Background
Settlement professionals and refugee sponsors are natural allies with a common goal: providing the best possible support for newly arrived privately sponsored refugees. Despite this shared mission, they sometimes face challenges in effective communication and collaboration. Launched in 2018, the ARI project addresses this very issue with a dedicated goal to enhance collaboration between Settlement Providing Organizations (SPO) and Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) to ensure Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR) receive the best support they need.
The first phase of the ARI program (2018-2021) was funded by IRCC and led by OCASI in partnership with Refugee 613. The aim was to innovate and test different models to improve the settlement outcomes of privately sponsored refugees.
About the project
ARI 2.0 (Part 2) builds upon the first phase of the project and is funded by IRCC to run until March 2025. The expected outcome is for partners (settlement agencies and sponsorship groups) to deliver responsive and coordinated settlement and community services for sponsored refugees. This new iteration of ARI focuses on two main activities:
- Settlement-Sponsor Knowledge Exchange Opportunities: ARI hosts four knowledge exchange events annually, bringing settlement and sponsor communities together. The aim is to exchange information and foster collaboration.
- Ambassador Agencies: ARI recruits two pairs of SPOs-SAHs each year, designating them as "Ambassador Agencies." These paired organizations represent settlement-sponsor partners. ARI supports these Ambassador Agencies to work closely together and put into practice activities that promote closer teamwork.
To learn more about the project, please visit WelcomeOntario ARI webpage.