To assist newcomer students and their families settle into their school and community, North Vancouver School District established a school-based outreach program called Settlement Workers In Schools (SWIS) in September 2007.

The primary focus of the Settlement Workers In Schools program is to provide assistance to parents and their children with first-year settlement needs.  The program facilitates settlement and integration of newcomer families through referrals and cross-cultural education.  More specifically, the SWIS program is intended to:

• Help children adjust to school culture and focus on learning while providing their parents with information and resources on settlement and immigration issues
• Increase parents' understanding of Canadian culture and the BC school system
• Increase parent involvement in the school and community
• Assess the needs of immigrant families and the barriers to successful integration
• Increase access and improve the effectiveness to programs, services, and employment.

Settlement Workers In Schools' services are available in Farsi, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Filipino (Tagalog).

Effective September 2012, the day-to-day management and operation of the North Vancouver School District's SWIS program was subcontracted to the North Shore Multicultural Society (NSMS).

The North Shore Multicultural Society is currently contracted by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation to deliver Settlement Services on the North Shore.  The overall contract responsibility for the SWIS program resides with the North Vancouver School District with a liaison person working with the North Shore Multicultural Society to ensure contract obligations are met.

The SWIS program has proven very valuable in filling a very important service gap in linking newcomers with the school system.  In partnering with the North Shore Multicultural Society, the North Vancouver School District widens access to expanded resources which will ultimately provide better support to our students and their families.

For contact information, please see the North Shore Multicultural Society's SWIS brochure, link to the NSMS website, or phone 604.988.2931.

Questions?

For more information about the North Vancouver School District's Settlement Workers in Schools Program, please contact:

Sandra Singh
Vice Principal Braemar Elementary School
604-9033277
ssingh@sd44.ca

Vince White
Learning Services,
District Principal,
Inclusive Education
604-9033726
vwhite@sd44.ca