In the spring of 1975, an application to the Secretary of State was made to begin a project called “The Immigrant Resources Project”, under the sponsorship of the Strathcona Community Centre Association. Beverly Nann, Carole Ann Soong and other visionaries saw the need for an ESL program with a preschool component to support the settlement needs of isolated immigrant mothers. The first group of Cantonese speaking moms and preschoolers was recruited in September 1975, followed shortly by seven more groups from the East Indian, Chinese, Italian and Greek communities.

The major goal of “The Immigrant Resources Project” was the social and cultural integration of non-English speaking immigrant families into the mainstream Canadian society. In addition to responding to the special settlement needs of immigrant families, the Project felt a strong sense of responsibility toward promoting the development of positive relations between immigrant and Canadian communities, by encouraging positive cross-cultural sharing and interaction.

The Project recognized that immigrant women have special problems and needs different from other immigrants. Immigrant women often lead a restricted lifestyle, much like the one they left behind, participating little in the majority culture, holding on to traditional values and practices and never learning the language of their adopted country. Moreover, the immigrant mother often has the major responsibility of raising her children. Therefore, her role is key in the successful adaptation of her family to life in Canada – in “educating the Mother, you educate the family”.