Settlement services for schools

The purpose of the YSS program is to support immigrant students and help them thrive in the Canadian school system and their new community. The first few years in Canada are particularly difficult for newcomer students and their families. Youth settlement workers connect newly-arrived families to services and resources in the school and the community to promote settlement and foster student achievement.

Youth settlement workers seek to:

• Identify and help remove the barriers that newcomer youngsters may encounter within the school system by providing education, information and guidance to the students, their parents, teachers, and school administrators
• Help students transition to life in Canada by providing practical guidance, culturally sensitive counselling, and immediate interventions in crisis including community and government referrals when needed
• Increase communication effectiveness by providing linguistic and cultural interpretation to students, parents, teachers and other service providers
• Increase student and parent awareness about the complete range of opportunities and services available to assist them by providing information and practical guidance throughout the school year, individually or in small group sessions
• Advocate on behalf of students and their families
• Support school staff in implementing and/or delivering multicultural events at school
• Promote respect for cultural diversity by informing and educating school personnel, parents, students and the community regarding refugee and immigrant issues