Youth Leadership– Soulpepper Theater Barbora Gomezova /Amina

Inside this issue:
Youth Leadership– Soulpepper Theater
Youth Leadership
Barbora Gomezova /Amina Yassin-Omar
Late 2013 Culturelink’s SWIS team added a fun after school program to engage youth in a series of workshops designed to
strengthen their self-confidence, acquire public speaking skills and
become dynamic change makers in their communities. This new
activity is a welcomed component to complement our established
in school program for newcomer youth.
1
Leadership Training 2
YouthTell
3
TCDSB Conference 4
Bike to School
5
Outdoor
6
From October-December 2013 Opportunity
we facilitated a successful Theatre Program in partnership with NOW Club at CTS 7
Soulpepper Theatre’s Mirium
Fernandez and Deb Drakeford. In total, 12 newcomer
youth enjoyed a range of interactive theatre activities
and workshops. At the end of it all participants and
staff alike had the opportunity to visit Soulpepper Theatre’s space in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. The
youth conducted their last set of activities in this professional rehearsal space, took part in a ‘meet and
greet’ with the actors of Perfumerie (a Canadian adaptation of a Hungarian Play), followed by a dinner
and then
watching the
play, Perfumerie. For
many of the
newcomer
youth this was a first time watching a play and visiting the Distillery District.
We are looking forward to the next series of interactive workshops starting in February 2014 in
partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. This
series will focus on developing newcomer youth
global leadership skills that will focus on humanitarian efforts.
The Youth Leadership Group is looking forward to
Jarvis Collegiate - Outward Bound – SWIS Partnership
Newcomer Outdoor Leadership Training
Hellen Zheng
Last November and December, a new partnership was piloted at Jarvis Collegiate. This Outward Bound Leadership Training
was a wonderful opportunity for newcomer students to explore nature, discover self, and build communication and team work skills in
a fun, dynamic and inspiring outdoor environment.
The four-day training at Evergreen Brickworks involved three
days of Peer Leader Training for 15 youth and a full day of 45 participants led by the Peer Leaders. This model boosted learning, group
sharing and team building.
As the lead Settlement Worker, I am pleased to showcase
some outcomes here through pictures and quotations: Inci, from Turkey, a grade 9 ESL A student, with limited spoken English, stood up
voluntarily to lead peer leaders, leading her group to win the competition by using believable,
powerful body language and chanting “left, right, left right”. When asked how she made it,
she said, “I don’t know, I love them, I just think I have to do it. It just came out, I didn’t think
about it…” Her enthusiasm inspired everyone! For Erfaneh, a grade 11 student , her view of
learning changed incredibly after she led spider web group activities. “The goal of the team
put you into a position where you have to use whatever you can to make sure everyone
heard one voice, take same action, move at the same pace and no one gets hurt, so I speak
up.” Shifeng, the only grade 12 student shared the same view point: “I was very quiet and I
never felt I needed to speak in front of a group or to lead, but when I am among a group
where everyone is younger than me, I felt the responsibility to act or say something, to help
others.”
Many students were surprised that a whole
day of group physical activities could be so exciting
and inspiring. The A-frame, spider web, 4-ball toasting, rock-climbing - each activity challenged the
youth to achieve the group goal. At the end of the
day, four groups did skits to recap their learning
from this fun, laughter and action-filled day. Valuable
leadership skills will continue developing as students
carry their skills to next level, starting with the creation of a display board highlighting this initiative. A
great big thank-you to this caring partnership working together to make learning fun for our newcomer
students.
YouthTell
Lynda Young
On October 11th 2013, Youth Tell participants planned a day outing for Wintegration Youth, and the students of the Bike to School Program at Jarvis Collegiate, for the
participants to get a taste of cycling along the trails near Evergreen Brick Works. We were blessed with a sunny day with
comfortable temperature. The youths arrived at the beautiful
site of Evergreen Brick Works full of enthusiasm. We enjoyed
the ice-breaker games and introductions, but everyone was
anxious to get on with the program. We could barely contain
our excitement when the moment came for us to get fitted with
bicycles and helmets in preparation of the ride!
Anya Barkan from Evergreen Bike Works was our
friendly guide for the day! She gave the participants a briefing
of cycling safety tips, after which we lined up in two rows to
practice some cycling safety skills, like shoulder checking and signaling. While the youth
had fun with the little practice game we were doing, it was not hard to tell that everyone
was eager to get on with riding the trail!
The lovely October sun was mildly warm, accompanied by a cooling breeze. It was
the perfect weather for a relaxing ride along the Beltline Trail. This trail, which is a part of
the Kay Gardner Beltline Park, was established in 1999-2000, and was built on what used
to the Toronto Belt Line Railway. Trees with green, amber and orange leaves lined the
lovely trail. Our young cyclists rode along leisurely, sharing the refreshing, green space
with other joggers, dog walkers and strollers .
Throughout the session, our trigger-happy Youth
Tell participants snapped pictures and captured many
priceless moments of the day. There were shots of the
excitement of getting on two-wheels, the joy of riding
through the sun-dripped trails, the beauty of the natural
surroundings, and the beginning of new friendships
Towards the end of the session, the participants
gathered for a lovely picnic lunch with a healthy spread
of fruit, bread, cheese and nuts. Through the physical
activity of cycling, games and healthy snacks, the youngsters from YouthTell, Wintegration and Jarvis Collegiate Cycling Club got involved in building healthier, more active, and better connected communities. It was a fruitful day!!
Youth Tell is supported by Playing for Keeps and funded by the Toronto Community Foundation. See http://culturelinkyouth.blogspot.ca/search/label/Youth%20Tell for more info.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board
Newcomer Conference, October, 2013
Maria Guiao
The Newcomer Conference held at the TCDSB
head office provided educational, informative,
motivational, friendly and valuable information.
This year information was also offered in Tagalog/Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese,
Tamil and Arabic.
Newcomer students, families, guardians, custodians and homestays were happy and full of enthusiasm to learn more about school and how to
make the students learning experience as positive as possible. The Conference topics were
geared towards the needs and wants
of newcomers and this proved critical for event
success. How to navigate Canada's elementary
and secondary school systems was covered
along with learning about the responsibilities of
custodians, homestays and international students regarding the education and support of international students. Support for mental
health, students with learning disabilities, gifted
students and other special needs were also
featured along with information on opportunities
for employment, housing, taxation and other
settlement services including role of Settlement
Worker in Schools.
Overall, the Conference was a great success.
Newcomer students and families were well informed and very happy to have attended. The
TCDSB Newcomer Conference solidly achieved
its goal and lunch was wonderful! A special
thanks is extended to the organizers: Jody
Huang, Community Relations Officer of the
TCDSB; Michel Bencini, Department Head,
Orientation Centre; Settlement Workers in
Schools (SWIS) working in the TCDSB; community partners; Angela Gauthier, the Director of
Education; school administrators and staff of
the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Take one day at a time. Every day is a gift! Honest Service To Humanity Is The Best Work
Of Life! Many thanks for your important collaboration and partnership.
Bike to School Project
Kristin Schwartz
The Bike to School Project launched in spring 2013, a collaborative initiative of
CultureLink, Cycle Toronto, Evergreen and the Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank. So
far we are supporting after-school bike clubs at Central Commerce Collegiate (CCC),
Harbord Collegiate and Jarvis Collegiate. Activities have included rides to Dufferin
Grove Park and High Park, bike repair clinics, cycling skills and safety workshops, and a
fantastic presentation by CCC students at the Ontario Youth Bike Summit.
Our advocacy efforts paid off in November when the Toronto District School Board
(TDSB) adopted a Charter for Active, Safe and Sustainable Transportation, which commits the board to encouraging students to walk, bike or use other mobility devices to get
to school. On Thursday February 27, we invite parents, teachers and community advocates to learn more about this achievement at What's New with Bikes and Schools, an
evening event featuring presentations by School Board Trustee Pamela Gough, senior
TDSB staff, teachers and students from CCC and more.
We gear up for the spring season with a Youth Bike Champion Leadership Camp on
Friday March 7 (a PD day). Morning workshops focus on developing leadership skills at
the school level, and after lunch we'll take a trip to City Hall for a tour and discussion
about how to have a voice on cycling infrastructure and other issues that matter to
youth. We offer a $25 honorarium to all participants, lunch and snacks.
Also in spring, we will invite newcomer parents served by SWIS to register for Bike Host,
an innovative program that matches up newcomers who are open to cycling with community “hosts” or mentors. Participants are able to borrow a high-quality bicycle for the
summer.
Follow us on twitter at @biketoschoolTO, visit us at cycleto.ca/the-bike-to-school-project
or contact us at cycling@culturelink.ca for more news or to register for events.
Outdoor Opportunities for Newcomer Youth
Project Canoe provides outdoor canoeing experiences for newcomer
youth outreaching in a few key high schools in CultureLink’s service
area. This year SWIS will be recruiting for two outings – one for boys
and another for girls. The outing will involve portaging canoe tripping
in the Parry Sound area, north of Toronto. Last year’s boys group had an amazing experience and we are thrilled to be offering a second trip for girls this year! Many thanks to the
wonderful staff at Project Canoe.
March Break Camps
Settlement Workers in Schools are pleased to
announce the third annual March Break Camp!
We are partnering with Outward Bound for one
day of team building and physical challenge and
also including ‘The Great Race’ Photo Rally that
will involve a cross-city excursion to historical
and artistic sites to collect information, take pictures and learn about our wonderful city. March
10th – 13th. Registration by Feb. 28, 2014.
Youth Bike Championship Leadership
Camp
“4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move
the soul” – inspiring our youth to get involved in cycling at school and in the
community, CultureLink’s “Bike to School”
Project is holding a one-day cycling camp
that will include a range of cycling-related
activities. Registration by March 2, 2014.
NOW Club at Central Technical School
Constance Kendall and Yuhong Wang
Just about every Friday at lunchtime, room 333 becomes a buzz of activity as NOW Peer
Leaders prepare for the Newcomer Club. This club was born from the Newcomer Orientation Week (NOW) and is a gathering where students New to Canada make new friends and
also get guidance and support from their peers and teachers. School Settlement Workers
also provide referral to a number of school and community services. This process begins
early in the school year when the Peer Leaders and Settlement Workers brainstorm topics
for workshop and information sessions that focus on education, health, employment, culture,
social and life skills.
In September, the students were introduced to an array of extra-curricular activities available in the school as well as the Code of Conduct or rules they need to adhere to. In addition
to having a Thanksgiving Day celebration in October, students also participated in an educational tour of Queen’s Park Legislative Buildings. In November with the leadership of the
Peer Leaders and community agency personnel, three information sessions were held. Topics included volunteering, teamwork and accessing Parks and Recreation programs through
the Welcome Policy. The students also had a fun tour of the Science Centre. In December
in conjunction with the YouthTell participants, students shared food and holidays from their
culture at the NOW Club Seasonal Celebration.
This year we saw a whole new level of commitment from our Peer Leaders and the number
of participants in our programs grow. As a result, the participants have had an easier transition to their new school, community and culture. Students are now integrated in the various
clubs and activities available, thanks to the NOW Club.
Newsletter Editor: Lisa Randall , Program Manager SWIS
Design & layout: Rubina Afsar
Contributor: Barbora Gomezova, Constance Kendall, Lynda Young, Maria Guiao, Hellen
Zheng, Kristin Schwartz, Lisa Randall
If you would like to contribute an article or interesting news to the next SWIS newsletter,
please send to:
lrandall@culturelink.ca
rafsar@cicswis.ca
Follow us on Twitter @CultureLinkTO
CultureLink Settlement Services, SWIS
2340 Dundas Street West, Suite 301
Toronto, ON M6P 4A9