ISANS
6960 Mumford Road, Suite 2120 B3L 4P1 Halifax, NS, Canada

Vaccines are vital to our public health. At ISANS, we continue to work and support our government to create healthy communities that are safe from COVID-19. To prevent the spread, our communities must be vaccinated. In the coming months, ISANS will support Canada’s vaccination plan by sharing accurate information and by encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they can. We recognize and appreciate that public health authorities are working as quickly as possible to ...make vaccines available. As an organization: We support the vaccination plan approved by Health Canada and our provincial health authority. Canada’s vaccines are safe and effective. We encourage everyone to get a vaccine as soon as they can. We will work with public health and government officials by sharing the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and by helping staff and clients get vaccinated as soon as they can. We support clear, accurate, and efficient communication around COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination efforts and will work to make this information accessible to the newcomer community in Nova Scotia.

Today and tomorrow mark the beginning of Ramadan around the world. We wish all who celebrate #RamadanMubarak! You can learn about Ramadan here: https://qoo.ly/3bpbrp

We have a lot on the go this week! Take a look below at our upcoming events: Webinar: Benefits of a Diverse Workplace Culture - Monday, April 12, 9:00 - 11:00 AM Online Computer Training: Microsoft Word begins Monday, April 12, 12:00 - 2:00 PM and runs every Monday and Wednesday for three weeks. Online Business Development Training: Immigrant Women Entrepreneurship Program begins Tuesday, April 13, 5:45 - 8:45 PM and runs every Wednesday for 10 weeks. Online Building ...Intercultural Competence Workshop - Wednesday, April 14, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Online Business Development Training: Legal Aspects of Owning a Business - Wednesday, April 14, 2:00 - 4:00 PM Online Wellness Support Group: "Treat Yourself" - A Self Massage Workshop - Wednesday, April 14, 3:00 - 4:00 PM Online Information Session: Visible Minority Newcomer Women at Work - Thursday, April 15, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM On-site Information Series: Family Orientation (Part 2) - Thursday, April 15, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Workshop for Internationally Educated Nurses: Adult Health Assessments - Saturday, April 17, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM For more information on these and other events, please visit our events calendar: https://qoo.ly/3bg5br

Do you want to attend the COVID-19 Pop-up Test Centre this weekend but aren't sure what to expect? This video shows you what it's like. We hope to see you this weekend!... When: Saturday, April 10 - 2:30 - 7:30 PM and Sunday, April 11 - 9:30 PM - 4:30 PM Where: YMCA Centre for Immigrant Programs - 7071 Bayers Road, Halifax Reminder: You do not need a health card to attend. If you have symptoms you cannot attend. This event is being hosted by @isans.ca, @YMCAImmigrantServices, @Halifax.Refugee.Clinic, Nova Scotia Health Public Health, @NovaScotiaHealthAndWellness, and @PraxesMedicalGroup.

On Tuesday, ISANS was announced as one of 25 community groups across the province to receive a grant to provide skill-specific training and connections to in-demand job areas as part of the Back to Work Community Partnership. Read more:

Welcome 2021! We are back to our regular office hours this week, but still in modified program delivery due to Covid restrictions. Please see our blog post link below for more information.

We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the #HolidayTraditions shared by our ISANS staff this week and we look forward to sharing many more with you throughout the year!

Another #HolidayTradition shared by our staff are Osechi, which are traditional Japanese New Year foods. They come in bent-like special boxes called jbako, with items like sweet rolled omelets, broiled fish cakes, herring roe, seaweed, black soybeans & prawns arranged inside.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year from your friends at ISANS! We hope you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine today before our usual Nova Scotia winter weather returns tomorrow

As 2020 comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to look back and celebrate 40 years of service in welcoming immigrants and refugees to Nova Scotia. We have a special anniversary website with highlights from the last four decades: https://www.isansatforty.isans.ca/. We are glad to share these memories with you, and here's to many more years and memories to come! To our clients, it has been our privilege to welcome you to Nova Scotia and help you along your settlement ...journey. To our amazing staff team who have been so dedicated and flexible this year as we have navigated the ever-changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, thank you for all of the passion and commitment you bring to work every day. To our funders and partners, thank you for all that you do to make this work possible. Wishing everyone a safe, happy and healthy New Year! #ISANS40th

Thank you Canadian Tire Jumpstart and Hockey Nova Scotia for your support in helping newcomer youth learn to play our nation’s favourite game!

Today is the International Day for Tolerance. Check out our latest blog post at https://bit.ly/2UAeglI for more on the history of this day and tips on how to counter intolerance in our society. #toleranceday

Learn more about our upcoming events! - Online Information Session for Employers: ISANS Employer Support Services on November 25 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Online Training Session: Business Structures and Accounting Differences on November 25 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Online Wellness Support Group: Treat Yourself A Self-Massage Workshop on November 25 from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM - Webinar: Managers & Directors: Leveraging Your Workplace Culture Leveraging Your Workplace Culture... on November 27 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM For more information on these events and more, visit https://qoo.ly/39cscu. See more

Learn more about our upcoming events this week at ISANS! - Online Computer Training: Microsoft Excel II on November 17 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Online Recruitment & Information Session: MacGregors Industrial Group on November 17 from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM - Online Training Session: Google Marketing for Small Businesses on November 17 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Immigrant Women Entrepreneurship Program on November 17 from 5:45 PM - 8:45 PM... - Information Session for Employers: Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project (AIPP) Webinar on November 18 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Online Computer Training: Microsoft Word on November 18 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Webinar: Benefits of a Diverse Workplace Culture on November 19 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Online Computer Training: Microsoft Excel II on November 19 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Online Canada Revenue Agency Seminar: Free Tax Help for Small Businesses on November 19 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Legal Information Series: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program on November 19 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM For more information about these events, please visit https://qoo.ly/3993uf

Today is World Hello Day! 2020 has been a rough year for many of us, feeling isolated with Covid-19 prevention. Help brighten someone's day by simply saying hello. Learn more about the history of this initiative in our latest blog post. www.isans.ca/worldhelloday #WorldHelloDay #helloday

To everyone celebrating the final day of Diwali, we hope you had a very joyful holiday! #Diwali

Today is World Kindness Day! Check out our latest blog post for tips on how you can show kindness and create more welcoming communities for immigrants and refugees. https://qoo.ly/397ef5

Did you know that ISANS’s Early Childhood Education services are over 30 years old? In 1988, our programs started when children aged 6 months to 5 years had their first group experience while their parents attended language and skills classes. #ISANS40th #WorldChildrensDay

The history of ISANS begins in 1980, the year Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) was established. In the early 80s, services focused on helping refugees to adapt to their new life in Halifax. This photo is one of our earliest staff pictures from the MISA team! The creation of MISA was a direct result of the arrival of over 60,000 Vietnamese refugees in Canada, many of whom arrived in Halifax between 1979 and 1982. More than 50% came to Canada through a brand new private sponsorship (PSR) program put in place by the government. This globally unique and celebrated program turned 40 years old in 2019. #ISANS40th #ThrowbackThursday

Masked, not muted. Check out this powerful video from UNICEF on #WorldChildrensDay.

In 1988, Jennifer Acker and Kathy Burnett opened English Unlimited as a private ESL school in the Green Lantern Building on Barrington Street in Halifax with five students. In 1990, English Unlimited changed its name to Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre (HILC) to more accurately reflect the mandate of the organization. That year, Gerry Mills became Executive Director. This is one of our earliest pictures of the HILC staff team!... #ISANS40th #ThrowbackThursday