N E W S

Take Time For Breast Health Workshops

What is the Breast Cancer Education Project for Immigrant and Refugee Women?
The Breast Cancer Education Project applies theatre and popular education to promote breast cancer awareness and early detection to immigrant and refugee women. This initiative was developed by the Working Women Community Centre and is generously funded by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Ontario Chapter.

Background of the Project
Research has shown that immigrant women are the least likely group of women to access breast screening and breast cancer services. They face many barriers - both cultural and sociological, including language, stigma, isolation and lack of information. The Breast Cancer Education Project was developed in 2003 to address this disparity and raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection for this population. In the first phase of this project Tomorrow's Time was developed. This is an educational and inspiring play, based on theatre workshops, interviews, stories and early detection messages that were weaved together from immigrant breast cancer survivors, community workers, and healthcare providers. This play has toured across the Greater Toronto Area to over 2400 newcomers through ESL classes, in partnership with the Toronto District School Board.

The Take Time for Breast Health Workshop
The Take Time for Breast Health Workshop is the second phase of the Breast Cancer Education Project. It is a collaboration between the Working Women Community Centre and Toronto Public Health with continued funding from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The project will be training immigrant women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to be peer educators and lead breast health workshops in their own communities. The Breast Health Workshop incorporates the educational DVD of Tomorrow's Time as a forum for discussion, education and empowerment. It has been designed to meet the specific needs of newcomer populations and will fully engage participants in active learning.

Aims of Workshop

• To increase knowledge about breast health and breast cancer
• To empower women to take control of their own health
• To encourage dialogue about breast health
• To encourage women to go for regular breast screening
• To dispel myths that surround breast cancer
• To identify barriers that newcomer women face and find ways to overcome them
• To provide information about how to access breast health services
• To increase support and decrease isolation
• To present information in a way that is accessible to newcomers

Who is this workshop suitable for?
This workshop is suitable for immigrant and refugee women of all ages. It does not matter whether participants are recent newcomers or have been living in Canada for some time. We do ask that participants have at least a basic understanding of English.

Duration of workshop
2 hours

Number of participants required for a workshop
We request that there is a minimum of 10 participants for each workshop and a maximum of 20, however we will consider facilitating smaller groups.

When will the workshops be delivered?
October 2006 - January 2007

What are the benefits of this workshop to my organisation?
Apart from the obvious benefits to your clients, we will provide you with a free copy of the Tomorrow's Time DVD and a Facilitator's Guide, which will enable you to lead breast health workshops for your clients in the future.

If you are interested in hosting a breast health workshop or would like more information please contact Lucy Frankel - Project Coordinator at (416) 532-2824 Ext. 33 or email her at lfrankel@workingwomencc.org

Breast Health Facilitator's Package Is Now Available!

The DVD of Tomorrow's Time & accompanying Facilitator's Guide are now available to agency staff that work with newcomers. If you would like to receive a copy please call (416 532-2824).

The Facilitators Guide contains

• The Take Time for Breast Health Workshop complete with facilitator's notes
• FAQ about Breast Health
• Understanding Barriers that Immigrant Women Face
• Breast Health Resources in the community
• Breast Health Pamphlets
• Additional Reading

Interested in tutoring and learning about the ON YOUR MARK Tutoring Program?

The following articles were written by our tutors; read as they share their personal experiences with the program.

On Your Mark Tutoring Experience by Debbie Pacheco

On my first day volunteering with the On Your Mark Tutoring Program, I arrive 10 minutes early and wait in St. Helen's Breakfast Room. I'm excited to meet the student I will be tutoring for the school year. I know his name is Carlos and he's in grade 7. Tutors and their students sit scattered throughout the room. The space buzzes with the murmur of learning. "What's this word?"; "I don't understand fractions?" I hope my student doesn't ask me anything about math. I see a young boy looking around, lingering at the door. "Hi, are you Carlos?" I ask. He grins and nods. "Take a seat," I said. "It's nice to meet you."

Carlos was on his way to becoming a statistic. Michael Ornstein's Ethno-racial Inequality in Toronto identifies the Portuguese community as one of the groups suffering "extreme disadvantage" in the area of education (Ornstein, 2000, p129). As a result, Portuguese-Ontarian youth have a high drop-out rate and a low rate of participation in post secondary institutions due to discriminatory practices like streaming and stereotyping. Carlos was a bright 12 year old in the "basic" stream at school because his reading and writing skills were well below his grade level. Carlos said he thought he was stupid. He acted out his frustration in class and his teachers gave up on him. He spoke of quitting school as soon as he could. Early on, I met his mom, who defied all stereotypes of the "uninvolved" Portuguese parents. She advocated for her child, made him do extra homework with her, and cried in front of me after a meeting with Carlos' teacher and principal. There was no language interpreter and she did not understand what was happening to her son in school.

The On Your Mark Tutoring/Mentoring Program, established in 2001 by the Portuguese-Canadian Coalition for Better Education, the Portuguese Interagency Network, the Working Women Community Centre and other partners such as the School Boards, is a community response to reverse this cycle of disadvantage. On Your Mark addresses the issue of educational underachievement in the Toronto Portuguese-Canadian community by supporting parents and improving the academic performance of youth like Carlos, who face barriers in the educational system. The program provides one-on-one and small group tutoring for elementary and high school students. Volunteer tutors are trained and matched with students for a minimum of one hour per week. On Your Mark has successfully engaged 352 students from 27 schools across the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board. There is currently a list of 31 students waiting to be matched with tutors.

Parents note the greatest improvement in their children is self-esteem in their academic abilities since participating in the program. In most cases, children more regularly complete homework and their grades improve. I noticed a change in Carlos. At first, it would take a long time to convince him to read. Near the end of the program, I didn't have to insist and instead of skipping large words, he tried to pronounce each one. It wasn't always easy, but it was rewarding. Through my participation with On Your Mark, I was able to witness a young man's courage, persistence and positive self-growth. I hope I taught Carlos as much as he taught me.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering a minimum of one hour a week to help make a difference in a child's future please contact Project Coordinator, Sonia Neves, at the Working Women Community Centre at 416-532-2824.

On Your Mark Tutoring Experience by Julio Oliveira

I wonder what my Saturday mornings would be without asking "little J", one of the younger students in the program, to sit down repeatedly and do his reading exercise….I do know that I would miss out on his chuckles as he realizes he can get away with it for now and oh, of course, improving his ability to master a basic skill in life. Welcome to the world of tutoring in the On Your Mark Tutoring Program! It truly does live up to the old adage "It's never a dull day". While I have tutored before at a local college (and was paid to do it!), I have to confess that my time in this program has paid greater dividends - ooops, I let my financial lingo slip in. Well, you get the point. The great thing about being a tutor is that you learn more than the children you're helping. How about that grade six integer math that you always struggled with ? Yes, I wrestled with it too, but I am proud to say that helping Andy grasp it allowed me to reflect back on how I could have done better and I am now an expert on integer math!

The hard reality of our battle lies in supporting our Portuguese-Canadian youth in overcoming the chilling statistics that relate to them in our school system -and we won't go over those - no, because as much as we all want to see these numbers improve, the battle is not about statistics. This is a war that is fought with one on one attention and motivation - it's about each and every child, their dreams, and their unique way of learning. It's about being a mentor and role model, so that they can gain from more than the academic element. It's about them. How about us ? We make it happen. And you can make it happen too. If you're looking to invest one hour of your week in something that will yield amazing results, then why not make a difference in a kid's life? You don't have to be a genius or scholar - tutors aren't nerds. This is about people helping people and making a real difference. How would you feel when Mike's parents personally thank you because their son improved his reading and writing marks ? Now add in the emotion in mom's tone and maybe some tears, how do you feel now? I know you're following but I am truly happy about being a part of this. It's always good to see that a kid has improved his English grades by two or three notches when I ask about his report card. In addition, I have a blast taking fun breaks and watching them play on the computer or talk to each other about the "sick" Jetta they want to buy when they're eighteen.

Oh, time to go ! It's twelve o'clock and little J's mom is back to take him home. He's in a hurry - Benfica is playing Porto. GO ________ GO! You didn't think that I would fill in the blank, did you ? But I do remember when I filled in a blank…a blank tutor application for the On Your Mark tutoring program. See you next week little J.

On Your Mark Tutoring Experience by Betty Sousa

My experience as a tutor for the On Your Mark Tutoring program has been a great one. I joined the program in September 2004 and returned again this year for another year because I enjoyed it so much. One of the highlights of volunteering for this organization was that I got to meet Mayor David Miller and a few other political leaders who came to the Gala Dinner to support the program. Thanks to that night and a few other events we raised enough money for the program to continue this year. I tutored on Tuesdays after school with three students who on occasion were a handful but I would not have traded the experience for anything. I also tutor on Saturdays from 10am to 12pm with two students who last year were in grade five. Last year the biggest accomplishment I got from tutoring was when Christopher brought me a test to show me that he got an 'A' on it. It was very rewarding for both of us because we both studied hard for the test. It gave me a sense that I was doing something good and that I really did help him. I was able to see my students grow and accomplish new things as the school year went on and I was able to develop a friendship with my students. This year I am working with the same students on Saturday's and on Tuesdays I'm at a new school with two new students. Overall it was a great experience and I hope to keep returning each year. For those who like to help others or who want to become a teacher there is no experience like this one.