the CanadaVisa Team - 23 July, 2015
For most students across Canada, this week marks the first week of classes in the 2009-2010 school year. Last week, a newcomer orientation program that helps young immigrants learn about what to expect on their first day at a Canadian school was held in the Kitchener-Waterloo region in Ontario.
The week-long orientation program is aimed at making immigrant students more comfortable with their new academic environment and familiarizing them with their schools. For example, students are taught about using lockers to store their belongings and shown where their classrooms are.
The new students are mentored by fellow students who were once newcomers to Kitchener-Waterloo themselves.
The program, which is already in its second year, is administered by Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services and is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.