Building Bridges Program

The PIRS Building Bridges Program is designed to do just that… build bridges from where immigrant women find themselves after completing a course of studies in English, wanting to enhance their Canadian cultural competency, to where they see themselves in their new home.  It is a training program that will support immigrant women to develop the skills and confidence needed to act as community leaders and cultural ambassadors in their communities.

The Building Bridges program is for immigrant women who have an upper-intermediate level of English and some experience or desire to work in a group or community setting.  They have a well-developed awareness and experience of the immigration and settlement process, and are eager to share that experience in a variety of helping roles.  They want to learn and share in a multicultural group setting, and have good interpersonal skills.

Potential participants will be selected by application and interview only, and they may be referred from other PIRS or community programs, or they may be self-referring.  After a one-to-one interview in which they demonstrate their capacity to speak and understand English, and their readiness to participate in a group learning process, they will be selected to participate in the program, which runs once a year, January to March.

The program consists of 12 weeks of classroom activities and 20 weeks practicum that take place concurrently. Successful participants must be committed to participating fully in both.
There are 12 weeks of classroom sessions, held once per week in the evening.  In addition, participants will be expected to take part in a 20 practicum placement in the community, where they will learn the skills and information required to become a role model for other immigrant women.

During the program, participants can expect to learn about cross-cultural communication and public speaking, as well as how to develop tools for working with groups, and adult learners.  They will learn more about theories of group development, and will experience first-hand the positive outcomes of that experience.

“In Building Bridges I gained practical facilitation and cross-cultural knowledge and skills.  PIRS staff, and the women I met, encouraged me to believe in myself, to pursue my goals, and not to give up.  PIRS really does build bridges between people and cultures.” – a program participant.

To apply for Building Bridges, contact the Women’s Development Coordinator at 604.298.5888.  You will be invited to attend an information meeting, submit a resume and cover letter, and participate in an interview.  Because the course takes place evenings, and on various practicum schedules, there is no childminding for this program.  There is a small fee, but some financial assistance is available.

“Building Bridges is a really good program.  It gave me inner strength to handle situations and achieve goals and go ahead with more confidence.” – a program participant.