and Intervention Team
    Chair
    Sararoz Niyozov, University of Toronto
    International migration and maternity Maternity may amplify socioeconomic marginalization and the vulnerability of immigrant women. Reproduction is a critical event on the life trajectory and represents an imperative sphere of attention. This roundtable enables decisive exchange between researchers, and government and non-government representatives, regarding socioeconomic, political, and cultural processes perpetuating maternal health care inequities.
    Organizer
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Participants
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Myfanwy Morgan, King’s College London
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Annalita Shireen Bell, University of Alberta
    Lanre Tunji-Ajay, Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario
    Helen Vallianatos, University of Alberta
    Chair
    Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
    Discussant
    Deb Kocay, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Immigrant mothers, health outcomes and promising practices to reduce health inequities Health inequities can affect immigrant and refugee mothers, and, as maternal health is a spread-used indicator to assess the state of well-being in most countries, there is a need to explore how immigrant mothers’ health can be affected once in Canada. Speakers at this workshop will showcase recent research on maternal health differences between immigrant and Canadian-born mothers. They will examine several health indicators and determinants of health as well as the maternal experiences, perceptions, knowledge, and practices of both populations. The workshop will also include the preliminary findings from the Migrant Friendly Maternity Care project as well as a community perspective on a number of resources and initiatives being implemented to address the reproductive needs of newcomer women and their families.
    Organizer
    Solange van Kemenade, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Anita Gagnon, McGill University
    Participants
    Marcelo Urquia, Saint Michael’s Hospital
    How immigrant women are doing in terms of maternal and infant health in Canada?
    Dawn Kingston, University of Manitoba
    Comparison of Maternity Experiences of Canadian-Born and Recent and Non-Recent Immigrant Women: Findings From the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey
    Maureen Heaman, University of Manitoba
    Comparison of Maternity Experiences of Canadian-Born and Recent and Non-Recent Immigrant Women: Findings From the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey
    Saleha Bismilla, Toronto Public Health
    Giving Birth in a New Land
    Anita Gagnon, McGill University
    Can Migrant Friendly Maternity Care (MFMC) improve perinatal health outcomes?
    Chair
    Solange van Kemenade, Public Health Agency of Canada
    Refugee youth negotiating change This roundtable examines some of the diverse and interconnected challenges and opportunities refugee youth encounter as they negotiate various life transitions in the context of settlement in Canada. Discussion topics include education, settlement/youth services, creativity, mental health, social and cultural integration, gang involvement, sexuality, and employment.
    Organizer
    Alejandro Hernandez, Simon Fraser University
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia
    Participants
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia
    Paula Migliardi, Sexuality Education Resource Centre
    Susan Frohlick, University of Manitoba
    Marian Rossiter, University of Alberta
    Nora Becker, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
    Wendy Auger, Immigrant Services Calgary
    Jane Wambui Gichuru, University of Western Ontario
    Zheng Zhang, University of Western Ontario
    Sarah Fletcher, University of Victoria
    Nona Grandea, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
    Chair
    Jenny Francis, University of British Columbia

    Poster Sessions

    Des services communautaires qui bonifient la relation école-famille : le cas d’un organisme montréalais
    Annick Lavoie, Université de Montréal
    Fasal Kanouté, Université de Montréal
    Justine Gosselin Gagné, Université de Montréal
    Enhancing our ability to respond to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) newcomer youth within the settlement sector
    Zack Marshall, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    Tess Vo, Griffin Centre Mental Health Services
    The Role of transnational families in immigrant settlement
    Amrita Hari, York University
    Grandparental caregiving in Chinese-Canadian immigrant families
    Cynthia Sing-Yu Shih, York University
    Yvonne Bohr, York University
    Afghan newcomer youth in Toronto: Exploring leisure and information practices during settlement
    Lisa Quirke, University of Toronto
    Étudiants internationaux et persévérance aux études postsecondaires
    Sarah Mainich, Université de Montréal
    The African Canadian youth leadership project: Encouraging a critical reading of the Canadian urban landscape
    Troy Glover, University of Waterloo
    Debjani Henderson, University of Waterloo
    Visit the Metropolis conference website for more information. To register, visit here.

  • Call for papers: 'On New Shores' immigrant children conference

    Dr. Susan Chuang has announced the fifth On New Shores conference. It will be held October 25-26 in Toronto.
    From the call for papers: “The goal of the conference is to bring together various stakeholders (academia, community, and governmental sectors) to collectively examine and discuss the various forms of social support (informal, formal) by families, communities, and governmental agencies to promote subjective and family well-being for immigrant and refugee children, youth, and families. Discussions of social capital and protective factors will also be addressed. Researchers from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, social work, education, anthropology, business) are welcomed. Community service providers and governmental agencies are encouraged to present work on research, effective programs, social issues, and challenges.
    “Leading scholars from various disciplines will be presenting, including: Robert Bradley, Xinyin Chen, David Este, Jo Ann Farver, Uwe Gielen, Donald Hernandez, Benson Honig, William Jankowiak, Deborah Johnson, Jay Mancini, Luis Moll, Felix Neto, Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, Vappu Tyyska, Fons van de Vijer…and more! National and local organizations will also be presenting!
    “Options for presentation include papers and posters.
    “We cordially invite you to submit a proposal! Submission deadline is March 15th. All proposals must be submitted to Dr. Susan S. Chuang by email (schuang@uoguelph.ca), accompanied by a ons submission form”.

  • Save the date: Immigrant children conference, UofGuelph

    Dr. Susan Chuang will once again host the conference ‘On New Shores: Understanding Immigrant Children and Youth’ at the University of Guelph in 2012.
    The dates are October 25-26. The theme is happiness.
    The 2010 conference was comprehensive, engaging and a great way to connect with researchers, policy makers and front-line workers passionate about understanding and empowering immigrant children, youth and families.
    Save the date; c’mon, get happy!

  • Call for papers: Children & migration in Africa

    From the H-CHILDHOOD@H-NET.MSU.EDU listserv:
    “CFP: AEGIS Thematic Workshop: Children & Migration in Africa: an Interdisciplinary Perspective In association with the Centre of African Studies (SOAS, University of London); the Institute of Historical Research (University of London); and Institut des Sciences Humaines (University of Liège – Belgium).
    “While African children are heavily involved in migration, they remain obscure in scholarly literatures dominated by the male labour migratory model. Furthermore, work on young migrants often conflates the social categories of ‘child’ and ‘youth’ and children themselves are divided into the binary states of agents or victims.  Although recent scholarship on children and migration in Africa has acknowledged the importance of African children as discrete agents in migratory processes, analytical shortcomings remain. Much of this research has lacked a longue durée perspective.
    “The key aim of this workshop will be to connect contemporary and historical analysis of the migratory trajectories of children in several African societies.  Papers could address, but are not limited to, the following issues: patterns of fosterage; child circulation within Africa and between Africa and Europe; the role of education; child labour; and conceptions of place and ‘home’.  The workshop will take place at SOAS (University of London) on 24-25 May 2012. There is a ceiling of 20 participants and limited funding, with priority for Graduate Students and African Scholars.
    “Interested scholars should send us an abstract in English (max. 300 words) and a short bio (max. 250 words) by 29 January 2012. Postgraduate and recent PhD graduates are particularly encouraged to send in proposals. Papers will be pre-circulated among the participants and need to be submitted by 29 April 2012. Selected papers will be published in a peer-reviewed edited volume”.
    Contact Info: mr28@soas.ac.ukJack | jl79@soas.ac.ukElodie | elodie.razy@ulg.ac.be