CANADIAN ORIENTATION ABROAD

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1 REFUGEE YOUTH PROGRAM - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) WHAT IS IOM? Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. The IOM has 157 Member States and 113 Observers, including 10 States and 103 global or regional intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Acting with its partners in the international community, IOM assists in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management; advances understanding of migration issues; encourages social and economic development through migration; and upholds the human dignity and well-being of migrants. Drawing upon its global networks, IOM delivers pre-arrival orientation and migrant training activities through 52 training sites. The organization has several flagship orientation programmes including the United States Cultural Orientation (USCO), the Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO), the Norwegian Cultural Orientation (NORCO) and the Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) program. To learn more about IOM, visit: WHAT IS COA? The Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) program is a pre-arrival orientation initiative offered to refugees, federal skilled workers, provincial nominees and family class immigrants, including spouses and dependants. COA currently operates 20 permanent training sites overseas, operating in over 35 countries and 50 locations every year. COA also works with an extensive number of partners providing services to newcomers in Canada. Since its inception in 1998, more than 200,000 refugees and immigrants received a COA session prior to arrival. Orientation to refugees consists of a three-day program (or a five-day program for camp-based refugees), while orientation to immigrants consists of a one-day program with individualized support and referrals. Training materials encompass essential topics such as employment, education, housing, health, life in Canada, access to citizenship and settlement services. Training to non-refugee participants is delivered in English or French while refugees are provided with orientation in their mother tongue. Support services, including child-minding and travel reimbursement, are also provided for refugee participants in need. To learn more about COA, visit: WHAT IS THE REFUGEE YOUTH PROGRAM? The COA Refugee Youth Program provides pre-arrival settlement support. Recognizing that refugee youth have specific needs and learning abilities that can be addressed during orientation sessions, COA has developed many resources and activities specifically designed for refugee youth participants, including (but not limited to): COA Refugee Youth Curriculum COA Refugee Youth Participant Activity Tool Kit COA Refugee Youth Participant Booklet Over 25 profiles of destination cities that provide information relevant to youth Online resources through the COA Youth Facebook page and Youth Portal

2 As part of the COA Refugee Youth Program, participants: Attend an in-person orientation session with the COA team overseas Receive a printed copy of the Refugee Youth Participant Booklet Are invited to register to follow-up services in Canada Receive personalized information based on their profile and city of destination Are invited to connect with partners and youth newcomers in Canada Can continue to learn and share through a safe online platform HOW DO YOU DEFINE REFUGEE YOUTH? Refugee Youth are: Aged between 10 and 19 years old; Selected under any of the following four resettlement programs: Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR) Program; Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program; Blended Visa Office Referred Refugees (BVOR) Program and: Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Program. IS THERE A FLEXIBILITY IN THE AGE OF YOUTH PARTICIPANTS SERVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM? Refugee youth experiences include disrupted education pathways and at time frequent migration, which can result in a youth s actual age, and their life stages age, to not match. Some refugee participants aged 19 and older might greatly benefit from the program resources. COA believes it is important to offer flexibility to youth who may fall outside of the defined age range. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM? The COA Refugee Youth Program provides refugee youth with opportunities to: Learn about a variety of age-appropriate and relevant topics Discuss their concerns, fears and expectations in a safe space Become aware of programs and services tailored to their needs Know where to get help upon arrival Connect with partners and newcomer youth in Canada 12 key program areas: Clients Services Program Development and Support In-person orientation Program Outreach & Registration Information dissemination Online individualized follow-up Pre-arrival connection to Partners Ongoing online support Resources Development & Updates Narrative and Statistical Reporting Partnerships Building Internal & External Communications Youth Engagement Program Monitoring and Evaluation

3 HOW DO PARTICIPANTS BENEFIT FROM THE REFUGEE YOUTH PROGRAM? The COA Refugee Youth Program equips refugee youth with the information and resources to meet initial settlement needs in Canada, and begin to form community connections in Canada. In addition, partners develop knowledge and capacities that benefits other organizations and institutions providing services to refugee youth. After the completion of the COA session, refugee youth: Have greater understanding of critical, youth-related topics including: school and education; employment and career options; health and well-being; culture shock and family dynamics as well as; Canada s culture, history, people and values Build a realistic understanding of the challenges they and their family might face upon arrival, and are provided with strategies and tips to overcome these barriers Have a greater understanding of settlement and community services in Canada (especially as they relate to newcomer youth) In accessing the follow-up online services, refugee youth: Have a greater understanding of settlement and community services in their city of destination (especially as they relate to newcomer youth) Gain connections with local stakeholders in their destined region and/or city, including partners and newcomer youth (whenever possible) Can discuss their questions and concerns in a confidential and safe space Can access additional online information and support, up until their departure to Canada As a result of their involvement in the COA Refugee Youth Program, partners: Have a better understanding of the pre-arrival needs of refugee youth Contribute to structuring a continuum of services providing refugee youth with a seamless transition from pre- to post-arrival services WHAT IS THE ROLE OF COA FACILITATORS OVERSEAS IN REFUGEE YOUTH PROGRAM? COA facilitators plan and deliver youth-specific in person orientation sessions in all the COA permanent and mobile refugee training sites around the world. They provide youth-specific sessions whenever possible, and distribute the Youth Participant Booklet to all refugee youth attending the session (or the families of youth unable to attend). During the orientation session, the COA facilitators introduce youth and their parent(s) or guardian with the follow-up support services offered through the COA team in Canada. They help interested participants complete the required forms, allowing COA and its partners to reach refugee youth while they are still preparing overseas. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE REGIONAL COORDINATORS IN CANADA? The Regional Coordinators are YMCA employees providing operational and programmatic support to the Refugee Youth Program in Canada. They work at the regional and local levels, providing support to refugee youth based on their city of destination. In addition to direct service delivery, the Regional Coordinators contribute to program resource development and knowledge-mobilization. They create new linkages with local and regional organizations, support ongoing activities and contribute to online discussions with youth participants.

4 COA NETWORK OVERSEAS AND IN CANADA WHO ARE THE PARTNERS? Delivery Partners IOM and COA are partnering with YMCA Canada in the delivery of the Refugee Youth Program. YMCA Canada is a federation of 45 YMCA and 5 YMCA-YWCA Member Associations in Canada. The 50 Associations and the YMCA Canada national office are dedicated to the growth of all persons in spirit, mind and body, and to fostering a sense of responsibility to each other and the global community. The 5th largest charity in Canada, YMCA offers a variety of programs responding to the needs of the community, including: Education and training; Employment and immigrant services; Family and youth services; Health and fitness programs; Child care and; Camps. The work conducted by the YMCAs around the world in the field of migration is effectively changing the lives of people and communities and the YMCA responses to migration are not separate from other social issues impacting society. YMCA was recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for being historically and effectively engaged in refugee work ever since the beginning of international action in this field.

5 Community Partners COA and the YMCA collaborate with a number of service provider organizations (SPOs) involved in the delivery of settlement services and youth community services. COA also collaborates with other pre-arrival programs, including the Youth Pre-Arrival Learning Site (YPALS) Program. The Refugee Youth Advisory Group includes partners from different sectors and regions of Canada. It provides support and guidance in the design and implementation of the Program, helping to ensure that the program is reflective of the diversity of services and programs available to newcomer youth. Members provide high-level program guidance supporting COA to: Strengthen program design and delivery Overcome program challenges and identify new opportunities Understand integration in different regional and local contexts Develop accurate and up-to-date content and resources Coordinate with partners across Canada HOW DOES THE PROGRAM ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES ARE INFORMED BY REFUGEE YOUTH? COA actively promotes youth engagement in Canada and overseas. The program values youths life experiences and perspectives to harness their leadership capacities and help them develop a stronger sense of belonging and connection to their new community. In 2015, COA and the YMCA have consulted and engaged with hundreds of refugee youth overseas and in Canada in order to finalize the new Program s Booklet. Each youth is unique and will demonstrate varying needs related to pre-arrival information and that their engagement in the program will depend on where they are at in their migration process. The program is informed by the YMCA Healthy Adolescent Development Resources, which offers a framework for youth engagement promising practices that are evidence based to draw on when developing program components and resources. Model of change Asset Development Social Determinants of Health Harm reduction WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN TO MAKE THIS AN INCLUSIVE AND OPEN PROGRAM AT ALL LEVELS? Dimensions of diversity are considered Document translation in languages of client groups Multiple modalities of service delivery Understanding the cultural context of the diverse ethno-cultural groups that access the program Youth perspective is included through consultation HOW DOES THE PROGRAM ENSURE PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION? Participants information remains confidential and is never shared without the consent of the youth and their parent(s) or guardian, unless there is an imminent threat to their safety. In order to protect the privacy of all the information collected overseas, COA uses encryption services to share the documents internally.

6 HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM? As part of its reporting requirements, COA has developed a Logic Model and a Performance Measurement Framework to monitor its activities and assess its impacts, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In order to measure its performances, COA use a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach (Plan, Do, Check, Reflect, Act cycle) whereby findings inform processes, iteratively analyzing evidence to improve the program. COA monitors the program to track progress, reflect upon results, make improvements, re-test, and re-evaluate. In order to do so, check-ups and consultations are done routinely with various stakeholders including facilitators and refugee youth overseas, newcomer youth in Canada, settlement and community partners, as well as academic researchers and partners from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? To send specific enquiries about the COA Refugee Youth Program, write to: coa-oce@iom.int