Welcome to CCI-LEX Student News!
I hope all of you are enjoying the summer and spending time outdoors in our beautiful city and province!
Although we have fewer classes in the summer, there are still many activities happening at CCI-LEX! Since spring we have held many great events, hosting our first Open House, celebrating our 20th Anniversary and AGM, enjoying our annual Summer Celebration, and many more field trips and activities for students. You can catch up on all the news here!
Summer is going by very quickly though, and we are already getting ready for fall classes. We know this fall term is going to be very busy and we look forward to welcoming many new students. We hope to see all of you in September!
Happy Reading,
Anne-Marie Kallal, Executive Director
Celebrating 20 Years of CCI-LEX at our AGM!
The CCI-LEX Annual General Meeting held at the Stanley A. Milner library hosted a room full of eager attendees waiting to hear about the success of CCI-LEX throughout the past 20 years!
The evening officially began with a message from President and Chair Peter Leveille, who spoke about how busy yet exciting this past year has been for staff, volunteers, and students. CCI-LEX is now able to host more in-person events including the AGM, the Winter Celebration, and the Summer Celebration.
One of the highlights of this year included the big move to our new location. With the help of a $100K donation to our Classroom Campaign from the Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance Fund (ECECAF), CCI-LEX welcomed a new space this year with new furniture, technology, and a large student lounge. A huge thank you to all the funders, donors, and the help of many individuals who made this year possible!
Executive Director Anne-Marie Kallal said beautiful words about the progress here at CCI-LEX. The organization started with just 322 students in 2003, while in 2023 we have helped over 850 students, with the majority of students coming from Somalia, Ukraine, Mexico, Turkey, Colombia, and Ethiopia. As things at CCI-LEX continue to develop, such as the equipment, the technology, and the curriculum, it remains a great place to be and will always commit to improvement, flexibility, accessibility, and being a responsive and understanding environment.
The evening concluded on a high note, with attendees being given an opportunity to network with each other while enjoying the delicious food. Overall, the 2023 AGM was a success, and it is all thanks to the people who continue to support the mission here at CCI-LEX.
My Success in Canada 2023!
The highlight of the Annual General Meeting continues to be the personal stories from students about their success in Canada. Success stories are a way for students to reflect on their journey in a new country and even how CCI-LEX fits into it all. Students were able to present either live or virtually at the AGM, and they even have their work up on display at CCI-LEX! This year’s student presentations included stories from Marvelli, Farida, Bakhshali, Adriano, and ended with Svitlana.
Our First Open House!
In May, CCI-LEX hosted their very first open house! The student ambassadors did a great job of giving a tour of the school; guests were welcome to check out the updated technology and brand-new furniture at the new space. Among the attendees were several Board members, a variety of donors, partners at other community agencies, former and current staff members, and potential students. A huge thank you to all who made the Open House not only possible, but a success!
Another Successful Summer Celebration
Face-painting, balloon animals, hotdogs and potato-sack races!
It has been a tradition here at CCI-LEX to host a huge summer celebration every July that honors the hard work that students, staff, and volunteers have put in all year long!
The blue skies and warm weather made for a perfect day spent at the Legislature Grounds! Family and friends gathered together to enjoy the delicious food, including a return of Fat Franks hot dogs, watermelon, chips, drinks, and of course ice cream! A special thank you to Royal Treats who donated all the ice cream treats for our party!
Guests were seen participating in all the fun activities, such as the potato-sack race, frisbee, soccer, and the face-painting station! Our summer celebration would not be complete without the presence of a bright red nose! Clown Mikey Macaroni’s appearance and balloon-making talents surely lifted the spirits of the children who were present and gave everyone there a reason to smile!
Thank you to each and every volunteer who helped make the Summer Celebration a day worth remembering. Here’s to more amazing memories with CCI-LEX!
Great Canadian Giving Challenge
Our amazing community came together once again for a very successful donation campaign during the Great Canadian Giving Challenge in June!
We raised an impressive total of $9,500, just shy of our goal of $10,000. We are thrilled with this amount! Our community continues to step up to make this our largest donation campaign year after year.
When I came I met a lot of local people, but I was very shy and nervous when I talked with them, because I didn’t speak English well. After two courses, I felt transform my English. The teachers are friendly and lovely the same as a family. So, I feel confident with my English. – Minh, Vietnam
Thank you to all our donors and supporters who make it possible for us to provide a welcoming environment and outstanding learning experiences day in and day out at CCI-LEX, putting our newcomer students on the road to success.
Missed your chance to donate during the Giving Challenge? No problem! You can make a donation to CCI-LEX at any time, just click here!
Student and Teacher Stories
See the Student and Teacher Stories on the Our Stories Page of our website.
With dreams of pursuing higher education in the future, Farida and Bakhshali cherish the connections they’ve made with classmates from various countries and look forward to progressing to higher levels at CCI-LEX. With dreams of studying in college or university in the future, they are grateful for the friendships they’ve made and the opportunities ahead.
Despite the initial challenges of transitioning from a trades background to teaching, Bram’s laid-back and fun approach to education has helped him form strong bonds with his students while also deepening his own understanding of English grammar.
What’s Happening at CCI-LEX?
Upcoming Dates
- August 28 – CCI Program, New Term Starts
- September 4 – Closed, Labour Day
- September 5 – LEX Program, New Term Starts
- October 9 – Closed, Thanksgiving
- November 13 – Closed, In lieu of Remembrance Day
- December 1 – CCI-LEX Winter Celebration
In March, CCI-LEX launched “Club Lexicon”, a monthly giving program for supporters of CCI-LEX to make their donations simpler. If you’re interested, we encourage you to join the club!
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