SWIS
(Settlement Worker
In Schools)
Our SWIS Services provide services and supports for school age newcomer children, youth and families for the first 18-36 months of arriving in Canada as a way of increasing integration into their new school and community.
SWIS staff work in partnership with school staff and service providers to deliver additional supports to recently arrived newcomer children and youth within Winnipeg School Division, Louis Riel School Division. Pembina Trails School Division and St. James-Assiniboia School Division.
SWIS Components Include:
- Supporting with school registration and participating in school intake and orientation meetings with newcomer students and schools to help students gain a better understanding of their school environment and foster self-reliance, confidence building, identity, belonging and integration into the school culture
- Provide ongoing follow up and support to students throughout their first 18 months of being in Canada to ensure successful integration into the school community
- Provide Enhanced SWIS support to refugee and newcomer children/youth over 18 months of being in Canada who experience challenges beyond the commonly experiences and expected settlement needs by collaborating with school staff to support individual programming and activities to enhance school and community integration
- Provide 1/1 and/or group orientation activities to newcomer students on various topics to enhance confidence building and integration, either in school or out of school (topics include: education, safety, health, community, newcomer to Canada guide [transportation, money, etc.], mentorship opportunities)
- Completion of Needs & Assets & Assessment & Referrals (NAARS) followed by a Settlement Plan with children, youth, and their families for the purpose of identifying settlement needs and completing appropriate referrals to existing resources, programs and services
- Pro-social skill development and wellness programming for participants alongside base services
- Enhanced NAARS and Settlement Plans for individual newcomer and refugee children and youth identified as having more complex needs who may require additional support to integrate into the school system or transition to alternative pathways after exiting the school system
- Relevant and timely referrals for participants to community resources
