Great in Greater Forest Lawn is Back!

Back in June the artBOX hosted "Great in Greater Forest Lawn," a promotion run by the International Avenue Business Revitalization Zone.The concept was for people to pitch ways to improve Forest Lawn with little restriction as to how. Creativity was the name of the game. The winning pitches based on audience voting received funding to help get their projects up and running. The event brought the Forest Lawn community together and stressed the amount of potential the district of our city holds.

With the tremendous interest in the Great in Greater Forest Lawn event held in June, the International Avenue Business Revitalization Zone has decided to do it again. Great in Greater Forest Lawn - Part 2 is a special event that wants to change the way we think about our community. Do you have an idea that needs a little help or are you the one able to help make that idea a reality? Regardless, we need you to be a part of another exciting community event at artBOX on Tuesday, October 6 at 11:30 am.

All members of our community are welcome to pitch their ideas. Ideas can be business, art, project-based, music, community or event related and the only condition - it happens in our community. Back in June, CIES very own Diana Katsnelson, CLB 6/7 instructor from our NE location, and her pitch for the "little free library", a give a book \ take a book drop box, was selected as a winner. Organizers have once again arranged for a $2,500 total to be awarded over the lunch. So be a part of the social change and momentum we are creating together. Tickets are $10 and available on eventBrite. Proceeds go to the fund. 

The Humanitarian Crisis of Our Time

When a group of Syrian teenagers were arrested for spray-painting a challenge to the country's president on the wall of a school building back in 2011, they were held and tortured for weeks. Protests started calling for the president to resign and within a few months a full blown Civil War began ravaging the nation.

Syria’s Civil War is the humanitarian disaster of our time and the worst since the second World War. The conflict has produced nearly 250,000 deaths and most recent statistics suggest more than 11 million people have fled their homes. Making matters more tragic, 50% of all refugees are children who have lost everything - their parents, their friends, their schools, their homes - everything. The increasing impact on neighbouring countries and beyond is mounting. Make no mistake, this has evolved into a truly global crisis.

Millions of Syrians need help. And the more aware people are of the situation, the more a global response to reach them.  So take a few minutes today to understand the magnitude of this crisis — and find out how you can help.

CIES and Alberta Works - Upcoming Job Search Boot Camp

C.I.E.S believes that strong community partnerships are the best way to have both a meaningful and sustainable impact on the life of immigrants here in Calgary.

We are affiliated with a number of key organizations including the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies, Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary, Calgary Chamber of Volunteer Organizations, the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary, Immigrant Services Calgary, Calgary Public Library, Calgary Immigrant Women Association, Women in Needs Society, Centre for Newcomers, Calgary Catholic Immigration Services, Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth, Bow Valley College, Mount Royal University, The University of Calgary and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and Initiatives for Change amongst others.

CIES often contributes to the community through voluntarism as well and the 22nd and 23nd of this month, will be doing so at the Alberta Works Job Search Boot Camp. EST Coordinator David Wright will attend, offering counselling and support of the event as well as presenting to participants of the camp what CIES has to offer. We are always happy to assist Alberta Works, Alberta Human Services, as well as Alberta Jobs, Skills,Training and Labour in the tremendous contributions they make to the Calgary community whenever we can.

The Boot Camp offers the same program each day and is not a two day event nor a job fair, but a workshop designed to improve one's job search skills. This invaluable and free workshop runs from 8:30 to 3:00 pm at Civic building on Third, 130 3 Avenue SE. Registration can be done online at the link below and in doing so will help participants:

• Whip resumes into shape
• March confidently into an interview
• Learn how to build a team of support
• Work with a job search personal trainer during the day
• Receive coaching tips from HR professionals
• Find out where to find follow up support

CLICK HERE to Register

CIES Summer Festival Highlight Reel

As most all of you know, CIES held its 5th Annual Summer Festival last week. The day has already been captured in photos and shared with you all, but today we want to share with you our just completed video highlight reel of this amazing event. CIES would once again like to thank all those who attended and participated in the day's activities. We could not have put on such a truly wonderful day without you. Now on with the show!

Canadian Workplace Culture Website

Every workplace has its own culture. Canadian workplaces may be different than what those from other parts of the world are used to. The easiest way to figure out what that culture is, is to observe and ask. Here at CIES we incorporate workplace culture studies into our LINC program, and specialize in such within our Employment Skills Training Program (EST) .

Workplace culture revolves around those ever intangible soft skills so vital to career success in Canada.  Google defines soft skills as "personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people." In other words, everything from patience to the art of conversation, most all of which you will not touch upon in any kind of practical training.

Our very own Inna Terry, CLB 3/4 LINC instructor in our SE, has constructed a great website and wonderful resource regarding workplace culture in Canada. This Technology Language Learning Module is done within the framework of the course Language Teaching and Technology in the Interdisciplinary Master of Education (MEd) Program at the University of Calgary. Reading material, full lessons, and assessments are all included on the site and I encourage anyone applying workplace culture in the classroom to take a look. CLICK HERE to for her Canadian Workplace Culture Site. Thanks for sharing Inna! 

CIES Summer Festival A Huge Success

Yesterday CIES held its 5th annual Summer Festival and by all accounts it was an unparalleled success. Hundreds of attendees came by throughout the day in the form of local residents, clients, sponsors, partners, and both members of the municipal and provincial governments, including recently elected MLA Robyn Luff and the City of Calgary's Jason Luan. Food, dance and music from all over the world was on display, as well games, contests and activities. More than 30 countries from around the globe were represented on what was a remarkable day.

The theme for this year's festival was Celebrating Diversity and seeing so many customs and traditions, so much culture and so much diversity all in one place was truly special. CIES would like to thank all those who attended, the artBOX for graciously providing us with an absolutely great venue, the International Avenue Business Revitalization Zone's support, and most especially a heartfelt thanks to all those who participated in the days events. Without your input, without your pride in sharing your culture and donating your time, we could not have put on such a truly amazing day.

What was without a doubt a day of fun also had a very important subtext and in the end, very much stands for what the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society strives for each and every day. CIES seeks to promote global citizenry and what it means to be Canadian through the respect, awareness, and recognition of individual perspective. Specificity over stereotypes, tolerance over dogmatism, and justice over bigotry - CIES is about the deconstruction of ethnocentrism and the undeniable truth that in our diverse and global community that is the great city of Calgary, life has many paths upon which to unfold and not only one. Above all else, although the values and beliefs of any single culture will never be universal, it is in celebrating this undeniable truth that our sense of community, our sense of family, our sense of being Calgarian is born. Thank you for sharing and celebrating with us and making Calgary the remarkable city it is. CLICK HERE for all the amazing pictures from the day. Video highlight reel coming soon!

CIES Summer Festival Tomorrow

Tomorrow C.I.E.S. is holding its 5th annual Summer Festival at the artBOX on International Ave. (1807 42 St SE) The event and all its activities are open to the public at no charge, so come on down for a great day of culture and good times. (9:30 am - 2:30 pm) Fun for the whole family, food samples from the world over, games, contests and more are on the agenda for the day. We here at C.I.E.S. want you to come celebrate the true essence of our Calgarian multiculturalism and enjoy the richness it provides, along with providing people an opportunity to learn about and appreciate newcomers’ diverse cultures. Below is a list of the day's activities and we hope to see you there!

FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES 

• “Forest Lawn” Bowling:

There will be 7 pins to knock down with 3 chances with our bowling ball globe.

• Count the Candies contest

The winner is the person closest to the number and will be announced towards the end of the festival. There will be two huge jars and the winners get to take them home.

• Photograph competition:

Students will vote on ballots for which photo is their favourite.  The winner of the picture will be announced later in the day with 2 tickets to Calaway Park being the prize

• Where in Canada? 

Students will look at photos of places throughout Canada and will have to guess where they were taken. The winner will be receive a gift certificate to Wal-Mart. 

• Raffle: Door Prize raffle 

Each person who comes to the festival will receive one ticket and then there will be a draw towards the end of the festival for 2 passes to Heritage Park.

• Forest Lawn Football Toss:

The students will have to toss a Football to win a prize.  They get 3 tosses and if they get all 3 tosses in a target they can get a “prize”.  Prizes include a mix of school supplies and toys.

• World Map: 

We will have a world map on one of the walls and all in attendance can put a star sticker on the map of where they are from.

• Conversation cards:

We will have conversation cards set up at the tables for people to start conversations with new people.

FOR THE KIDS

• Face Painting: 
• Foam crafts:
• Foam paper will be at the craft table to be decorated as memorabilia.  
• Monster Truck Painting:  
• Flip flop sandal craft: