Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - September 2009
The city of Windsor, Ontario is reaching out to new arrivals via community programs that help the immigrant to both adjust to life in Canada and connect with their ethnic cultures within the city.
For over 20 years the city’s Catholic School Board has been offering free culture and language classes to students and parents of ethnic minority, including Arabic, Italian, Polish and Vietnamese-Canadians. Recently the program has been expanding rapidly, as rising levels of immigration bring in new citizens who want to keep their cultural heritage alive.
“It is very comforting for the (immigrant) parents to feel they’re not losing their culture,” said Cathy Geml, superintendent of Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board. “A lot of the information about the program is spread by word of mouth within the communities. That’s how the interest spreads.”
To further assist new arrivals, the city of Windsor has also recently implemented the Newcomer Orientation Week (NOW) for immigrant students, which “helps newcomers familiarize themselves with their school, their peers and Canadian customs through group discussions, skits and videos.”
NOW is funded by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, and accepts between 20 and 30 students each year for a four-day program.
Source: The Windsor Star
