ImmigrantChildren.ca Archive

Category: Ontario

ON

Meeting the needs of English language learners: Ryerson University event, Toronto
On May 16/08, Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners will be held in Toronto. The event is presented by Ryerson University Centre for Children, Youth and Families, the School of Early Childhood Education and the MA Program in Early Childhood Studies, the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, the Macaulay Child Development Centre and the City of Toronto, Children’s Services.
The event will be held at Ryerson University, 55 Gould Street, Student Campus Centre, Room SCC115. Introductory remarks by Judith K. Bernhard, Director, MA in Early Childhood Studies, Ryerson University, Brenda Patterson, General Manager, Toronto Children’s Services and Eduarda Sousa, Executive Director, Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario.
Panel Members are:
- Heather Anderson-Ross, Early Literacy Specialist, Macaulay Child Development Centre
- Rachel Langford, Director, School of Early Childhood Education, Ryerson University
- Dianne Riehl, Program Coordinator, Early Years, Toronto District School Board
- Roma Chumak-Horbatsch – Professor, Ryerson University.
For more info, see the notice on the right-hand side of the Ryerson webpage here or download the event flyer: ryersonevent.
April 8, 2008
People for Education report: Urban and suburban schools in Ontario
People for Education have released a report on schools in Ontario. Some of the key findings in the report:
- Funding for programs to ensure equitable outcomes for students is calculated on 1991 and 1996 census data, even though demographic numbers have changed dramatically and more current census data is available
- 29% of urban/suburban elementary schools had ESL students but no ESL teachers.
Citing the following Statistics Canada data, the report discusses immigrant children and families, ESL, English Language Learners and settlement workers in the schools.
- Between July 1 2005 and July 1 2006, 133,100 new immigrants arrived in Ontario
- Nearly 60% of newcomers were in the skilled worker and business immigrant categories
- The vast majority of immigrants settled in urban and suburban areas
- 75% came from countries where English is not the first language
- More than one third were under the age of 19.
Read the report here.
April 3, 2008
George Brown College Summer Institute: Preparing professionals to lead change in the early years

The annual summer institute, held by George Brown College and the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development is scheduled this year for June 4/08 and will be held in Toronto. At each summer institute, George Brown College honours an individual for their contribution to the early childhood field. This year, the Summer Institute honours Aster Fessahaie, a 2002 recipient of the Skills for Change New Pioneers Award. See the George Brown College website for more info, or view the PDF georgebrown.

April 2, 2008
More funding announcements from the federal government

Following on a post dated Fri Feb 22/08, more funding announcements from the federal government, including:
Feb 29/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to help newcomers settle in London, Ontario”.
March 7/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to help newcomers settle in Toronto“. This funding was set for the YMCA Korean Community Services and the Korean Canadian Women’s Association KCWA Family and Social Services.
March 7/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association“.

March 9, 2008
CBC Toronto series: Toronto's mosaic, a reality check
CBC Toronto’s Metro Morning Ontario Today show is airing a week-long series on immigration, diversity and multiculturalism starting Mon March 3/08. CBC TV will air similar segments on the evening news. Radio-Canada will carry the series in French.
Toronto’s Mosaic: A Reality Check will explore the following issues:
- Discrimination that new Torontonians experience.
- Cultural stereotypes and neighbourhood enclaves.
- Traditions – home traditions vs. Canadian traditions.
- Racism.
- What does it mean to become a Canadian?
The CBC website has links to several useful resources, including background, statistics, and links to sources with further information.
CBC news also maintains another good site with information (beyond Toronto) entitled “Immigration in Canada: From 1947 to 2017“.
On Thursday, March 6, the CBC will host a Town Hall and invites Torontonians to attend and participate in the discussion. The event will be held at the Glenn Gould Studio, CBC Broadcastng Centre, 250 Front St. West. The event begins at 7:30, doors open at 6:45.
Panelists include:
- Uzma Shakir, community activist, recently named Economic Justice Fellow by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation.
- Raheel Raza, writer and diversity consultant and interfaith advocate.
- Patrick Habamenshi, University of Guelph and FarmStart.
Let’s all call in to the vox-box and raise the issues of immigrant children. Here’s how to reach the CBC with your comments: 1.866.648.6714.
March 2, 2008
Call for papers: York U graduate school conference
The Annual Graduate Student conference Rethinking the Mosaic: Immigration, Settlement and the Lived Experience will take place at York University April 17-18/08. Graduate students are invited to submit proposals. Some of the focus areas lend themselves well to children’s issues, including:
- Immigration/refugee law and practice
- Settlement sector and government involvement
- Health and well-being
- Multiculturalism/citizenship
- Family, children and youth experiences of immigrant/transnational families.
Deadline is March 6/08. For more information, see the CERIS website.
February 29, 2008
CIC & MCI joint call for proposals, Ontario
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI) are seeking proposals to strengthen the role of local and regional communities in serving and integrating immigrants through Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs).
The overall objective of the call is to identify groups that will coordinate and enhance the current service delivery network (avoiding duplication). Strategic partnerships between service providers and organizations is encouraged.
The funders objectives are to:
1. Improve access to, and coordination of, effective services that facilitate immigrant settlement and integration
2. Improve access to the labour market for immigrants
3. Strengthen local and regional awareness and capacity to integrate immigrants
4. Establish or enhance partnerships and participation of multiple stakeholders in planning, and coordinating the delivery of integration services (including settlement, language training, labour market integration), especially current services supported by the federal government through CIC or through MCI.
For more info, see the page at settlement.org or the MCI web-page.
2 Deadlines: March 7, 2008 and May 6, 2008.
February 26, 2008
Federal funding announcements galore!

There have been a rash of funding announcements from the federal government lately, including:
December 2007
Dec 17/07 “Minister Finley announces new federal commitments to help newcomers settle in Canada”, which includes a link to a handy at-a-glance chart showing the provincial/territorial breakdown of dollars from 05-06 to 08-09.
Dec 18/07 “Government of Canada supports Saskatchewan in attracting immigrants to the province”. Included in this announcement was the “Going to Canada” website that provides “links to information and services when planning a temporary stay or making Canada your new home”. The website is available in English and French. Not much info on children.
January 2008
Jan 7/08 “Government of Canada announces new funding for research on immigration and diversity”. The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and Dr. Chad Gaffield, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) jointly announced research funding of $7.5 million over five years for Metropolis, the Canadian arm of the international consortium of research centres on immigration and settlement.
Jan 18/08 “Government of Canada provides funding to help newcomers settle in the Peel region”. The funding will support the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group.
February 2008
Feb 1/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to help immigrants settle in Lethbridge“.
Feb 1/08 “Government of Canada joins partners in launching a Tool Box to help attract immigrants to smaller communities”. The Attracting and Retaining Immigrants: A Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres was developed by the National Working Group on Small Centre Strategies.
Feb 8/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to help newcomers settle in the city of Toronto“. Included in this announcement, a mention of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), established in 2007 to help support internationally trained individuals in having their credentials assessed, recognzied and to find work in their chosen field.
Feb 19/08 ” Government of Canada invests to help immigrants settle in St. John’s“. In this announcement, something about/for immigrant children! A 3-day event, entitled Sharing Our Cultures is an annual event held to promote cross-cultural awareness among children and teachers. This year it will be held to coincide with March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Feb 20/08 “Government of Canada provides funding to help newcomers settle in Brantford“.
Feb 20/08 “Government of Canada provides funding to the Learning Enrichment Foundation to help newcomers in Toronto“.
Feb 21/08 “Government of Canada announces funding to help attract francophone immigrants to New Brunswick“. Funding went to Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick (SAANB).
Feb 22/08 “Government of Canada provides funding to help newcomers in North Bay“.

February 22, 2008
The future of ECE in Ontario: Focus on the changing landscape

The Association of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario (AECEO) is hosting their 58th annual conference May 9-10/08 at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Of interest to the Early Childhood Working Group, these workshops, panels and presentations:

Equity and Access in ECE: Making the shift toward a critical perspective in early childhood studies and challenging the discourse of anti-bias education, with Zeenat Janmohamed, Atkinson Centre for Society & Child Development
The Young English Language Learner, with Roma Chumak-Horbatsch, Ryerson University School of Early Childhood Education & mylanguage.ca

Visit the AECEO website to download the preliminary conference brochure and for more details.

February 15, 2008
OCASI spring conference

The Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) is planning their spring conference, to be held May 7-8 at Geneva Park, Orillia, Ontario.
As well as calls for proposals for workshops, OCASI is seeking people to serve on the conference planning committee. See the conference website for more information. Here’s a chance for the Early Childhood Working Group to get children’s issues on the agenda!
For information, contact the conference coordinator, Farheen Beg at fbeg@ocasi.org or 416-322-4950, ext. 260.

January 30, 2008