Ride for Refuge teams raise funds for ICA newcomer youth!
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Submitted by Steven Lorenzo Baileys, Community Development Coordinator
Legs are sore, bodies are tired, but so many hearts are full after our ICA team members completed the 2018 Ride for Refuge bike, ride, and walk in support of refugee/newcomer youth programs. Thanks to our amazing team of ICA staff, volunteers, youth, and community members. Each of them biked and walked a variety of distances spurred on by the generous support of community donors. The sweat and smiles over the miles saw ICA raise more than $6,300 to support newcomer youth programs at ICA.
ICA joined with other community members to make a difference. A total of 281 participants were part of 57 teams that walked 5 km or rode 10 km, 25 km, or 50 km. A total of $108,095 was raised for 17 charities with the support of 135 volunteers!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support such a fun annual community initiative! Stay tuned for information about how to participate with our ICA Team in 2019!
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Connections Series: CHEK News
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Submitted by Quinton Gordon, Manager of Strategic Engagement
In September, ICA proudly launched a new media partnership with CHEK News to produce a series of 12 short features entitled Connections.
Hosted by Calvin To, the series broadcasts on the third Sunday of each month as part of the 5 pm newscast on CHEK TV, profiling the stories of new Canadians from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. The second episode has just aired on Sunday, October 21 and the third will be on Sunday, November 18.
We are excited to develop this series, along with other exciting media projects, over the coming year. Please tune in to the Sunday evening news on CHEK, or follow the series on our website here.
If you have comments on the series or ideas for stories or profiles that may work well for the Connections series, please contact Quinton Gordon, Manager of Strategic Engagement at:
[email protected]
, or by phone at:
250-388-4728 ext. 124.
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Pearson World College students visit ICA
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ICA loves it when the world comes to visit! We hosted four students from Pearson World College: Mai (Japan), Jose (Argentina), Mohammed (Lebanon), and Hanako (Taiwan). Liz Bean, ICA's Volunteer Services Coordinator, led the students on a tour of ICA so they could learn more about the work we do with newcomers.
We look forward to staying connected with Mai, Jose, Mohammed, and Hanako over the coming years as they continue to support refugees as part of their Pearson student community engagement program.
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Submitted by Kate Longpre, Community Integration Coordinator
DID YOU KNOW?
*82% of We Speak Translate participants were trained via webinar.
*The #1 reason We Speak Translate participants took part in the training was to improve service delivery and communication with new immigrants and refugees.
*Almost 90% of participants said they would recommend We Speak Translate training to a friend, co-worker, or colleague.
You can also read about the We Speak Translate project in the Canadian Race Relations Foundation 2018 Best Practices Reader, which showcases the diverse efforts Canadians make to promote positive race relations across communities. See ICA featured on page 24-25.
Register today for an upcoming We Speak Translate online webinar:
Thursday, November 16, 2018
9:30 am - 10:30 am (PST)
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Fidelio
revisited: What Beethoven's famous opera tells us today
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Sabine Lehr, Private Sponsorship of Refugees Manager
"A woman risks everything to rescue her husband, who is being held as a political prisoner. Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio tells a story as eternal as tyranny and as powerful as love."
That's how Pacific Opera Victoria describes their latest operatic production, which also launched a new series of Dialogues events under the POV's
Co ǀ OPERA ǀ tive umbrella. Dialogues has been created to provide a venue where those interested in operatic themes can explore how these themes relate to the world we live in today.
The kick-off Dialogues event took place on October 10 at the POV's Baumann Centre. A panel of three speakers, moderated by Steve Wadhams, former producer of the CBC show Ideas, discussed the current situation of political prisoners and other oppressed persons.
Sharmarke Dubow, President of the Victoria Coalition for Survivors of Torture, recounted his own long journey as a refugee from conflict-ridden Somalia to Canada. Matt Eisenbrandt, a lawyer and special advisor to the Canadian Centre for International Justice, spoke about his legal efforts to hold human rights abusers accountable through working on behalf of survivors who seek justice for serious human rights violations. Finally, ICA's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Manager, Sabine Lehr, addressed the increasingly dire situation of refugees globally and explained how the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program in Canada helps to offer protection and safety to a small number of refugees.
The evening ended with a call to replicate the love Leonore showed to her imprisoned husband in Fidelio: The sponsorship of a single refugee or a refugee family is a powerful act of love that ordinary citizens can extend to other human beings forced to flee tyranny and oppression.
If you are interested in exploring refugee sponsorship, please contact Sabine: [email protected].
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Forced to Flee Refugee simulation for community members
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Submitted by Steven Lorenzo Baileys, Community Development Coordinator
What if you and your family were forced to flee from your home due to violent conflict? How would you respond? What decisions would you make to protect your family? These and many other critical questions were recently explored by members of the Community Partnership Network (CPN) as part of a refugee simulation activity hosted by ICA. The Forced to Flee simulation - originally developed by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank - engages participants to increase awareness about the unforeseen situations and critical decisions often faced by refugees. According to the United Nation's refugee agency, "One in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum."
Participants were challenged to put themselves in the "shoes of refugees" as they fled conflict and navigated through military checkpoints, border crossings, and refugee camps. During the simulation, participants from settlement agencies, recreation, youth, and faith groups worked together in "family units." Each family unit discussed and made difficult decisions around how to maintain their supply of food, save scarce financial resources, and protect the safety and health of family members. Facilitated by ICA's Community Integration Coordinator Kate Longpre, participants developed a deeper understanding of what it is like to be a refugee and how their local organization can provide culturally sensitive services to newcomer refugees.
If your business or organization would like to host a Forced to Flee session for staff or volunteers at no-cost, please contact ICA's Kate Longpre at:
[email protected].
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Welcome to ICA: Lalena and Tanya
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Lalena Dexter, Casual LINC Instructor
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My name is Lalena Dexter, and I graduated from Simon Fraser University in 2009 with a BA in anthropology and Latin American studies. Upon graduation, I entered Vancouver Community College's TESOL program with the intention of teaching ESL. After doing my practicum at ISSofBC, I became interested in the LINC program and worked in a number of positions, including with international students and teaching in South Korea.
In 2011, I began working with ISSofBC at the Douglas College, Surrey Learning Centre. This newly developed school strove to meet the needs of hundreds of newcomers through settlement English classes, daycare, community functions and gatherings, settlement referrals, and community building. I honed my skills in many functions: grammar, classroom management, curriculum development, and document/assessment preparation. In 2017, my husband accepted a job in Victoria, where we have since made our home. I have joined ICA as a Casual LINC Instructor
My name is Tanya Soares, and I moved this year from India to Canada (BC) with my husband. After living in India all my life, moving to Canada has been
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Tanya Soares, Settlement Worker
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a whole new experience for both of us. I have been a practising Social Worker in India for the past 8 years, and I have my master's degree in social work from the
University of Mumbai, India. I also have a
post-graduate diploma in psycho-social care and support in disaster management from India.
It has always been my passion to work with people, especially to support individuals in vulnerable situations, and I am so happy to have received this opportunity through ICA to do the same. My role here as a Settlement Worker will give me the opportunity to support, facilitate, empower, and guide immigrants and refugees in Victoria, and I hope to work to the best of my ability.
I love to travel and I am very passionate about music. I also love to Netflix and chill! As of now, I am enjoying the experience of discovering this city one day at a time.
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Jan Murray: Volunteer Profile
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Submitted by
Liz Bean, Volunteer Services Coordinator
ICA is fortunate to have the support of truly amazing, dedicated, committed volunteers. I am pleased to introduce
Jan Murray.
The 3rd eldest of 9 children, Jan was born in Hamilton, Ontario during a time she refers to as the "dirty 30's." When she'd had enough of Ontario winters, she made her way to Victoria.
Having lived in over 14 countries (including Zambia, Kenya, Indonesia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Italy, and Greece), Jan brings a wealth of life experience to all of her endeavours, including serving as a Coordinator of Volunteer Services for seven years and a nurse for 18 years, as well as helping women in developing countries for over 20 years. One of the engagements she is most proud of is her time in Zambia, where she lived for four years, helping women turn the activity of sewing school uniforms into a successful business.
In her spare time, Jan has been a competitive relay swimmer and a marathon runner, and she continues to be an avid community volunteer in Victoria. As an ICA volunteer for over two years, Jan serves as a Volunteer Teacher's Assistant, helping immigrant and refugee adults in English language classes. In this role, Jan helps learners not only with English practice, but also helps learners build their confidence and pride in their accomplishments.
We really couldn't do the work we do without the enormous contributions of incredibly talented and generous volunteers like Jan.
Thank you, Jan and all ICA Volunteers, for everything you do!
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Interview in Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative
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ICA's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Manager, Sabine Lehr, was interviewed for the October 2018 issue of GSRI at a Glance, the newsletter for the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative. In the interview, Sabine talks about how ICA got involved in community sponsorship, describes some challenges and rewards of sponsorship, and offers advice to individuals and groups interested in sponsoring refugees.
"Be open to an experience unlike anything you have experienced before. Expect the unexpected. Give yourself permission to laugh and to cry; to be saddened and awed; to teach and to learn." - Sabine Lehr
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Focus on vocabulary in LINC level 2 class
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Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) is a program funded by IRCC and offered across Canada. LINC teaches students practical English to help them to settle in their communities. Almost 500 students are enrolled in ICA's LINC program in 33 classes, ranging from literacy to advanced levels. Every Monday to Friday morning, instructor Caroline Startin leads one of those classes.
Caroline's level 2 (beginner) class has 16 students with language backgrounds including Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, and Tigrinia. Always on the lookout for interesting ways to help students develop and practise skills, Caroline has recently introduced a clever way to help students remember important vocabulary: The New Words Book.
"The students are given a duotang," says Caroline. "They put in 26 pages, one for each letter of the alphabet, and on the top right corner, they write Aa, Bb, Cc - for 26 pages."
While Caroline always reviews new words from the week's lessons on Fridays, the New Words Book has taken review to a new level. The words are written on the whiteboard for pronunciation practice and discussion about where they belong alphabetically. The students write the new words into their New Words Book along with the translation in their language. To boost engagement, students are invited to write the translations in their language on the board.
"I wanted the students to practise reading and writing and to learn and reinforce alphabetical order," says Caroline. "The students had a lot of discussion about the writing of many of the words. They were much more engaged in the activity - and they understood what the New Words Book was for."
The October theme is "health" so lessons use words such as doctor, appointment, blood pressure, allergies, medicine, and absent. In November, the theme changes to "shopping," followed by "employment" in January and "family and relationships" in February.
"If a student is with me until June, they will have many new words," says Caroline.
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ICA's language program is making an impact
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Submitted by Kate Longpre, Community Integration Coordinator
Did you know the average age of the students in ICA's LINC classes is 46?
Or that 35.2% of the students are male and 64.8% of the students are female?
ICA's LINC - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada - program is up and running with 492 students enrolled as of October.
Learn more about the incredible impact the LINC program has on newcomers to Victoria, including where the students come from, how many have refugee backgrounds, and how many students are in each LINC level, by taking a moment to review the LINC Infographic.
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| Stay up to date: Follow ICA on social media! |
With so much happening at ICA every day, and so many ICA team members involved in community events and activities, it is hard to keep up!
An important part of feeling like you belong in a community is knowing what is going on and being able to participate in activities that are interesting to you.
ICA can help you stay on top of what is happening in our community - just follow our social media channels!
From Community Partnership Network seminars, ICA events and workshops, We Speak Translate training, and ICA job postings to the latest to news, events, and festivals with a multicultural theme - you'll find it by following us on:
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 Did you know?
ICA is a Work BC Employment Services Centre? We have a full suite of services for all your employment needs, including a variety of workshops and programs.
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What's Happening?
Help for applicants who are preparing for the citizenship test.
Women's Health and Yoga Group
Come and practise yoga and learn more about how to stay healthy. Registration required.
Tuesday, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
November 6, 2018
Settlement Orientations in English
Learn important information about Victoria and Canada.
Wednesdays, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
November 6 - December 5, 2018
Settlement Orientations in Chinese
Learn important information about Victoria and Canada.
Wednesdays, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
November 6 - December 5, 2018
Seniors Group
Connect with other seniors and practice your English skills. Registration required.
Thursdays, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
November 1 and 8, 2018
ESL Conversation Club
Practice your English conversation skills in a fun, casual setting. Offered in partnership with the Greater Victoria Public Library. Registration required.
Thursdays, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
November 1, 8, and 15, 2018
Job Search for Newcomers
Employment workshops from resumes and cover letters to interviews and workplace culture.
Tuesdays, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Thursdays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
November 6 - 22, 2018
Homework Club
Language and homework support for immigrant and refugee children and youth ages 8-17 and 18-25. Registration required.
Wednesdays, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The Meetup Youth Drop-in
Bi-weekly social program for newcomer youth ages 16-21.
Tuesdays, 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm
November 6 and 20, 2018
December 4 and 18, 2018
ICA Employment Services
If you are looking for employment or need to upgrade, ICA's Employment Services Centre can help!
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Community Events
The Discover Muslim Conference with a focus on the Student Experience
Presented by the University of Victoria's Muslim Students Association and featuring speakers, a student panel, and Q&A sessions. Food, tea, and coffee provided.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
David Turpin Building, A110
University of Victoria
RSVP on Facebook
Dia de Los Muertos / Day of the Dead Fiesta
Back by popular demand and hosted by the Victoria Event Centre and Puente Theatre. Music by Bučan Bučan
Compassion Gorilla.
Friday, November 2, 2018
8 pm-2 am
Victoria Event Centre
1415 Broad Street
LIVE Cuban Concert with Calixto Oviedo y Son Sabroso
Bachata Canada and Miguelito Valdes are pleased to bring you the Timbalero Legend, Calixto Oviedo and his Latin Train (y Son Sabroso) with special guest singer Lily Hernandez.
Saturday, November 3, 2018
8pm - midnight
Bachata Canada
3277 Douglas Street
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Diwali Dinner and Dance, Festival of Lights and Culture Heritage
Join the India
Canada Cultural Association of Victoria for an evening of dinner and dancing. Performances by Apna Versa, Jasmine Lalari, and Gayathri and Sandeep Devalapurkar. Dinner catered by Royal Spice.
Tickets $30 each or $200 for a table of 8
Saturday, November 17, 2018
6:30 pm
1463 Stellys Cross Road (Saanich Fairground)
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