This document summarizes the advocacy work of a group of students on issues facing newcomers and international students. The group conducted research including interviews with stakeholders like immigrant services centers. They found housing, employment, education and language barriers. The group created a Facebook page and awareness campaign to help newcomers. They plan to volunteer with immigrant organizations and follow up on actions like letters sent to officials regarding identified issues.

1. Advocacy In Child Care
ECEP-236
By: Ke Wang, Yingying Pan, Maria Christine Mendoza, Min Jeong
Cho, and Dajeong Kim

2. Agenda
• Statement
• Stakeholder
• Research plan
• What We Found?
• True Personal Experiences
• Issues
• Our Actions
• How Can You Help
• Follow Up Actions

3. What do you feel?
都是你不懂得的语言！

4. Our Statement
We hope that there is a support group
from the government that can:
• Personally support the people who are
new to Canada
• Make the newcomers feel welcomed
• Help/support them go through the
unknown stage
• Help them get familiar with Canada
• Give the right and true information
before the newcomers arrive
http://vixstar1314.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/views-on-hope/
Truth
http://mph510.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/truth1.jpg

5. Stakeholders
• Welcome Centre Immigrant Services
(our stakeholders)
Mandate: “Welcome Centre Immigrant Services
provide a one-stop service under one roof designed
to guide and support immigrants through the maze of
information and resources.”
Website:http://www.welcomecentre.ca/translations/
cantonese.html
• Immigrant Youth Centre
Mandate: “We welcome all newcomer youth ages 13-24 to visit us and
make use of our services. At the IYC, newcomer youth can find resources
to help them settle into their new homes. In addition, we have a lot of
different programs and volunteer opportunities that can help you grow
with us.”
Website:
http://www.cicsiyc.org/

6. Stakeholders
• Ontario Canada
• Have lots of detailed information for Newcomers who
would like to live in Ontario
• Settlement-Welcome to Ontario
• Provides information and services about settling in
Ontario
• Access Alliance
• Advocate for Newcomers Urban Health
• 175 Languages services available
• Agincourt Community Services Association
• Help newcomers to have a smooth integration and
adaptation by providing services such as reception,
orientation, translation, interpretation, connection to
community resources, solution-focused counseling,
general information and employment-related services.
• Centennial International Students office
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable
-business/media/photos/corporate-social-
responsibility_multi-stakeholder-forum.jpg

7. Research Plan
• Survey
• Ask newcomers to share their
experiences
• Interview
• Interview a representative from the
Welcome Centre Immigration Services
• Interview a representative from
Centennial College International office
• Personal interviews
• Research
• Find answers to the questions that we
want to know
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/marinini/marinini
1210/marinini121000097/15773482-idea-plan-action--
words-in-3d-colorful-arrows-with-text.jpg
http://developmentcrossroads.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/plan.jpg

8. What We Found
Based on our interview we learned:
• Interview with Welcome Centre:
• The Welcome Centre have great services, such as settlement
services. (one-stop service)
• Interview with International Student Centre.
• There are lots of support and help for
international students.
• There are courses that international students
cannot take (few). However, it doesn’t mean you
can work in this area after you graduate.
• International students who take ECE program
need permit.
• International students’ children can go to
Centennial Lab School, but have to pay full price.

9. What We Found
Based on our survey we learned:
• 71% of people said that they did NOT get
any help from the Immigration.
• People who get Immigration services: 60%
said the services only provide them
information/resources.
• People with no one to help: 86% of the
people said they found resources on their
own. 14% of people felt panic when there
was no one to help.
• 40% of the people who came to Canada are
with educational background
• 80% of the people can’t find the job within
their previous profession 83%
17%
Worked at same
area as before
NO
Yes
60%
40%
provided information only
face to face

10. What We Found
Based on our online research we learned:
• There are lots of good services, agencies
and website.
• Lots of detail information online to
response newcomers’
questions/concerns.
• There are 12 main barriers.
• Skilled person and Professional
immigration issues.
• International students need permit to
work, study and placement.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E5d5GwldB-
8/Trnvm8u1XHI/AAAAAAAABHA/cNDBt6_v0QY/s1600
/internet.jpg

11. Personal Experiences
• A story of 2 engineers
• Group members’ experiences
• What we felt when we came to
Canada?
• Min
• Dana
• Yingying
http://press.exploratorium.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2011/02/DRIVEN-True-
Stories-F.jpg

12. Checklist: Settling in Ontario
1. Find a place to live
2. Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
3. Apply for an Ontario health card (OHIP)
4. Open a bank account
5. Get information about working in Ontario
6. Find the services you need, close to home
7. Locate a doctor, dentist or other health services
8. Contact an employment centre to help you find a job
9. Find a public library and other community services
10. Get information about your rights as an employee or
tenant
11. Find a school for your children
12. Apply for Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
13. Get a map of your community and learn about public
transportation
14. Find language classes for you and your family
15. Learn about where to buy the things you need
16. Apply for a Driver’s License
If you are a newcomer, what
do you feel about THESE?
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/after/OI_AFTER_MULTI.html

13. What Are The Issues?
(New Immigrants)
• Housing issue
• Can’t afford a house in
Canada, especially in Toronto (too
expensive)
• Employment issue
• Can’t find a job
• Less job opportunities available
• No Canadian work experience
• Educational barriers
• Unrecognized educational certificate
or license (8 of 10 people can’t work in
their previous professions)
• Language barriers
• Know English, but not good enough to
work in their previous professions
• Don’t know how to speak English
http://www.benefitscanada.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/03/money_house.jpg
Education = Money
http://blackguidetomoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Education1-
295x180.jpg

14. What Are The Issues?
(International Students)
• Socially vulnerable group
• Lack of knowledge of the legal system
• High tuition fee
• Lack of opportunities to work
• Limited rights - Lots of rules to follow
• Immigration change rules too often to follow up
• Limited Canadian work experience
• Hard for them to “fit in”
• No one to advocate for them
http://www.supportuw.org/wp-
content/uploads/international_student_servic
es.jpg
http://www.gittc-alexu.org/images/iso.jpg

15. The Main Issues
• Unknown
• Feel left out
• Other related issues:
• Poverty/homeless
• Bullied (children)
• Live in a high risk neighbourhood
• Stressed out - Health issues
“They have the right to know, to choose, to get respect, and
to live better...”
No job or
minimum
wage job
Can't afford
to buy own
home
Rent or
homeless
Stress, health
issues

16. Our Action
• Facebook Page
• Promote Facebook by posting posters in Centennial College
• Promote Facebook by giving posters to the Welcome Center
• Promote Facebook by Twitter
• Awareness Campaign
• Promote Volunteer opportunities
• Share stories and Issues
• Volunteer
• Issues about volunteering
• Volunteer in S2hrc
• Volunteer in International students office
• Volunteer in S0S
• Posted a video on YouTube
• Sent a letter to ECE program office
http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/issu
es/images/take_action-1.jpg

17. Our Action
• Sent a letter to Welcome Centre (stakeholder)
• Letter to Immigration of Canada
• Volunteering issue
• Job offer
• International student work permit
• Registers in the agencies as volunteer
http://benton.lphamo.org/VOLUNTEER.gif
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index-can.asp

18. What Can You Do To Help?
• Volunteer to help the newcomers
• Share the true story and give the right information out to
newcomers
• Follow us on Facebook
• Share your personal stories and experiences
• Help newcomers by answering their questions
• Make them feel welcomed by listening to their voices!!!
http://shihao92.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/cat_-_keep_your_smile.jpg
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/mikemyatt/files/2012/09/listen.jpg

19. Campaign pictures

20. Volunteer pictures

21. Follow Up
• Keep promoting our Facebook page
• Volunteer (registered)
• CICS- Centre for Information & Community Services
• Immigrant Youth Centre
• YMCA
• International Students Office
• SOS (Korean Agency)
• S2hrs (Chinese Agency)
• Welcome Centre

22. Thank You
With your help, newcomers can feel more welcomed
Special thanks to all the people who agreed to be interviewed!
Alffred (Welcome Centre)
Eunkyung (International office)