The Immigrant Education Society

The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) is a not-for-profit registered charitable organization that has been actively serving newcomers and low-income Calgarians since 1988. TIES' primary goal is to provide immigrants and economically disadvantaged individuals with a solid foothold in Canada and afford them the opportunities to feel belonging in their new community.

TIES is governed by a Board of Directors made up of devoted community-minded volunteers and operates through funding from both government and private organizations. From our humble beginnings, TIES has grown from five volunteers in a single office to an employer of about 146 dedicated staff members and over 200 volunteers.

TIES now operates and is in full ownership of two large facilities in Calgary’s Forest Lawn and Whitehorn and in December of 2021 expanded its services to a new, larger facility in the Westwinds area of NE Calgary. Since its inception, TIES has assisted over 250,000 clients to strengthen their identities as members of Alberta society, offering services valued at tens of millions of dollars.

Our Vision

An inclusive and pluralistic society.

Our Mission

To provide innovative language education, customized employment training and placement, and integration services to newcomers and Canadians based on best practices.

Our Values

• Togetherness | We prioritize relationships and respect for each other

• Inclusion | We welcome and embrace pluralism

• Empowerment | We instill confidence and strength in ourselves and others

• Service | We serve and build our community