CIES' Yard/Bake Sale for the United Way

On Thursday, November 17 at our northeast Welcome Centre, and Tuesday, November 22 at our southeast location, CIES had the pleasure of hosting a joint yard sale and bake sale run by students to raise money for the United Way Campaign. 

Students had the opportunity to rent their own table where they sold handcrafted goods or baking, with 100% of the table rental supporting the United Way which assisted over 177,000 people in 2015. A great opportunity for students to meet one another and practice their employment and English skills, this fundraiser also allowed many to show off their hidden talents for arts, crafts, cooking, and clothing design.

The extra proceeds made from sales at these tables were left to the students' discretion, but we're pleased to announce that several classes pledged their profits to the United Way's campaign and the mission to improve lives and build communities here in Calgary.

Here are some of the photos from the event. To see the complete album, check us out on Facebook.

New Dates for Empowering Syrian Refugees (ESR)

We're proud to announce a series of new dates for our Empowering Syrian Refugees (ESR) program coming up later this month, this time located at our CIES Southeast Location.

The Empowering Syrian Refugee program is a City of Calgary-funded initiative designed to equip Syrian Refugee clients of CIES with the knowledge needed to smoothly transition into a productive and fulfilling life in Calgary.  Through this program, newly arrived refugees will obtain the ability to find ways to cope with challenges and barriers associated with relocating to a new culture. Two life skills workshops constituting the first component of the ESR program are offered during the last week of every month in the following areas:

“RESOURCE INFORMATION AND DECISION MAKING FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES IN CALGARY”

When:

Workshop 1: November 28th @ 9am - ‘Navigating Resources’
Workshop 2: November 30th @ 9am – ‘Decision Making’

Workshop 1: December 19th @ 9am - ‘Navigating Resources’
Workshop 2: December 20th @ 9am – ‘Decision Making’

Where:

CIES Southeast Location

1723 - 40th Street S.E., Calgary, AB. T2A 7Y3

Phone: 403-235-3666

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Cesar Suva at 403-235-3666 and we'd be more than happy to help.

CIES' New Employment Training Program -- It's EASSY

CIES is proud to be partnering with Service Canada for our Economic and Social Integration of Syrian and Other Immigrant Youth (EASSY) Program.

EASSY provides clients with 8-weeks Group Based Employability Skills (GBES) and 30 hours on-the-job paid Work Experience (WE) for 12 weeks to develop their skills and Canadian experience. EASSY assists youth in overcoming multiple barriers to employment, and to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to make a successful transition to the labour market or return to school. Over this time we will also provide mentoring support, offer one-on-one employment counselling, accompaniment and referral services.

To be eligible for EASSY, clients must:

• Commit to 8-weeks of GBES and 12-weeks of Work Experience
• Be between 15 - 30 years old
• Not be collecting Employment Insurance (EI) or financial assistance
• Be actively looking for an employment or willing to go back to school to enhance their career​

CIES would like to extend our thanks to Service Canada for their generosity and for more information, give us a call at 403-291-0002.

CIES Fundraising for the United Way Campaign

As part of the United Way Campaign, CIES will be organizing a pair of Yard Sales/Bake Sales that will be running on Thursday, November 17 (Northeast Location) and Tuesday, November 22 (Southeast Location). Each class/individual can rent a table for $5 and all proceeds of the table rental go to our partners at the United Way. Profits earned beyond the rental of the table go directly to class/individual running the table and students can sell their old clothes (in good condition), food and snacks, and arts & crafts to other students and members of the community who feel like stopping by!

These events will be held in the Assembly Room (NE 10am-12pm) and B-10 (Southeast 12:30pm-2:30pm). Here is a list of some the the classes participating:

Northeast Location (November 17th)

NE Lit 1, 2, 3-4 and NE CLB 1-2 A, 1-2 B – from 10:00 am to 10:30 am

NE CLB 2/3 PTam, NE CLB 3A and NE CLB 3B – from 10:30 am to 11:00 am

NE CLB 4A and 4B, NE CLB 4/5PT am – from 11:00 am to 11:30 am

NE CLB 5, NE CLB 6, and NE CLB 7/8 –  from 11:30 am – to 12:00 pm.

Southeast Location (November 22nd)2 ABC classes, SE CLB 2FT, SE CLB 1/2PTam – from 12:30 pm to 13:00 pm

SE CLB 1FT, SE CLB1/2FT, SE CLB5/6PTam – from 13:00 pm to 13:30 pm

SE CLB 6/7FT, SE CLB 4/5 FT – from 13:30 pm to 14:00 pm

SE CLB 3FT, SE CLB 3/4 PTam, Literacy FT – from 14:00pm to 14:30 pm

We welcome everyone to come check out what our students have to offer!

Happy Halloween from CIES

Halloween is a very special to many staff and students at CIES. Today, several of the classes had spooktacular activities or holiday-themed events, and the Care for Newcomer Children team took their costumed kids upstairs for some in-house trick or treating, escorting them from classroom to classroom to collect candy.

Even though Halloween ends at the stroke of midnight tonight, there are still several activities in Calgary to check out if you're still eager to feel a shiver up your spine. The Deane House (located at Fort Calgary) is one of Calgary's most notorious haunted buildings, and The Prince House (located at Heritage Park) has been the spot of ghost sightings for years.

For a list of other strange or scary places, be sure to check out Global News' Virtual Ghost Tour for 10 frightening haunts.

Whatever you choose to do tonight, we wish you a safe and Happy Halloween from all of us here at CIES!

Heads Up: What IS our Empowering Syrian Refugees Program?

Things might be starting to get cold outside, but CIES' Empowering Syrian Refugees (ESR) program is just heating up! So what is it, exactly? Well, it's an answer to these few questions:

ü  Are you new to Calgary?

ü  Are you looking for information about resources in the city?

ü  Are you in need of help making informed decisions about your life in your new community?

ü  Are you struggling to find a meaningful place in Calgary?

ü  Are you looking for an advice and mentorship from a more established Calgarian?

ü  Are you looking for information about career opportunities in Canada?

The Empowering Syrian Refugee program is a City of Calgary-funded initiative designed to equip Syrian Refugee clients of CIES with the knowledge needed to smoothly transition into a productive and fulfilling life in Calgary.  Through this program, newly arrived refugees will obtain the ability to find ways to cope with challenges and barriers associated with relocating to a new culture. Two life skills workshops constituting the first component of the ESR program are thus offered during the last week of every month in the following areas:

Navigating Resources – an introduction to locally accessible organizations, institutions and agencies that offer resources regarding financial planning, health care, education, legal advice, community services, day to day activities and immigrant serving agencies.

Self-Assessment and Decision-Making – this workshop focuses on effective decision making processes using the resources discussed in the first workshop that will facilitate the transition to a new community and culture. 

Overall, the sessions are intended to provide key information that will help them to make sound decisions based on their unique needs. Each presentation lasts 3 hours and includes Arabic interpretation for participants who have limited English language ability.

One-on-one consultations - The second component of the ESR program involves one-on-one consultations with a more established Calgarian who can provide advice on how to better settle into the city and begin pursuing life goals. Clients attending the in-class sessions will schedule appointments with available advisers during the week. The volunteers will be providing clients with at least one hour-long session (follow-up sessions are optional) on resource information and support services in Calgary. They can refer the clients to specialized service providers for specific needs, and generally provide guidance on how to look for a job, where to find courses, medical services, financial services, schools, training etc. depending on a client’s particular needs. This will help newcomer refugees at CIES make sound decisions with enough information, enabling them to focus on pursuing positive changes in their lives.

So what next? Stop on by our next event:

“RESOURCE INFORMATION AND DECISION MAKING FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES IN CALGARY”

When:

Workshop 1: October 24, 2016 @ 9am - ‘Navigating Resources’

Workshop 2: October 26, 2016 @ 9am – ‘Decision Making’

Where:

CIES Welcome Centre

3820-32 st. NE Calgary

Phone: 403-291-0002

Still have questions? Concerns? Contact us at our Northeast location at 403-291-0002.

Today is Make The Month Day - Can you?

Make the Month is an interactive digital poverty simulation that enables Canadians to experience living in poverty and face decisions that will either make or break the month. This interactive experience shows Canadians the realities of surviving day-to-day, paycheque-to-paycheque and the impact that has on your overall well-being.

Make the Month was originally launched in November 2014 in Calgary thanks to collaboration between Imperial, Park Digital and United Way of Calgary and Area.

In 2015, 12 United Ways from across Canada partnered to create a digital poverty simulation for all Canadians. This new, updated simulation enables people from across Canada to experience the challenges and decisions low-income Canadians must make every day in order to make it through one month.

If you have any questions about the data used in Make the Month, please contact your local United Way.