Support for Teachers in the Facilitation of a Newcomers Club

Abstract

It has been reported that 75.6 percent of Canadians born outside of Canada are dissatisfied with the ability of afterschool programs to meet their children’s language and cultural needs. The purpose of this research is to explore the support for teachers facilitating the Newcomers Club, an afterschool program for immigrant students in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) that aims to provide for the needs of immigrant youth. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews of two ESL teachers in the GTA facilitating Newcomers Clubs. The findings of this study portray that teachers believe networking inside and outside the school is the most effective way to obtain the support needed to facilitate this afterschool program. They also believe that obtaining support for the program is not enough to successfully facilitate the Newcomers Club. Teachers recognized immigrant student identity, their sense of belonging, and student voice as significant factors that impact student participation as well as successful facilitation of the program. The implications of the findings brought forth from the interviews provide best practices for teachers facilitating afterschool programming for immigrant students.