The Vancouver Board of Education’s Settlement Workers in School (SWIS) Program is a school-based settlement service that provides direct and immediate professional assistance to immigrant, refugee and eligible temporary resident students and their families after they arrive in Vancouver and register in the public schools. Settlement workers facilitate the adjustment, adaptation, and integration of newcomer families during their initial years in Canada.

Established in September of 2007, the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Program of the Vancouver School Board (VSB) has 19 settlement workers and 5 youth settlement workers placed in Vancouver’s 109 K-12 public schools, where they serve all newcomer families in English.  Additionally, settlement workers possess specialized knowledge of the cultures and native languages of immigrants who speak Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Korean, Kurdish, Mandarin, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Since its inception, the SWIS Program has averaged support for over 3,500 students and their families annually, offering more than 300 informative workshops covering a wide range of school and settlement-related topics.

At the Board’s Newcomer Welcome Centre (NWC), settlement workers are the first point of contact for newcomer families. While new students complete their assessment tests, parents attend an orientation session introducing the BC school system and SWIS services. Settlement workers also share important information about available school and community resources. Based on a needs assessment and action plan developed during the intake interview, they may refer families to specific school-based or community services.

To ensure ongoing support, settlement workers follow up regularly with students and families through phone calls, virtual or in-person meetings, providing updates, addressing emerging needs, and maintaining a professional connection. The SWIS team collaborates closely with school staff, including administrators, teachers, counsellors, multicultural liaison workers, youth and family workers, and others. They also help families connect with community and government agencies, creating a strong network of support to ease their settlement journey.