Mithila Chakraborty, a.k.a. teacher Pooja, immigrated to Calgary with her family from Bangladesh in 2022. With her background as an assistant in a kindergarten school, she was the perfect fit to volunteer in the Early Learning Across Cultures (ELAC) program for 3–5-year-old children and their parents or caregivers. She has been assisting us with planning, setting up activities, and preparing materials. Mithila has an excellent rapport with staff and clients and is very reliable. We are grateful for all her dedication and support to the program. This is her story:

"I immigrated to Canada in June 2022. I had heard about English Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes through my friends who lived here and decided to go to Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC) for my English assessment. During my visit to ISC, I was incredibly impressed with the welcoming manner and generosity of ISC staff and volunteers. At that time, I decided to be a volunteer at ISC.

I previously worked as an assistant teacher in a kindergarten school in Bangladesh. I helped other teachers manage class behaviour, supervised group activities, and communicated with parents. I also assisted in children’s outdoor activities and sports events and carried out administrative tasks. Due to this experience of working with children, I was able to start volunteering at the ELAC program.

The best part of the ELAC program is that we get an awesome opportunity to teach kids preschool requirements and cultures from around the globe. I look forward to continuing to volunteer with ISC.”

Congratulations, Pooja!