Youth and School Programs
Children are an important piece of settling into a new place. Whether they’re excited about the change or upset, they can play a big part in your own ability to build a home. That’s why we decided to design an outreach program that helps youth and their family connect with their school and their community. This offers an incredible opportunity to create something new together.
Discover youth school programs for newcomers.
Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS) is a school-based outreach program that connects newcomer families to services and resources in schools and the community. This encourages better settlement and integration for newcomers while also supporting the schools in promoting cultural awareness and understanding.
SWIS offers a wide variety of resources that benefit students and parents like references to community organizations and available services, information on school bus services, cultural awareness workshops, support in school registration and even visit schools to provide newcomers with information about Canadian life and culture.
As your children enter school, teachers will be able to connect with students on an ongoing basis to support their transition. In addition to promoting family involvement in the school life of their children through extracurricular activities, parents will also be able to meet with staff during parent-teacher meetings and share feedback on SWIS and arrange meetings with staff to discuss how their children’s integration is going.
Want to learn more about Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS)? Click Here >
Experience Saskatchewan through summer youth and school programs.
In addition to the recreational and cultural programs we have running year-round, SWIS offers programs that support children and youth in our communities during the summer months when school is out. While education is still a focus, there is a greater emphasis placed on fun and experiencing Southwest Saskatchewan and Canada. Whether it’s summer day camps, mini vegetable gardens, wellness programs or engaging with art and culture, SWIS wants to help children and youth get excited about their community and want to learn more.
SWIS also offers educational field trips during the summer so that they can see and learn more about the region. Some of the places that have been visited before are the Grasslands National Park, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Pine Cree Regional Park, and Saskatchewan Landing.
English classes for youth and school-aged newcomers.
If you need support in practicing or strengthening your English skills, you can join the Language Explorers’ Club. This weekly program gives school-aged newcomers a chance to take English classes and make some new friends in the process. With classroom time focusing on themes like weather, money, directions and moods, Language Explorers' Club members learn and use vocabulary useful for a wide variety of situations.
Through games and activities, Language Explorers have the opportunity to socialize with their peers while improving their language skills. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are all included in the program, and participants are also assisted in perfecting their English grammar with help from experienced elementary and ESL teachers.
Overall, the program is designed to help students feel at home in their new city, feel confident with their emerging English skills, and meet others from around the world who are now making their homes in Southwest Saskatchewan.
Fill out the linked form to register for the Language Explorers’ Club >
The Language Explorers’ Club is funded by the Community Initiatives Fund, with added support from Swift Current Kiwanis.
Connecting with the SWIS youth program.
To sign-up for Settlement Worker in Schools, please visit the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre or contact our team online.