Settlement Workers in Schools
The Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) initiative is a partnership of the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Immigrant Integration Branch and Ministry of Education. Using funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development contracts with School Districts across the province to provide a school-based outreach program that helps immigrant and refugee students and their families.
Services include:
- Reaching out to new arrivals to the school district, including 'hard to reach' families;
- Providing information and orientation about Canadian culture and service systems, particularly about school policies and expectations, and the BC education system;
- Referring and assisting students or their families to access school or community programs and services;
- Providing cultural interpretation and facilitating culturally sensitive communication between school staff and the students and their families over non-educational issues.
These services are provided by Settlement Workers who are placed in secondary and elementary schools and are in most cases employed by a School District contracted to provide these services.
The information above was taken directly from the Welcome BC website. For more information please visit:
WelcomeBC Website - SWIS info
For a list of the SD's that have Settlement Workers in Schools
click
here:List of Settlement Workers in School Districts
The B.C. Government has announced an increase in funding for "WelcomeBC" doubling funding for immigrant adults to achieve basic English language skills to enter the workforce.
To download the news release, click here.
ESL PSA Executive Meeting, January 15, 2010
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