ISANS using literacy app to accelerate refugee children’s English reading skills
By: Aya Al-Hakim, CBC News April 28, 2018. Children from newcomer families are learning to read English letters and words faster by using a literacy app at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) children’s centres. Squiggle Park is a reading game created by a Halifax start-up in 2015 to help accelerate kids’ reading skills in only 30 minutes of weekly play. The app has been used since February as part of a pilot program sponsored by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Health and Healing: Mind, Spirit and Body – Multicultural Health and Wellness Forum 2018
Hundreds turned out for this year’s 10th annual Multicultural Health and Wellness Forum, hosted by (Im)migrant Health and Wellness Network on Thursday, April 26, 2018. This year’s theme was Health and Healing: Mind, Spirit and Body, and focused on building education and awareness to the different health and wellness services available across Halifax and Nova…
Support the ISANS team in the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon Charity Challenge
On your mark. Get set. Go! ISANS is participating in this year’s Blue Nose Marathon Scotiabank Charity Challenge, May 18-20. This year our team is running for the ISANS Refugee Emergency Fund and want to raise $1,500. Help us reach our goal by donating. What is the Blue Nose Marathon? Established in 2004, the Scotiabank…
Squiggle Park & Early Childhood Education at ISANS
ISANS is known for its extensive list of services for newcomers, including settlement services, language classes, employment counselling and job-readiness programs, support for immigrant business and much more. Our Early Childhood Education (ECE) team are some of the many staff working behind-the-scenes to make sure newcomers have access to these services. ISANS has two ECE…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Caroline Blair-Smith
Caroline Blair-Smith has been a mentor to many through our Professional Mentorship Program. She has been volunteering with our Practice Interview Program for more than 10 years and has been instrumental in helping newcomers navigate government job interviews. We asked Caroline to tell us a bit about about why she volunteers with ISANS and what…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Cindy Hirtle
Cindy Hirtle has been volunteering as an EAL tutor for twenty years! Thank you, Cindy, for your continued commitment to creating a welcoming community and for giving your time and energy. We asked Cindy to tell us a bit about her experience: “I first volunteered as an English tutor over twenty years ago in my…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Paul MacDonald
We asked Paul MacDonald, classroom assistant extraordinaire, about the benefits of volunteering. Paul shares some of the reasons you can find him three afternoons a week in a language classroom. “Retirees have unique skills they bring to the workforce and volunteer positions – skills that only a lifetime of experience and time create. The rewards…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Gillian Power
Gillian Power is a volunteer in our Community Connections program, and has been matched with a family to help them integrate and settle in Halifax. “I retired the same month the (Syrian) refugees arrived and just wanted to help. I helped with meals and outings through the refugee centre and was then matched with a…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Neema Mwaungulu
Neema Mwaungulu has been a volunteer EAL tutor and Conversation Circle Facilitator and shared what volunteering means to her. Why did you volunteer at ISANS? “I became familiar with ISANS through the ICE Program – a pilot career development program catered for International Students at Saint Mary’s University. Originally from Malawi I am a 2nd…
Celebrating Our Volunteers: Sue Rosson
We are very lucky to have volunteers like Sue Rosson who contribute their considerable expertise and skills, connections and time to ISANS. Sue provides practice interviews for immigrant professionals who are have high stakes job and admission interviews. She has helped many professionals successfully navigate provincial and federal government interviews, private sector interviews and medical…
