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.
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:
- Backgrounder: Ontario Pre-service Teacher Education: The Case for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Training
- Letter to the Ministry of Education
- Recipients of our Recommendations
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 |