What is the MLO Program?

OCISO's Multicultural Liaison Officer Program was created in 1991 as a result of a desire to serve the needs of immigrant children in the school system.

The Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) Program is an award winning and innovative program that addresses the settlement and integration needs of immigrant and refugee children and their families in Ottawa schools. The goal of the MLO Program is to help ensure the successful integration of immigrant children and their families in Ottawa schools.

The model of the MLO Program services delivery has been innovative in the sense that it allows for settlement services to be provided on-site at the schools and where immigrant children and their families are. This model also allows for our team of MLOs to work with school administration, teachers and other officials to make necessary changes to help accommodate immigrant and refugee families’ perspectives on children’s education. This unique program has been implemented in all the major cities of Ontario.

OCISO has been recognized for the innovative work in helping immigrant/refugee students and their parents to integrate into the schools in Ottawa. The MLO Program received awards from Phi Delta Kappa University of Ottawa Chapter, from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and from Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

Partnership

The MLO Program is a partnership between OCISO and three Ottawa School Boards namely: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, le Conseil des écoles catholiques de langue française du Centre-Est et le Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. OCISO and the school boards share the cost of running the program. The Program is also funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the United Way/Centraide Ottawa.

Every year, during the summer months, the MLO Program also partners with local community resource centres, health centres and the Ottawa Public Library to deliver services on site and to exchange expertise and information with staff members of those centres. OCISO has also now launched a year round partnership to deliver services at local Ottawa Public Library Branches.

Step Ahead Project

The MLO Program also delivers an innovative summer camp for immigrant youth. For more than a decade now the program has been offering summer ESL Program combined with sports skills development training.

Every year nearly 200 students participate in this program. Immigrant youth in the program develop sports skills while learning English. The goal is to help immigrant youth to improve their ESL skills while also enhancing their self-esteem to help them integrate into their schools.

Diversity Action Teams (DAT) Training Project

Another unique project of the MLO program is the award winning DAT Project in which the MLO Program facilitates civic participation training for parent and school staff to increase the civic participation of immigrant and minority ethnic parents in Ottawa schools. The goal is to increase the participation of parents in school decision making bodies such as the school council. The training is provided for parents and members of school staff. The MLO Program developed a Practical Guide for this project.

Languages of service

MLOs work directly in the schools serving immigrant students, parents, school staff and the community in more than 20 languages.

How does the MLO Program serve its clients?

With the assistance of MLOs, parents, school staff and students are able to work together towards shared goals: a good education for the students, increased cultural competence for all school staff and harmonious integration of immigrants and refugees into Canadian society.

The MLOs share information and transfer skills to many immigrant and refugee families in the school community. They provide opportunities for students to increase their cultural competence, thus enhancing their ability to function in a global society. As a resource for staff in the schools, the MLO provides various opportunities for cross-cultural sensitization. OCISO's MLOs are also part of a network that extends beyond the school, working with other organizations and agencies to ensure effective referrals.

What MLOs Do

• Orientate immigrant students and parents about the education system and their roles and responsibilities.
• Encourage parents to get involved in the school.
• Advocate for students and parents.
• Provide language and cultural interpretation at meetings involving staff members, parents, and students.
• Provide referrals to organizations to help students and their families settle in Canada and liaising with the local community organizations to improve immigrant families' access to community services.
• Contact parents about the educational and social development of their children and keeping them informed about events at the school.
• Present workshops for staff and all students to increase cross-cultural awareness and understanding.
• Liaise between the school and community about changes in the community's demographic profile, partnership possibilities, and issues of concern.
• Help bridge cultural differences, mediate conflicts, and facilitate resolution.
• Run our ESL Summer Camp, the Step Ahead Program, DAT and other special projects.

Help a child succeed

Download our flyer to learn more about how you can support OCISO's MLO program in schools. Donate and help a child succeed.

25 ideas to increase diversity of your school council

Download this poster to help generate some ideas about how to increase the diversity in your school council.

Request for MLO Assistance

If your school needs the services of a Multicultural Liaison Officer, please download the Request for MLO Assistance form and fax it to 613-725-9054, or send it as an e-mail attachment to the MLO Program Assistant.

For more information, contact:

Wali Farah, MLO Program Manager
Phone: 613-725-5671 ext. 309
Fax: 613-725-9054
E-mail: MLO Program