In our city’s history, immigrants have always played an important role. They build our economic prosperity, diversify our culture, contribute to our social vitality.

Jim Watson
Mayor of Ottawa
I’m really impressed with the level of energy and commitment around the Health and Wellbeing table and look forward to continuing collaboration between OLIP and OPH.

Marcela Tapia
Ottawa Public Health
I was happy to see integration to Algonquin territory and indigenous culture related programming in 2014 WOW. Please continue to involve local Aboriginal organisations and…

Linda Manning
WOW 2014 participant, Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa
All the WOW events that I went to were great – WOW does give a sense of a community trying to improve its attraction and retention!

Caroline Andrew
Professor, University of Ottawa
Canada has been shaped by people who came from all over the world to build this country. WOW offers a platform for us to celebrate this history and the future it will help…

Alex Munter, Chair of the OLIP Council and President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
The City of Ottawa will continue to play a lead role in the implementation of the Ottawa Immigration Strategy, just as we did in the founding of OLIP.

Steve Desroches
City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
The Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre is so happy to have joined the OLIP Health and Wellbeing Sector Table. It is clear that OLIP cares about immigrants and refugees and…

Wendy Tang, Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
We are very pleased to have done the “Opportunity Cost of Not Investing in Interpretation” report – it is so important to have clarity on these challenges and…

Hindia Mohamoud, Director, OLIP
The WOW seminar on immigrant women’s nutrition and health was a step in the right direction towards closing the gap between academic researchers and service providers.

Josephine Etowa
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
The work and expertise that OLIP brings to our community is so important as it helps us to build bridges and break down silos.  I look forward to our continued work together. 

Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa

Sector Table: Education

OLIP partners at the Education Sector Table aim to reduce the opportunity gap faced by immigrant students and particularly those living in low-income neighbourhoods with a high concentration of immigrant families. Through inter-sectoral collaboration, partners at this Sector Table are also working to create more opportunities for immigrant youth to develop skills to access higher education and job opportunities. Parent engagement, resource mobilization, and the creation of integrated neighbourhood-based supports for schools, communities, and families are among the key priorities addressed by OLIP partners in the education sector.

  1. Priorities and Collaborative Initiatives
  2. Call for Action
  3. OLIP Partners at the Education Sector Table

Priorities and Collaborative Initiatives

Priority #1: Develop neighbourhood-based plans to emulate the Pathways to Education model in low-income neighbourhoods with a high proportion of immigrant families

Collaborative initiatives in this priority area include:

The Carlington Community Health Centre’s plans to establish a new program on school engagement among immigrant students
The Carlington Community Health Centre, in partnership with the United Way of Ottawa, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Ottawa Catholic School Board, and the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, is exploring the establishment of a neighbourhood-based program to improve high school graduation rates among immigrant students in low-income families. A feasibility study is being conducted to determine areas of focus and the resource base for the establishment of sustainable supports for students at risk of dropping out of school. For more information, please contact Michael Birmingham: MBIRMING@carlington.ochc.org

Priority #2:  Improve the “fit” between schools, teachers, and other communities of interest, particularly in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of immigrants

Collaborative initiatives in this priority area include:

Recommendation to the Ontario Ministry of Education to mandate equity, inclusion, and diversity training for pre-service teachers
Pre-service teacher education is the optimal period for developing foundational principles, attitudes, and skills related to equity, inclusion, and diversity. With the expansion of teacher education programs, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities have the opportunity to fundamentally improve teaching quality across the province. The London and Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMLIP) and the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) developed four concrete recommendations that were strongly supported by OLIP partners at the Education Sector Table.

Call for Action

Please review the recommendations submitted by OLIP partners at the Education Sector Table and, if you support these recommendations, add your voice to our commendations:

OLIP Partners at the Education Sector Table

Name Organizational Affiliation
Sylvie Ross Directrice générale, Parents partenaires en éducation, Co-Chair, Education Sector Table
 Sali Abou-Chahine  Manager of Youth Services, OCISO
Philip Capobianco Principal, St-Nicholas Adult High School, Ottawa Catholic School Board
Dorothy Baker Superintendant of Curriculum, Ottawa Carleton District School Board
Hortense Mvuemba Community Relations Agent, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Maria Teresa Garcia  Manager of Multicultural Liaison Officers, OCISO
Matthew Teghtmeyer Manager,  Pathways to Education,
Pinecrest – Queensway Health and Resource Centre
James Thibeault Project Manager, Pathways to Education, Equity in Education, Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
Edwige Affaa Agente de projet – Ottawa, Réseau de Soutien à l’immigration Francophone
Kathryn McKinlay President and CEO, Ottawa Network for Education
Lee-Ann Scott Director, Volunteer Programs, Ottawa Network for Education
Asso Faraj Secretary, Making Ottawa Safer Together (MOST)
David Moen Retired Trustee, Ottawa Carleton District School Board
Sali Abou-Chahine Manager of Youth Services, OCISO
Maria Teresa Garcia Manager of Multicultural Liaison Officers, OCISO