Newcomer Youth Empowerment & Inclusion

Our school-based activities include group workshops and after-school programs.

Group Workshops

We provide group workshops to English as a Second Language (ESL) students throughout the school year, in partnership with Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools.

 

About the workshops:

• available at more than 30 partner schools
• each workshop is presented as part of an English Language Learners (ELL) class
• activities address important skills and topics to help youth transition into life in Edmonton and Canada
• sample topics include: Understanding Different Cultures, Canadian Values, Non-verbal Communication Cues, Holidays, Self-identity, Conflict Resolution, Multiculturalism, Different Professions, Stress Management, and Social Norms.

For schools looking to partner with this exciting and supportive youth program, please contact Sherry Park, NYEI Program Manager.

Email: sherry.park@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 227

 

After School Program

During the school year, our After School Program offers a range of fun and supportive learning activities for the children of newcomer families.

 

Program highlights:

• offered in partnership with numerous after-school programs located within elementary and junior high schools in Greater Edmonton
• activities address important skills and topics to help youth transition into life in Greater Edmonton and Canada
• activities promote inclusiveness, self-confidence, hands-on learning, language skills, healthy living, leadership skills and coping skills

For after-school programs looking to partner with us, please contact Sherry Park, NYEI Program Manager.

Email: sherry.park@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 227

 

Our Youth Clubs, Youth Talk program and Leadership program offer a range of engaging activities for young newcomers aged 13 to 21.

Youth Clubs

Youth Clubs offer a range of fun and empowering activities that connect young people to each other, their cultural communities, and the broader community.

Current youth clubs include:

• Soccer
• Multimedia club: Light, Camera, Action

Benefits of joining a youth club:

• youth get to interact with peers who share similar interests
• youth develop practical life skills and develop a sense of belonging

 

To participate in any of our youth clubs, you must register.

To register, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228 or (587) 985-2067

 

Youth Soccer Club

Since 2015, AHS has supported a youth soccer club for newcomer youth, aged 13 to 21. The club has a junior team and a senior team.

 

About the club:

• youth with any level of soccer skill experience are welcome, including beginners or experienced players
• the team’s coach and current team members will help newer players to improve skills and teamwork
• the team plays games against other community youth teams; this encourages peer interactions, friendships and networking
• benefits for participants include regular physical activity, a sense of belonging and community connections

 

Practice locations and times:

• In winter, games and practices are at the Commonwealth Recreation Centre.
• In summer, games are played at various outdoor fields in Greater Edmonton.

To register for the Senior or Junior team, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228

 

AHC Community Youth Soccer Tournament

AHC organizes two youth soccer tournaments each year; one in summer (August) and one in winter (December).

• Any group of newcomer/immigrant youth can form a team; teams must have seven players.

Registration:

• Registration is free.
• Registration for the December tournament opens in November; for the August tournament, registration opens in July.
• Team registration must include a team card (lineup) and information for each individual player.

For soccer tournament registration forms and details, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228

 

Multimedia Club: Light, Camera, Action

Youth members of our multimedia club are engaged in learning about and using different forms of media and technology, including photography, video tools, and scriptwriting.

Members get to work on multimedia projects in groups or individually. Members also volunteer often at community and cultural events, making use of their multimedia skills.

Location and time:

• Saturdays at Action for Healthy Communities, 10578 – 113 Street

Youth Talk

Youth Talk is an important part of AHC’s efforts to promote youth community engagement.

Youth Talk is a unique conversation circle for newcomer youth aged 14 to 21 focusing on developing public speaking skills and discussion around important community/social topics.

The circle is facilitated by AHC staff and/or volunteers. Our session leaders use encouragement, thought-provoking questions and language games to help create a relaxed and supportive learning environment.

The format for each session includes:

• topic introduction
• vocabulary review
• small group discussion and group work
• short speeches

Locations and times: Currently the sessions were moved online setting.

• Londonderry Library: Fridays, 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
• Castle Downs Library: Thursdays, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

To register for Youth Talk, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228

 

Youth Leadership: Newcomer Youth Community Initiative

Youth CI is a practical program that helps youth to develop their life skills while leading community-based projects in Greater Edmonton. The program is offered to newcomer youth with limited experience in community development.

Duration: 12 to 15 weeks

Phases:

• initial training and workshops; this includes learning about topics such as Project Planning, Our Community, Marketing, Presentation, Budgeting, and more
• development of a youth-led led community project
• implementation of the project, and evaluation

Benefits:

• youth are encouraged to care about their communities and learn about community development
• a great opportunity for youth to develop leadership skills, expand their social networks, and experience a sense of community and belonging

Next intake date, program dates and location:

• To be announced; details will be posted here when available.

For more information about IMPACT, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228

 

 

 

 

 

AHC is proud to support skills development for newcomer youth, through a range of programs, including:

• Learning Table
• Youth Ready to Work
• Youth Entrepreneurship

All of these skill development programs also help to promote youth community engagement.

 

Learning Table

The Learning Table is an after-school program for newcomers who can benefit from extra support with their schoolwork. The program takes place in various schools and libraries.

 

Benefits:

• improved academic and study skills
• enhanced learning skills based on their learning style

The Learning Table also offers a reading club where youth can work on advancing their reading, writing, and listening skills, in a positive and supportive environment.

Location and time: Due to COVID-19, currently running online.

• Castle Downs Library, Thursdays, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
• Clareview Library, Thursdays, 5:00 – 6:30 PM
• Various school locations; times are varied

To learn more about the Learning Table program and locations, and to register, please contact Rezan.Bebany@a4hc.ca  or 780-235-1763

 

Youth Ready to Work

Youth Ready to Work provides employability skills training and employment support for newcomer youth, aged 14 to 24.

There are three main types of support:

• one-on-one support
• group sessions
• essential workplace skills training

One-on-One Support

One-on-one support is available on topics such as:

• career planning
• education planning and information about post-secondary options, training courses and how to apply
• resume building, job search and job applications

You must book in advance to set up an appointment; drop-in appointments are not available.

To make an appointment, please contact Romi.Khabra@a4hc.ca or 780-231-4436.

Group Sessions

Youth may also sign up for group sessions tailored to enhance employment readiness. Sample topics include job search, resume writing, labour market information, employee rights and interview preparation.

• Next group sessions:

To be announced; upcoming sessions will be posted he when details are available.

For more information about Group Sessions, or to sign up to receive a notification email about upcoming sessions, please Email: Romi.Khabra@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687 or 780.231-4436

Essential Workplace Skills Training

This training is designed to help newcomer youth to develop essential workplace skills, such as computer skills and workplace communication skills.

Topics include:

• workplace communication, e.g., interpersonal communications, e-communications
• workplace etiquette and ethics
• problem-solving and dealing with workplace conflict
• presentation skills
• basic computer skills such as spreadsheets, documents, presentation slides

Duration: Approximately 8 weeks (once a week)

Upon completion, a certification of completion will be given.

 

Youth Entrepreneurship

Our youth entrepreneurship training program provides practical guidance to youth about developing business ideas and planning for a business launch in the future.

This training offers inspiration and real-world information to help business-minded youth consider diverse options for their future. Participants will also develop new skills, boost their financial literacy, and improve their decision-making abilities for business matters.

 

Sample topics and activities include:

• introduction to business
• ideation through prototyping and brainstorming
• budgeting
• market analysis
• launching the idea

 

Program duration: 12 weeks (held on Saturdays).

• Next intake date, program dates and location:

To be announced; details will be posted here when available.

To learn more about the Youth Entrepreneurship Training Program, or to register for the next intake or put your name on the waiting list, please contact Basem Alrahim, Youth Life Skills Coordinator.

Email: basem.alrahim@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 228 or (587) 985-2067

 

AHC is proud to be involved with two special initiatives that support youth empowerment.

• Sports for Newcomers Initiative (launches in 2020)

 

Sport for Newcomers Initiative

We are proud to partner with Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) on a Sport for Newcomers Initiative (S4N) in Greater Edmonton.

Our local S4N initiative is one of many initiatives that are supported under the banner of CGC’s SportsWORKS program.

• The main goal of S4N is to boost participation of newcomer youth in sports and encourage their long-term involvement by reducing the barriers they experience to participate in sports activities. Another element is the development of coaches. Learn more.
• In June 2020, we will launch a sports event for new immigrant families and youth. Details are pending; when more information is available we will post it on this web page and share details in our AHC Community Blog, e-news and social media.
• For our initiative, AHC is excited to partner with CGC and other stakeholders, including the Edmonton Sports Council and the City of Edmonton.

 

To learn more about AHC’s role in this S4N initiative, please contact Sherry Park, NYEI Program Manager.

Email: sherry.park@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 227

 

 

AHC is proud to support the Empowering Girls project, a new initiative to empower racialized girls who are part of the black community in Greater Edmonton.

 

• Empowering Girls is an 18-month project funded by Canadian Heritage to promote leadership development and community engagement of racialized girls to address the unique challenges they face. Participants must be 16 to 24 years-old.
• Among other elements, the program encompasses personal and life skills development, connecting with mentors, a community project, and efforts to build public awareness.
• Participants will also attend a series of workshops that support skills development and cultural competency, including positive self-image, presentation skills, and how to deal with prejudice.

In addition to youth participants, this project also needs volunteers and mentors. Mentors and volunteers must be female adults from the black community.

For mentors, approximately 30 hours of mentoring is expected; a small honorarium will be offered.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

To register as an Empowering Girls participant, or to learn more, serve as a volunteer or apply to be a mentor, please email Ingabe Gashayija, Project Coordinator or click here.

Email: ingabe.gashayija@a4hc.ca | Tel: 780.944.4687, Ext. 243 or 780-231-4070