We hope you enjoyed our Annual General Meeting held on October 22, 2015. Here is our November update on happening at CultureLink. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those who might enjoy it and find it useful. 
2015 Annual General Meeting
CultureLink held its 2015 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, October 22nd. In attendance were members, staff, Board members, funders, community partners, special guests, and more. CultureLink presented its new name "CultureLink Settlement & Community Services", and new strategic directions Vision 2020 (V2020) to our stakeholders.
An "Old" Host Pair at AGM 2015
11 years ago, Sita came to CultureLink to volunteer. She was attracted by the Host Program's idea of befriending a newcomer and became a volunteer host. The program matched Sita with Anna, a newcomer from Columbia who had virtually no English.
 
Anna was discouraged and wanted to go back home. Sita encouraged her and diligently worked with her to help her develop her language skills and her self-confidence. Sita and Anna have been friends ever since. With Sita's help, Anna, who used to be a physical education teacher and a school principal in her native country, was soon able to master enough English to become a swimming instructor with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). 
Learn more... 
CultureLink's New Name and Strategic Directions V2020

Watch this video launching our new name "CultureLink Settlement & Community Services", and strategic directions.  



Our New Strategic Directions
This past year has been one filled with renewed energy, engagement and enthusiasm at all levels of the organization. It has been marked as the year of our turning point, the year of visioning, and the year of mapping the future directions of CultureLink.  Learn more...

Vision Statement
We envision a healthy, equitable, inclusive and welcoming society that works together to engage and integrate newcomers and other community members into Canadian life.
Mission Statement
CultureLink is dedicated to facilitating the active participation and integration of newcomers and the broader community, recognizing the interdependence of these groups in our society.
Upcoming  Events - Get Involved!
  
   Tuesday, November 24 - How to Create NextGen New-Media Resumes Learn more...
   Monday, November 30 - Board Meeting

Recap of Recent Events
Web WeChat: Engaging Parents Online
In order to involve more parents in school activities and assist parents in staying in touch with school updates an online parent community group was created for the newcomer parents at Ryerson Community Learn more...
SWIS Hosts OCASI Group

On Tuesday October 27th, CultureLink's Somali-speaking School Settlement Worker assisted the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) in running two focus groups for the Somali community as part of OCASI's Horn of Africa project. 

Newcomer Youth Centre
(NYC)
The end of fall is usually a bittersweet time for the Newcomer Youth Centre; this month for example, concluded our Global Roots program for the season (that's the bitter part). In partnership with The Stop, Culturelink facilitates a weekly multicultural, intergenerational community foods garden known as Global Roots.
Learn more... 
New Initiative - Research Partnership to Prevent Violence:
Resilient Relationships among Newcomer Youth
Healthy relationships, based on respect and gender equity are fundamental to healthy, resilient communities. Promoting Resilient Relationships among Newcomer Youth is a partnership research project that will explore how newcomer youth invent, explore and negotiate gender roles and relations in Canada.

This type of information is crucial to inform the development of newcomer specific policies and programs to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and promote healthy relationships. Learn more...
   Website      Services      Programs      Get Involved      About Us      Events      Calendar
CultureLink
reception @culturelink.ca