Women Connecting With Women
May Events
May 22, 2019; Wednesday (10 a.m. – 12 p.m): Wellness for Employment (session 4)
This is the fourth session of a series of workshops that are meant to help individuals improve their well-being. The participants will learn about healthy ways to reduce their stress, improve their self-confidence, and gain a new perspective regarding employment. We discuss strategies to improve their skills and strengths. All individuals are welcome in this session.
May 28, 2019; Tuesday (10 a.m. – 12 p.m): Assertive Communication
This is a workshop for women to learn more about the types of communication and styles of communication.
April Events
Apr 30th (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Women’s Health in Relationships
In this group session, we have a guest speaker from public health. You have a chance to learn more about women’s health and sexual health in a safe and confidential space (group session for women).
Apr 25th (Thursday): 2 pm – 4 pm: Career Make-Over!
Considering a new career in a new country can be unsettling and exciting at the same time! Having the opportunity to recreate yourself is empowering but also requires some planning. In this workshop Trisha Grace, Career Advisor from George Brown College, will walk you through the steps you need to take to navigate the waters of a career change.
April 23rd (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Assertive Communication
This is an interactive workshop for women to learn more about healthy assertive communication. We have a guest speaker for this group session. The topics we will discuss include: types of communication and styles of communication, how to be assertive in interviews, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries.
April 18th (Thursday): 10 am – 12 pm: Newcomers and Money 101 Workshop
This is a very helpful and informative workshop for women, especially newcomer women to learn more about managing their finances in Canada. In this group session, you will learn about the Canadian banking system, creating a spending plan, understanding credit, managing debt, and avoiding fraud, scams. We will have an expert guest speaker. In this session, you have a chance to ask your questions regarding financial matters, and to learn more about topics related to financial security.
April 16th (Tuesday): 10 am 12 pm: Body Image & Self Esteem
We will have a discussion on ways we can improve our confidence, food/weight preoccupations, and an overview of dieting and its effect on one’s self/family. This group will examine why it is important to challenge societal beauty norms and aim to live with a “Health At Every Size” (HAES) attitude. For this session, we have a guest speaker from NEDIC; http://nedic.ca/
April 11th (Thursday): 10 am – 12 pm: Self-Care for Women
We will discuss what self-care means, the importance of it for women, and a variety of healthy ways to practice self-care. We will also have some self-care activities in this session (e.g., a brief mindful self-compassion meditation, creative writing, and art journaling.)
April 9th (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Self-Confidence
We will discuss what self-confidence means, how it is defined in psychology, its connection to self-worth, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, and how to improve one’s self-confidence.
April 4rth (Thursday): 10 am -12 pm: Happiness & Positive Psychology
We will discuss what happiness means to each person, what happiness means in positive psychology, what contributes to our happiness, and what we can do proactively to feel happier more often.
April 2nd (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Pre-Apprenticeship Training for Women
There has never been a better time to consider the trades as a career option. Please JOIN US at the info session on Tuesday, April 2nd at the Skills for Change and learn about the Commercial/Residential Painter-Decorator Pre-Apprenticeship program. Have your questions or concerns answered and submit your application for a seat in the training program all at once! Program Start Date: Monday, April 22, 2019
March Events
Mar 28th (Thursday): 10 am – 12 pm: Newcomers and Money 101 Workshop
Information on the Canadian banking system, creating a spending plan, understanding credit and managing debt, and avoiding fraud/scams. We will have an expert guest speaker for this group session. In this session, you have a chance to ask your questions regarding financial matters, and to learn more about topics related to financial security.
Mar 26th (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Self Confidence for Women
This will be an interactive workshop on self-confidence for women. In this group session, the participants will learn more about character strengths, components of self-confidence, and healthy ways of improving their self-confidence.
Mar 19th (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Self-Care for Women
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about healthy ways of self-care. We will talk about the importance of self-care, and how to practice it despite life challenges. Some of the topics include mindfulness, self-compassion, stress reduction, and healthy boundaries.
Mar 14th (Thursday): 10 am – 12 pm: Pathways to Healthy Families
This workshop will be presented by Jean Tweed at Skills for Change. This workshop is about supporting women who are suffering from substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or gambling concerns. It also discusses pregnancy and parenthood, women with concurrent disorders as well as women currently involved in the criminal justice system. Supportive housing is also available to women within a harm reduction, trauma-informed framework.
Mar 13th (Wednesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Volunteer Toronto Information Session
This will be an information session for women about volunteer opportunities in Toronto.
If you are looking for work and you are not employed yet, or if you are working but would like to explore new work opportunities, this is a great event for you. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities in Toronto, and how to become a volunteer, to gain new experience, expand your professional network, and learn more about career path and work environment.
Mar 12th (Tuesday): 10 am – 12 pm: Happiness and Positive Psychology
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about positive psychology, and healthy ways to feel happier more often. We will talk about what happiness means to each person, what positive psychology says about the meaning of happiness, and what contributes to individuals’ happiness.
Mar 7th (Thursday): 10 am – 12 pm: Best Interests of a Child in Family Law
This workshop will discuss how family courts consider the needs and interests of a child as the main factor in deciding child custody and access. We will talk about the types of proof the court looks at and how they come to a final decision.
Mar 2nd (Saturday): 10 am – 3 pm: Women Empowering Women Conference
As part of the Women Connecting with Women program of Skill for Change, we have a one day conference on Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at our central office located at 791 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C 1B7. The intention of this conference is to further support and empower newcomer women towards building a better and more inclusive environment for women. We will have a number of workshops, presentations and group sessions. All women are welcome to attend.
February Events
Feb 5th (Tuesday): 10-12: Women surviving violence
Information session about support services for women survivors of violence (Guest speaker from: Assaulted Women Helpline)
Description: This will be a group session (presentation and workshop), about support services for women surviving violence. The participants will learn more about how to receive help when they need it, and they have a chance to connect with a community support provider and ask their questions.
Link: https://womenviolencesfc.eventbrite.ca
Feb 7th (Thursday): 10-12: Happiness for women
How to train your Happiness / Happiness, joy and how to find them
Description: What does science know about happiness and how we can implement its discoveries in our lives? What are the main sources of happiness all around the world? Is it possible to train ourselves to be happier? This short presentation sums up the main findings of the latest research in positive psychology in an entertaining form. A couple of simple exercises engages you in the process of making your own discovery of your life and finding your own happiness.
Link: https://happinesswomensfc1.eventbrite.ca
Feb 12th (Tuesday): 10-12: Mindful self-compassion
A group session for women to learn about and practice mindful self-compassion
Description: This will be an interactive workshop on mindfulness and self-compassion, (theory and practice) for women to apply the skills learned on a daily basis. Research suggests the benefits include: stress reduction, improved well-being, and improved concentration.
Link: https://mindfulselfcompassionwomen.eventbrite.ca
Feb 14th (Thursday): 2-4 p.m.: Women and Self-care
A group session for women to learn more about healthy self-care
Description: This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about the importance of self-care, and healthy ways of self-care to maintain and improve one’s well-being (based on a holistic approach).
Link: https://womenselfcaresfc.eventbrite.ca
Feb 19th (Tuesday): 10-12: TBD
Feb 20th (Wednesday) 10-12: Healthy Relationships
A workshop on healthy relationships: Caitlin from Redwood will facilitate this session
Description: This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to maintain and improve their relationship in a healthy way, how and when to set healthy boundaries, and how to maintain their well-being during and after an unhealthy relationship.
Link: https://womenhealthyrelationships.eventbrite.ca
Feb 20th (Wednesday) 2- 4 p.m.: Women in Trade
An information session presented by YWCA about a program for women with a professional background in IT: (IT-Android application development)
This orientation session, presented by YWCA at Skills for Change (791 St. Claire Ave West) will be about 1.5-2 hours. It covers the YWCA IT-Android Mobile Application Developer program, describing the program, what are the requirements to enter the program and if it is a good fit for what they are looking for in a career. The potential or interested clients can write their assessment test (in Java or C++) after the conclusion of session. The participants need to know Java / C++ very well.
Link: https://womenintradesfc.eventbrite.ca
Feb 21s (Thursday):10-12: Women and Self-confidence
A workshop on women’s self-confidence
Description: This will be an interactive workshop for women (especially newcomers, immigrants, and refugees), on what self-confidence means, and how to maintain and improve one’s self-confidence.
Link: https://womenselfconfidencesfc.eventbrite.ca
Feb 26th (Tuesday), 10-12: Happiness for women
How to train your Happiness / Happiness, joy and how to find them
Description: What does science know about happiness and how can we apply its discoveries in our lives? What are the main sources of happiness all around the world? Is it possible to train ourselves to be happier? This short presentation sums up the main findings of the latest research in positive psychology in an entertaining form. A couple of simple exercises engages you in the process of making your own discovery of your life and finding your own happiness.
Link: https://happinesswomensfcj.eventbrite.ca
Feb 28th: (Thursday), 10-12: Emotional Fitness during Job Search
A workshop on emotional fitness for women who are looking and applying for jobs
Description: This will be an interactive workshop on wellness, self-care, and emotional fitness for women who are looking for a job. This workshop is designed to support and empower newcomer women and other women who were born outside Canada. The participants will learn techniques to reduce their stress, improve their skills, and enhance their self-confidence.
Link: https://emotionalfitnessjobsearch.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, January 1, 2019 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Happiness
This is an interactive workshop for women to learn more about happiness and emotional wellness. We will discuss what happiness means to each person, what contributes to one’s happiness, positive psychology, and some healthy ways to improve emotional wellbeing.
Link: https://happinesswomensfc.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, January 3, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Mindful Self-Compassion
This is an interactive workshop for women to learn more about self-awareness and self-compassion. We will discuss mindfulness, being present, not judging, awareness of one’s emotions and thoughts, and how to practice self-compassion.
Link: https://mindful-self-compassion-women.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Women and Wellness
This will be an information session and an interactive workshop about women wellness and self-care.
Link:https://womenwellness8.eventbrite.ca
Wednesday, January 9th, 2019 (Time: 10.15 AM – 12.30): Volunteer Toronto Information Session
This will be an information session about volunteer positions in Toronto, to support and empower women.
https://volunteertorontowomen.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, January 10, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Emotional fitness for job search
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about wellness and self-care, especially for the time they are looking for employment. We will discuss how to manage and reduce one’s stress, what contributes to optimal wellness, healthy ways of self-care, and how to improve one’s self-efficacy during this time.
Link: https://wellnessjobwomen.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Self-care for women
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about self-care and wellness. In this session, we will talk about what challenges women face that may affect their well-being and what helps to maintain a regular self-care routine.
Link: https://self-care-women-sfc.eventbrite.ca
*Thursday, January 17, 2019 (Time 10 AM-12): Arts & Crafts
This will be a workshop for women who are interested in arts and crafts. There is no need to know any techniques. We will have a fun group activity, and you can express yourself using colors and forms.
Link: https://artscraftswomen.eventbrite.ca
Saturday, January 19th, 2019 (10.15AM – 12.30 PM: Women, wellness and relationships
Harm Reduction in a relationship context, Intimacy and Risk Management in a relationship context.
Link: https://womenwellnessintimacy.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 (Time 2- 4 PM): Women services in Scarborough
This will be an information session for women to learn more about services and resources that exist in GTA, especially in Scarborough. We will discuss different services and resources that can support and empower women, especially newcomers, and women from different cultural backgrounds.
Link: https://womenservicestoronto.eventbrite.ca
*Thursday, January 24, 2019 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Financial literacy
This will be an information session on financial matters, and managing one’s finances. We will have an expert guest speaker for this group session. In this session you have a chance to ask your questions regarding financial matters, and to learn more about topics related to financial security.
Link: https://financialmatters2women.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, January 29, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Wellness for employment
This will be an interactive workshop for women who would like to learn more about how to be more prepared for employment. In this session we will discuss stress reduction, self-care, self-compassion, self-confidence, and how to be more confident when applying for employment, and/or when starting a new job.
Link: https://wellness-employment-women.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, January 31, 2019 (Time: 10 AM-12): Communication for career
This will be an interactive workshop for women to improve their communication skills related to employment, work place, and career. We will discuss clear and effective communication, interpersonal relationships, and cultural awareness related to one’s career.
Link: https://communicationcareerwomen.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, December 4 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Happiness
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about positive psychology and how to apply its principles in one’s daily life. We will explore what happiness means, considering each person’s unique needs, goals, and perception. Then, we will talk about what contributes to happiness (e.g., one’s perspective, healthy ways of thinking, healthy behaviour, managing relationships, self-care, self-awareness, and taking care of one’s emotions).
Link: https://happinesswomendec.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, December 6 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Support GroupThis will be a support group for women immigrants, refugees, and newcomers who may be experiencing different challenges such as unemployment, language barriers, cultural differences, homesickness, past trauma, stress, grief, and other life challenges.
https://supporgroupwomendec.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, December 11 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Self-care for women
This will be a workshop for women to learn more about self-care and improving their well-being. We will talk about stress reduction, practical and healthy time-management, creative and new ways of self-care, self-approval, being present, self-compassion, and healthy relationships.
https://self-carewomendec.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, December 13 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
This will be an interactive workshop on mindful self-compassion. Women will have a safe space to express their thoughts and emotions regarding life challenges, challenges of being an immigrant, and challenges of being a woman/mother. The participants will learn more about and practice mindfulness and self-compassion, and how to apply mindful self-compassion in one’s daily life.
https://mindfulself-compassionwomendec.eventbrite.ca
Tuesday, December 18 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Story-telling and personal development
This workshop will create a safe space for women to tell their story of coming to Canada and starting a new life. Participants who do not wish to talk about their story, can use creative writing or art instead. The participants can also talk about any life experience they previously had. The goal will be recovery (e.g., from any past trauma or grief) and personal development (e.g., improving one’s self-confidence). Women may discover that they are stronger than they previously thought, and they can also support and empower each other.
https://storywomendevelopment.eventbrite.ca
Thursday, December 20 (Time: 10 AM- 12): Reducing stress and anxiety
This will be a workshop for women to learn more about healthy ways of reducing and managing stress and anxiety (e.g., new ways of thinking, healthy life style, mindfulness, self-compassion and more). The participants will experience a safe, supportive, non-judgmental and empowering space where they can share their thoughts and emotions, and gain more self-awareness.
November events
November 29, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Recovering from grief and loss
This will be an interactive workshop for women who need additional support and a safe space to recover from grief and loss. In addition to the workshop, the participants who would like to receive more support will have access to personal counselling sessions for free.
https://griefandlosswomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 27, at 2 PM to 4 PM: Support Group Session
This will be a support group session for women who were born in other countries and are now living in Canada. This will be a safe and supporting space for the participants to express their thoughts and emotions, and talk about their experience as an immigrant, refugee, or newcomer.
https://womenconnectsupportgroup.eventbrite.ca
November 22, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Self-Compassion
This will be an interactive workshop on self-compassion. Women will be encouraged to express their thoughts and emotions regarding life challenges, challenges of being an immigrant, and challenges of being a woman/mother. The participants will learn more about and practice self-compassion.
https://selfcompassionwomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 20, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Emotional fitness during job search
This will be a group session for women to learn more about maintaining and improving their well-being when they are experiencing challenges of finding a job.
https://jobsearchemotionalwellbeing.eventbrite.ca
November 15, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Self-care and wellness
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about self-care, its importance, and healthy ways of practical self-care to improve their wellness.
https://self-carewellnesswomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 13, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Assertive Communication
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn more about assertive communication, and to improve one’s skills in this regard.
https://womenconnectcommunication.eventbrite.ca
November 10, at 10 AM to 1 PM: Healing through creative writing for film
This will be an interactive workshop for women who are interested in films and/or creative activities. The participants will experience self-awareness, self-exploration, and healing by engaging in practices that incorporate both creative story-telling and psychology.
https://filmhealingwomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 8, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Legal rights for women
This will be an information session about women’s legal rights, especially regarding how to protect oneself against violence.
https://womenrightwomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 6, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Happiness
This will be an interactive workshop to learn about positive psychology and how to apply it in one’s daily life. We will also explore what happiness means, considering each person’s unique needs and perception.
https://happinesswomenconnect.eventbrite.ca
November 1, at 10 AM to 12 PM: Mindfulness
This will be an interactive workshop for women to learn about and practice mindfulness. A brief mindfulness meditation will be part of the session, and the participants will also discuss and learn how to apply the skills during their daily lives too.
