FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government has invested $20,000 in the Multicultural Association of Fredericton Inc. to co-ordinate diversity and inclusion awareness activities for school-aged children.

“The project will enhance the awareness and understanding of diversity among students and school staff and will help promote an inclusive and welcoming environment in schools,” said Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour Minister Jody Carr. “This joins the many initiatives we are working on to support New Brunswick's social and economic growth.”

The association will organize activities to recognize Black History Month in February, the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination in March, as well as Canadian Multiculturalism Day in June. In addition, the group will work with various partners to host and co-ordinate activities such as art and photography challenges, craft workshops, and cultural presentations and celebrations.

Partners in the project include the New Brunswick Latino Association and other local ethnocultural groups as well as the schools in the Anglophone West School District and the Francophone Sud school district.

“The diversity and inclusion in schools project will promote a racism-free, inclusive and welcoming environment in schools and the community,” said Arthur Jaucian, president of the Multicultural Association of Fredericton Inc. “This is especially important for newcomer children and youth who face the challenge of being in a new country with a new culture and often a new language. Providing these inclusive activities in the schools can be crucial to ensure the successful integration of immigrant children and youth.”

The provincial government has invested more than $850,000 over the past four years in the Multicultural Association of Fredericton for such activities as supporting newcomer children and youth, providing language training for newcomers, enabling community events like the yearly Cultural Expression Festival, and delivering diversity and inclusion initiatives in the schools.

“This project complements our efforts to support people, skills and jobs and will ensure newcomers of all ages are well supported when they immigrate to New Brunswick,” said Carr, “Our government is developing a new population growth strategy and francophone immigration action plan. These strategies represent two key action items in our government's Labour Force and Skills Development Strategy.”


07-05-14