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Riders & walkers raised over $12,000 for newcomer youth

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ICA Ride for Refuge 2016
ICA Ride for Refuge 2016

Speed networking with the CPN!
Submitted by Steven Lorenzo Baileys, Community Development Coordinator


On November 19, members of the Community Partnership Network (CPN) met for an afternoon of sharing ideas and "speed" networking at its quarterly CPN meeting. The meeting was hosted at the Pacific Opera Victoria (POV), one of the newer members of the CPN. Judging by the levels of enthusiasm, energy and comments shared at the event, the nearly 50 CPN members welcomed the new connections created with other members and appreciated the power of art and culture as tools to bring community together.

The event started off with Ian Rye, the newly appointed CEO of the Pacific Opera Victoria , welcoming everyone to the Wingate Studio. Ian spoke about the POV's many opera and culture based activities while encouraging members to access POV's facilities - including the stunning acoustic cedar canopy carving created by Kwagiulth Artist and former opera singer Carey Newman. 

Read more from our blog here!

Fostering diversity through Sport for Life!
Submitted by Salma Eddiani, Youth Settlement Worker


The Sport for Life Program seeks to connect immigrant and refugee children into sport and physical activity programs once they are settled in their new homes and schools. Over the last few months, ICA worked in partnership with Sport for Life and Kid Sport, two national non-profit organizations, to give newcomer children and youth a chance to be part of various sport programs across town. The program helps to cover the cost of registration fees and equipment needs for the child or youth.
 
Since late August, more than 60 children and youth were matched with the sport of their choice and a facility close to their home. In addition, ICA partnered with Sport for Life to offer a Cultural Diversity workshop for 19 representatives from different community centres and sporting associations in an effort to increase their capacity to serve children and youth from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In this workshop, different dimensions of culture were explored and suggestions were offered to improve cross-cultural communication and awareness in recreation centres.

View the blog post  here!

Perspectives on Faith & Identity: A Film Screening and Dialogue
Submitted by Paulina Grainger, Arts & Outreach Coordinator 
 

If you are a young adult aged 15 - 30, a youth service provider or facilitator, please join us for this important conversation and help us increase understanding on the issues of race, ethnicity, faith, inclusion and acceptance. Snacks will be provided and there will be a chance to socialize and enjoy some music at the end of the afternoon.
 
This will be the first of two in-depth conversations around the subject of cultural identity and spirituality facilitated by youth who directed and filmed a 20 minute documentary "Who We Are/What We Believe" in 2015.
 
Get more information 
here .


ICA youth team update!
Submitted by Becki Steel, ICA Practicum Student

ICA Youth Services has been bursting at the seams! Moving into the fall our momentum is going strong! We said goodbye to 2 lovely summer students, Melody Wise and Zhiqi Zhang, and have welcomed three practicum students from the University of Victoria: Keri, Kristin and Becki. We have also welcomed Ekta Kudale to the team as our Youth Services Facilitator.

In the last three weeks of August, we hosted a Culture and Confidence through Conversation (CCC) project that taught language and academic curriculum to over 30 newcomer children and youth. This project was funded by the Canadian Red Cross. Lesson plans included building morning routines, days of the week, months of the year, emotions and feelings (naming and recognizing), basic number recognition, family diversity, social and civic rights and responsibilities, basic geography, and local culture. Many thanks to our volunteers who helped make this project possible. 

Read more here....
ICA welcomes 3 new practicum students!
From left to right: Kristin, Becki, and Keri

Kristin Crossman
I am originally from Manitoba, and currently in my fourth year of Child and Youth Care studies at the University of Victoria. After graduation I hope to become a child protection worker. I work at Fernwood Community Centre in their child care and family programs. I appreciate community based programs and organizations; therefore, I feel right at home at ICA. I help plan and facilitate the Meet up and also support students at the Homework Club. I am looking forward to gaining perspective and cultural competency from my practicum, and hope to integrate these attributes, as well as many other values from ICA, into my later career. 

Becki Steel
I am a second year Child and Youth Care Student at the University of Victoria. I am originally from London, UK, but have lived on Saltspring Island for most of my life. While I have some experience working with children and youth through teaching swimming lessons and facilitating summer camps, this is the first time I have worked with children in a formal setting. As this is my first practicum, I am only with ICA until December, and am therefore trying to immerse myself as much as I can into the organization and get as much experience as possible. This is a really exciting opportunity for me to explore ways in which I can get involved with my community and begin to help others. I acknowledge that my immigration to Canada was very privileged and easy: this has given me great passion to try to make other's experiences of transition positive and supported.

I started my practicum at ICA by participating in Ride for Refuge. It was a great experience, as I got to meet and begin to make relationships with some of the extensive ICA community! I work with the elementary students at homework club: I plan and supervise activities and, along with ICA's team of volunteers, I help the students with their homework. I have also began doing some programming and facilitating for the Meet Up: I am very excited to show newcomer youth all the great things that the Victoria community has to offer. While I wish I could stay longer at ICA, I am extremely appreciative of how welcoming and accommodating everyone has been, and I look forward to meeting as much of the ICA community as possible in my short time here.  

Keri Tomlinson
I am a third year Child and Youth Care student, doing a specialization in Indigenous peoples and practices at the University of Victoria. I have experience working with children and youth, as well as creating and coordinating programs at Camp Fircom: an initiative that empowers youth of all backgrounds through education, spirituality, nature and health and wellness. I am extremely invested in social justice issues and advocacy: I am therefore very appreciative of my practicum at ICA.  Since starting my practicum in September, I have become involved in facilitating the Homework Club and helping get the Youth Employability Program up and running. I also rode 25k for ICA at Ride for Refuge, and helped ICA achieve their fundraising goal. I enjoyed meeting and becoming a part of the ICA community, and look forward to the next six months of my practicum.  

Welcoming 2 new staff: Ekta Kudale and Anwer Al-Edhari!
Ekta Kudale, Youth Services Facilitator
 
My name is Ekta. I am from Pune, a small city in India. I completed my first Masters from Pune University in Culture, Gender and Development Studies and continued working with non-governmental organizations in India. While working with people from a myriad of backgrounds, ethnicities, languages and cultures, I realized that though we all are so similar, we are yet quite different. These differences need to be acknowledged and most importantly respected. To understand more about cultures and attain the power to mediate inter cultural communication, I came to Canada to pursue my second Master's degree, this time, in Intercultural and International Communication Studies.

Anwer Al-Edhari, SWIS Worker
 
Hello! My name is Anwer Al-Edhari, I was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. I came to Canada in 2007. Victoria, BC was the city that I settled in. Between 2003 and 2007 in Iraq, I was a teacher, social worker and volunteer aid worker with UNCHCR, UNICEF , Safe Children UK, an Italian aid agency, and more.
 
Volunteering and participation in community events, and becoming part of the beautiful fabric of Victoria has helped me to understand and believe in the diversity of the community that I live in. My passion towards my new home here in Canada always motivates me to help my community.
 
Coming from Iraq, I believe I have an understanding of the needs of refugees, what they went through, and what they are hoping for in the future. Combined with the high level of service and work that ICA delivers to newcomers and refugees makes me very proud to be a member of the ICA team. Helping refugees and newcomers to understand, learn, adapt and believe in a new home is one of my main goals, as well as to grow within the beautiful fabric of multicultural Victoria.
 
I like to read stories, meet new people, hike, and walk outside with friends - most especially in many of Victoria's natural parks!

Read the article on our blog!
Camosun College offers workplace training in service work, security and construction!
Interested in getting training to enter work in the fields of building service worker, security or construction?

Camosun College is offering a number of government sponsored labour market training programs that are free to eligible participants (i.e., individuals ineligible for EI and a number of funder-stipulated eligibility criteria).

To find out more about these programs visit www.camosun.ca/labour-market

If you have any questions, please contact Dibya at 250-370-4781 or e-mail epoint@camosun.bc.ca



In This Issue
Ride for Refuge rased over $12,000
Speed networking with the CPN
Fostering diversity through Sport for Life
Perspectives on Faith & Identity: A Film invite
ICA Youth Team Update
ICA's newest practicum students
ICA welcomes 2 new staff
Camosun College workplace training
Ride for Refuge
What's Happening?
Community Events

 

Thank you for helping us raise over $12,000 for newcomer youth through the

 


What's Happening?  
   


Weekly Settlement Orientation 
Sessions
Important information to help newcomers settle in Victoria. 
Available in English: Every Wednesday 12:30 - 2:30 pm 
Available in Mandarin: Wednesdays 9:30 am - 11:30 am, December 7 - January 25
Available in Arabic on Wednesdays
12:30  - 2:30 pm  October 26 - November 30

Homework Club   
Weekly homework club support for immigrant and refugee children and youth.   
Wednesdays until December 14, 2016
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm 

Pre-natal Class 
For expectant parents (mothers, fathers and partners) covering topics such as fetal development, nutrition and diet, baby care, and a hospital tour. 
Fridays, November 18 - December 16, 2016
10 am - 11:30 am 

Cooking and Nutrition - Let's Pack Lunch
For parents with children in school. Learn how to prepare health lunches for your child. 
Wednesday, November 2
9:30 am - 11:30 am 

Seniors Living Well in Community
Six fun-filled multicultural sessions about living in Victoria. 
Tuesdays, 10 am - 12 pm
October 18 - November 22, 2016

My Tween and Men (in Arabic) 
For Arabic-speaking parents of youth ages 7-12 years. Learn how to build connections with your child in a safe and supportive environment. 
Wednesdays, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
October 4- November 15, 2016

Youth Employment Training
Youth learn about education and employment options. 
Tuesdays, 4-6 pm
October 11 - December 13, 2016
Registration required

Citizenship Classes 
Help applicants prepare for citizenship tests. 
Ongoing
Two Fridays per month.    
 


ICA Employment Services
If you are looking for employment or need to upgrade, ICA's Employment Services Centre can help!  

Community Events
OrcaJam 2016
 Victoria's 48 hour game jam. Join new and experienced game designers as they make games from scratch for 48 hours. Starts at 6 pm on Friday, Oct 28 and ends at 9 pm on Sunday, Oct 30. 
Fort Tectoria
 

 
Annual Zombie Walk
Break out your best zombie costume for Victoria's annual zombie walk. 
Saturday, October 29, 2016
3:30 pm 
Centennial Square



VHPCC Annual Diwali Cultural Show
The Victoria Hindu Parishad & Cultural Centre is presenting its annual cultural show to celebrate Diwali. 
Saturday, October 29, 2016
6 pm
University Centre Auditorium at UVic
Wicked Victoria
Celebrate the harvest season and halloween at this fun, festive and free pedestrian only family event. 
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Noon - 5 pm



Trick or Treat on Oak Bay Avenue
Annual trick or treat to make room for the ghosts, goblins and ghouls. 
Monday, October 31, 2016
2 pm - 5 pm
Oak Bay Avenue


Fernwood Halloween Bonfire
Family friendly bonfire to light up your Hallows Eve. Wear your Halloween attire. 
Monday, October 31, 2016
6-10 pm
Fernwood NRG, 1240 Gladstone Ave. 



Day of the Dead Fiesta
Celebrate the Day of the Dead Fiesta hosted by Puente Theatre includes food, music and dancing. 
Friday, November 4, 2016
8 pm -1:30 am
White Eagle Hall, James Bay
80 Dock St.  
NGO HO HO HO 
Join ICA staff and other NGO workers at the annual NGO Ho Ho Ho - the holiday party for Victoria's non-profit community. 
Friday, December 2, 2016
7:30 pm -1:00 am
Victoria Event Centre
1415 Broad St. 





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