Munar's history and connection to the community

Munar is a grassroots organization that have been established in 2018 and it is run by volunteers that have been operating in the community for more than two decades. In response to requests from the community, we deliver academic programs to their children.

We are a group of volunteers mostly mothers raising young children in the public school system. This group was formed to address issues faced by the Somali refugee Families and their focus specifically on the academic achievements of their children. A major issue is that parents were struggling with the schools because their children were being placed in grades based on their age, not their schooling history. Our great concern is that most of the parents are struggling with social and economic issues and are unable to pay for tutors or other support. 

The group has five board members and a retired teacher as an advisor, we also have a parent advisory committee comprising of five parents, who not only support the program but also give us feedback on programs and activities. We have ten volunteers that support the day-to-day programs, Monday to Thursday from 4-7 pm

The board meets annually to plan and oversee the activities of the center.  Planning is also informed by the feedback from the parent advisory group, review of past year activities, and assessments needs.  

• To inform and educate the local Somali population by creating bridges between the Somali refugees and the Education system and service providers. 
• Increase the involvement of parents from refugee backgrounds in their children’s education, as this is crucial for academic success, community development, civic participation, and empowerment. 
• Have parent involvement supported by school communities and inspire the success of students both academically and socially

There are many education gaps that the Munar Learning Center hopes to address with:

1. Consistent and productive home-work supports 
2. Mentoring opportunities 
3. Basic literacy and numeracy lessons for children ages 6-18   
4. The lack of parents’ engagement in their children's education. 
5. Basic knowledge about the Canadian Education system
6. Parent roles and basic responsibilities'
7. Support for parents to understand how to help students in school, as well as improving their ability to learn

There are various programs and opportunities' available for students at the Munar Learning Center, such as:

• Assistance with online learning during the lockdown by guiding them on how to use the digital platforms and support their children with homework.
•  We operate an afterschool program for the past three years with the support of volunteers and parents. 
• We deliver literacy and numeracy programs run by English and Math tutors. 
• Connecting families with local schools and Hamilton Wentworth District School Board to secure digital devices for their children.
• Establishing a Digital lab for students; as well as running a Literacy and Numeracy program using software called IXL. (This software assessed each student's baseline in both subjects and allowed the student to work on strengthening their foundation. In addition, the instructors also receives personalized reports and suggestions on how to support the individual student.)
• Continued work with HWDSB schools Hess Street, Dr. Davey, and Bernie Custis high school to support our students. 

The Munar Learning Center not only supports students, but provides workshops and programs for families to fully embrace the mentality of academic success and a positive community.

•  We deliver workshops that cover important topics such as; communication with schools, Parent-Teacher conferences, attendance policies, in-home parent support, and homework. 
• This also includes school-specific information from parent and student handbooks of neighborhood schools. Other topics covered include school-specific resources and programming, parent rights and responsibilities, discipline in the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) schools, online access to student grades and attendance records, the grading system, as well as report cards/progress reports.  
• Engage guest speakers such as school counselors, Early Years Educators, teachers, and school administrators.