OSDSS Students and YMCA Partner to Help Newcomers Settle in Owen Sound
Grade 11 and 12 students at OSDSS made 33 newcomer welcome kits, an online resource map, and orientation videos in partnership with the YMCA's immigrant services.
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This semester, the Leadership class at Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) collaborated with the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce Immigrant Services office to provide resources to people who have moved to Canada and settled in Owen Sound. This includes refugees, economic migrants, and international students — or anyone seeking settlement support.
Over the semester, the Grade 11 and 12 students worked on three projects aimed at easing the integration of newcomers. To achieve this goal, the Leadership students began the project by seeking input from their student peers in the English for newcomers’ class to ensure a useful service was being provided.
With support from the community and OSDSS students and staff, the class put together 33 welcome packages, including essential items for families and children, a variety of brochures for key community and cultural sites in the area, and a quantity of tickets for Owen Sound Transit.
The Owen Sound Attack very generously donated vouchers for newcomers to enjoy a 2026-2027 game and the Owen Sound Quilters’ Guild responded enthusiastically by making three dozen colourful pillowcases for children.
Everything was carefully packaged in backpacks provided by the United Way of Grey Bruce. The class was grateful to also receive community support from local realtor, Ron Downs, and Metro.
In addition to the welcome packages, the students provided the YMCA with an interactive online map of Owen Sound identifying important locations and resources around town, including multilingual doctors, and a series of short videos highlighting area sites they thought newcomers should be aware of, such as Harrison Park, the library, Inglis Falls, the YMCA, Kelso Beach, the Bayshore, and more.
The YMCA was presented with the bags on June 16 and were overwhelmed with the generosity and thoughtfulness that these high school students put into this project. The impact this will have on new families that arrive in our community will be long-lasting.
The YMCA is beyond grateful for the contribution of Ms. Sparling’s Leadership class at OSDSS and hopes to partner again in the future to continue supporting newcomer families in the Owen Sound area.
Image and article submitted by Bluewater District School Board
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