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Become a member of the Newcomer Students’ Association by filling out a membership form.

Participate in our community engagement sessions to address gender-based violence!

Find more information here.

Who We Are

We are a grassroots, membership-driven organization working at the intersection of migration, education, and social justice, and a platform committed to promoting inclusion and equity for post-secondary newcomer, immigrant, and refugee students. We are dedicated to supporting and empowering newcomer, immigrant and refugee students in their cultural transitioning, social and economic integration, and civic engagement in Ontario post-secondary institutions as well as broader society. We do this through community engagement, capacity building, and a diverse set of initiatives focused on enhancing students’ leadership development, social capital and sense of belonging. We provide gender-specific programs and professional development opportunities targeting newcomer, immigrant and refugee women as we recognize that these women face multiple intersecting settlement and integration barriers. 

Our work is driven and guided by the voices of our community, and is highly influenced and shaped by our team’s own lived experiences as newcomers, immigrants and refugees.

Who We Serve

The work we do is aimed toward newcomer, immigrant and refugee students with different migration statuses in Ontario post-secondary institutions. However, newcomers, immigrants and refugees who are not enrolled in a post-secondary institution are also welcome to join this community by filling out a membership form. Our services and programs are accessible to all and are offered at no cost. To join us, fill out a membership form here. 

Our Impact

We have over 4500 members in our community and benefit from our initiatives and programs, which include but are not limited to: mentorship, an annual scholarship, public forums, networking opportunities, annual conferences and leadership programming focused on building the capacity and leadership of immigrant women and students. Since 2016, we have hosted numerous events and workshops addressing solidarity building and allyship between indigenous and newcomer communities, civic engagement and leadership, and challenges and barriers facing newcomer, immigrant and refugee communities. Through our platform, we have raised awareness, provided educational resources, addressed best practices and amplified the voices of newcomer, immigrant and refugee students. Our programs and events have been attended and accessed by over 3000 students and community members.

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A Note From Our Founder…

When we launched in 2016 as the Newcomer Students’ Association of Ryerson (NSAR), we did so on a mission to support and empower newcomer students at Toronto’s Ryerson University. Over the years, we’ve responded to the needs of hundreds of newcomer students. We’ve built partnerships with more than 50 organizations, academic departments, student societies and groups. We’ve organized a variety of events and public forums to raise awareness about the challenges that newcomer, immigrant, and refugee  students face, built solidarity with various communities, and delivered several workshops and training sessions to support the integration and transition process of these students, as well as build their leadership capacity and civic engagement. 

Today I am thrilled to announce that going forward, we will be operating under the name Newcomer Students’ Association. Our story started at Ryerson University and we’ll always honour the work we did with Ryerson. However, we felt it was time to rebrand, so that moving forward, we are able to better serve and understand the unique needs of newcomer, immigrant, and refugee students at different post-secondary institutions across Ontario. 

That being said, newcomers, immigrants, and refugees who are not enrolled in a post-secondary institution are also welcome to join this community by filling out a membership form, found on our website. Our services and programs are accessible to all and are offered at no cost. 

Our new logo represents the work we do in creating pathways and space for newcomers, immigrants and refugees who are starting a new chapter of life. We want our members to continue sharing their lived experiences through storytelling, genuine and authentic connection, and community building. The colours represent the diversity and multiculturalism of those who come to the Newcomer Students’ Association, from different walks of life. The newcomer, immigrant and refugee community has always been at the heart of what we do, and we wanted our logo to be a reflection of our commitment to them.

Our mission is to provide a safe space to empower newcomer, immigrant, and refugee students to build fellowship, capacity and community through their shared lived experiences.

—Sara Asalya

Be Part of the Newcomer Students’ Association

Volunteer form coming soon

Our FREE webinar discussing cross-sectoral responsive support for gender-based violence survivors is TONIGHT! 📅 As we get ready for our final community engagement session, we feel so grateful for the opportunity to listen, to help move one step closer towards ending GBV among immigrant and refugee women. We want to change the quotes, change the numbers 📉 🔔Our third and LAST community engagement session is TOMORROW! Our previous sessions have been fueled by community members ready to inform the National Action Plan, sharing their experiences and knowledge - we can’t wait to hear the discussion tomorrow! 📅SAVE THE DATE 📅 We are so happy to announce that on March 1st we’ll be hosting the FINAL webinar of our #EndingTheSilence Series!! 📣 🚨📰 NEW PIECE: Can COVID-19 help us build a more inclusive post-secondary system? 🗞 🗣Our second community engagement session is TOMORROW!! Don’t forget to sign up, there are 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 remaining 🎟🎟 after a successful and collaborative first session, we can’t wait to host the next 🙌 Gender-based violence amongst immigrant and refugee women comprises of additional difficulties that can make it significantly harder to escape. These distinct situations need to be addressed in the National Action Plan - how can a woman threatened with deportation possibly escape her abusive sponsor? How can a woman culturally pressured to avoid divorce, escape her abusive spouse? How can a woman who doesn’t speak English fluently, have proper access to all the resources and support for GBV? These are just a few scenarios, #jointheconversation and make sure there’s a change! 📺 WATCH NOW: Our latest interview with @omnitelevision & @tarunpaulsingh ! We’re so happy to see our community as excited as we are to participate in the National Action Plan to End GBV! 😊@cdnarabinstitute Tickets for this Friday’s session were sold out!! Based on 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥, we’ve decided to have 𝐓𝐖𝐎 community engagement sessions on Friday! 🎉🎉 📣EXCITING NEWS📣 Immigrant Women’s National Network (IWNN), an NSA initiative, is partnering up with @cdnarabinstitute to run three community engagement sessions to inform the Federal Government’s National Action Plan (NAP) to End Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Thank you @ywcacanada for making these sessions possible!👏👏 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 Meet 𝐋𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚! Our new special events intern! Ledis is currently a student at Seneca completing her diploma in the Social Service Worker – Immigrant and Refugee program. We are so excited to have her apart of our team here at NSA! Welcome, Ledis! We’re THRILLED to share that Newcomer Students’ Association’s very own 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐚 has been named one of this year’s “Top 25 Women of Influence” (@woiglobal) We are thrilled to present our guest speakers for our second FREE webinar- Repost from @refugeaiduoft: RefugeAid UofT is looking for mentors for our online mentorship program! The upcoming mentorship program will connect high school refugee students with university students who are/were also refugees in Canada. Recognizing the challenges refugee youth face in building a new life in an unfamiliar setting, having access to a supportive community is crucial for their successful resettlement. Throughout February to May, mentors will provide their mentees with advice and guidance as they navigate school and life in Canada. *Please note that this opportunity is not restricted to UofT students despite the student organization’s roots in UofT.* On February 5, we kick off the second session of a 3-part digital series, #EndingTheSilence, focused on addressing and responding to gender-based violence in immigrant and refugee communities. 📆 Join us virtually February 5, 5:30-7:30pm ET. We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Immigrant Women's National Network! The demand has never been greater to create such a platform to represent the interests of immigrant & refugee women and advocate for their needs, as they are one of the hardest hit groups by the pandemic. As we launch this network, we hope to provide a safe space for this community to grow and support each other. To find out more about the network and our plans - check out our website! Let us know in the comments below what you think and what you would like the network to offer! 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓

Recent Posts

Immigrant Women’s National Network (IWNN)

Network Purpose Statement

Immigrant Women National Network (IWNN) is a network led by and for immigrant and refugee women. The network aims to amplify the voices of immigrant and refugee women, advance their leadership, create transformative and empowering experiences, optimize their civic and political participation, and champion their rights.

Mission & Mandate

Immigrant Women National Network (IWNN) is a Canadian national network addressing issues and policies impacting the social, economic, civic, and political integration, engagement, inclusion and advancement of immigrant and refugee women. Looking through an intersectional lens, the aim of this network is two-fold. 

  1. First, It aims to create a platform and safe space for immigrant and refugee women to connect with one another,  share their stories, and offer peer support and mentorship. Furthermore, the network was established with a mandate to provide and equip immigrant and refugee women with the tools, knowledge, resources and skills they need to reach their full potential and be contributing and active members of the society. 
  2. Second, the national network will act as a community of practice, bringing together experts, knowledge holders, and those with lived experience in immigration, displacement, resettlement and integration, to address issues, barriers, and challenges facing this community, as well as solutions to advance the inclusion of immigrant and refugee women in all aspects of the Canadian society.
Network Vision

Our vision is an inclusive society where immigrant women are in leadership roles, represented in all sectors, and can fully and equally participate, without barriers, in all aspects of the Canadian Society.

wHAT DOES THE NETWORK OFFER?

Immigrant, and refugee women are one of the hardest hit groups during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need has never been greater to create such a platform to support and facilitate their integration. We recognize that these women face multiple intersecting barriers to settlement, integration, civic participation and career advancement. Through this network, we address and tackle issues related to social isolation, gender-based violence, mental health and wellbeing, civic engagement and leadership, as well as downward mobility for this segment. To empower these women and support their integration journey, we provide a variety of leadership and capacity building programs, training sessions as well as community engagement opportunities such as:

  • Professional development and career advancement sessions
  • Civic engagement and political action workshops
  • Peer to peer mentorship
  • Annual Leadership development Summits and programming
  • Social justice and activism training
  • Learning circles, public forums, and roundtable discussions 
  • Community engagement and capacity building sessions
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and anti-oppression training 
  • Immigrant women fellowship programs 
  • Events and networking opportunities

To learn more about the network, please read our full launch announcement here.

Check out our events calendar for upcoming training sessions and events. 

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