Prairie Skies
Integration Network
OUR STRUCTURE
The Prairie Skies Integration Network is an instance of the Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) initiative now operating in Moose Jaw and region.
Prairie Skies is made up of partnerships of various types and levels of involvement. Our partners include employers, school boards, health centres and networks, boards of trade, levels of government, professional associations, ethnocultural organizations, faith-based organizations, the community and social services sectors, established community members, and, of course, “newcomer representatives”, themselves.
Prairie Skies is overseen by a Partnership Council and informed by our Immigrant Advisory Table.
Why an Immigration Partnership?
The bulk of the work of orienting newcomers and welcoming them into their new environments falls to immigrant settlement agencies like Moose Jaw Multicultural Council (MJMC). These organizations are irreplaceable in addressing the specialized needs of newcomers and even in encouraging communities to step up their “welcome game”. However, true community-newcomer integration can only be accomplished to the extent that it is “owned” by each and every community player, whether individual or organizational.
Newcomer adaptation, as each individual becomes familiar with their new surroundings, is one half of the equation. The other half, however, involves the community grasping its role in the shared benefits realized when residents can fully engage in their communities.
Prairie Skies Integration Network is made up of several formal & informal partnerships with stakeholders throughout our region and beyond. The common thread tying the partnership together is a desire and commitment to support effective community-newcomer integration in our region.
LIPs work by creating a system that invites increasing local engagement in integrating newcomers. This system, overseen by a Partnership Council, builds on existing local strengths and resources. Through formal agreements, a broad-based partnership council is established and charged with developing and implementing welcoming and inclusive strategies for the local context.
Our Staff
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