Immigrant PALS

Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters (Immigrant PALS) is a three-year pilot program helping immigrant families support their preschool- and kindergarten-aged children’s early literacy development, through interactions in English and their first language.

Immigrant PALS builds on the success of Parents as Literacy Supporters, a culturally-responsive, province-wide literacy program that gives parents and caregivers new strategies to encourage learning in their preschool- and kindergarten-aged children.

Immigrant PALS is underway at seven schools in five Lower Mainland communities: Abbotsford, Burnaby, Langley, North Vancouver and Surrey. Each site will host up to 25 families for half-day workshops, 10 times a year for three years. A bilingual facilitator will lead discussions and activities in English and a second language (Farsi, Karen, Mandarin, Punjabi or Vietnamese). The Surrey program will incorporate multiple languages.

For more information, please contact Literacy(at)2010LegaciesNow.com