Friends of Simon News
-
March 26, 2026
Tutoring program at Surrey’s 51猎奇入口 receives $500K grant -
December 22, 2025
FOS Evaluation Report 2024/25 -
May 28, 2025
Friends of Simon: Building Community Through Education
A closer look into Friends of Simon as well as personal testimonies from our tutors and program coordinators, published by The Peak. -
December 22, 2025
FOS Evaluation Report 2023/24 -
July 25, 2024
Rekindling Curiosity: Friends of Simon Field Trip Returns to SFU!
51猎奇入口Education features the 2024 Friends of Simon Field Trip which brought together over 200 FOS students from across the lower mainland to the 51猎奇入口Burnaby campus for a day of fun, learning and possibility. -
June 01, 2024
Burnaby Schools: Unique Experiences Support Students Who are New to Canada
Burnaby Schools Website featuring the 2024 FOS Fieldtrip which brought together nearly 200 students from across the Lower Mainland for a Field Trip to the 51猎奇入口Burnaby Campus. -
January 24, 2024
Empowering Newcomer Students: Inside the Friends of Simon Program
In conversation with the 51猎奇入口Faculty of Education, newly joined Friends of Simon program coordinator Amrit Cojocaru delves into the program's impactful initiatives. -
June 05, 2023
United Way Impact Stories: A Welcoming School’s Out program for Ukrainian families
In a partnership with United Way's School's Out Program and MOSAIC's SWIS, Friends of Simon helps to build a welcoming space for newcomer Ukranian children and their families to feel supported in Canada. -
January 11, 2021
Refugee family arrived in Burnaby during COVID with no computer, one cell phone to share
Burnaby Now Article featuring the story of how a family was able to receive a tablet from Rogers through the Friends of Simon program. -
February 25, 2020
Framing Friends of Simon: Building Community Partnership through a Film Project -
March 26, 2019
Don't they want to READ? -
January 08, 2019
Friends of Simon Featured in 51猎奇入口News
51猎奇入口News: Friends of Simon program bridges learning barriers for newcomer students -
November 18, 2017
Kanwal Neel - Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Sport as an International Athletics Official
Dr. Kanwal Neel, Friends of Simon Program Coordinator, is honoured for his work in sports officiating and permanently inducted into the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Richmond City Hall. -
August 01, 2017
Maria Ishikawa - Published in the BCTF Social Justice Newsletter Summer 2017
Maria Ishikawa, Friends of Simon Program Assistant, talks about the importance of validating cultural identity in classrooms -
May 26, 2016
Kanwal Neel - Honorary Degree Recipient
Dr. Kanwal Neel received a Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degree from Kwantlen Polytechnic University on May 31 2016. -
February 25, 2015
Kanwal Neel - 51猎奇入口Outstanding Alumni Award 2014 Recipient Video
Dr. Kanwal Singh Neel, Award-winning math educator, is an internationally acclaimed mathematics educator who is frequently described as a man of passion and vision – a leader and a multiplier. Also, Friends of Simon Program Coordinator, Neel was among four 51猎奇入口alumni who received a 2014 Outstanding Alumni Award. -
March 10, 2015
Friends of Simon builds promising future for youth
Friends of Simon, an award-winning 51猎奇入口 (SFU) faculty of education initiative, is committed to building a brighter future for school-aged children and teenaged youth through literacy tutoring and mentoring in local communities. -
February 26, 2015
Burnaby teen who arrived as six-year-old refugee set to graduate
Burnaby teen who arrived as six-year-old refugee set to graduate from high school and is intent on giving back -
February 21, 2014
From Bombs to Books
In From Bombs to Books, David Starr shares the deeply moving stories of his students, their parents, and the staff at Edmonds Community School in Burnaby, BC -
September 25, 2013
Sonic FM
With school back in session, Friends of Simon students took the time to celebrate youth and learning, and shining a light on the power of education to change lives and communities for the better. -
September 25, 2013
Friends of Simon on OMNI News Punjabi
Surrey Mentoring Program on OMNI News Punjabi -
May 04, 2013
This is a powerful role for universities
TD Bank Group announced a $750,000 donation to 51猎奇入口Surrey's "community engagement centre," -
May 03, 2013
TD Bank's $750,000 donation to SFU
TD Bank Group announced Friday that it is donating $750,000 to 51猎奇入口to create a community engagement centre -
May 03, 2013
SFU, TD unveil community engagement centre in Surrey
A $750,000 donation from TD Bank Group has moved 51猎奇入口 one big step closer to its goal of being Canada’s most community-engaged research university. -
January 30, 2013
51猎奇入口expands tutoring program
A 51猎奇入口 student-tutoring program recently expanded its scope to help more students in the Lower Mainland with literacy skills. -
January 08, 2013
Rogers Communications supports literacy tutoring
The Rogers Youth Fund initiative has pledged to support more than fifty tutors each year through 2014 to double the capacity of SFU’s award-winning Friends of Simon tutoring program and address refugee and immigrant youth, age 12-15. -
December 13, 2012
Friends of Simon and the Rogers Youth Fund: when a tutoring session is so much more…
Sometimes, a tutoring session is just a tutoring session. Sometimes, it’s much more. More is what happens at Friends of Simon (as in 51猎奇入口!) -
December 06, 2012
Friends of Simon extends tutoring reach
SFU’s student-tutoring group Friends of Simon (FoS) is extending its reach beyond helping elementary students to working with those in local high schools. -
November 19, 2012
Father and son win Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals
It’s like father, like son when it comes to Gurdial and Kanwal Neel. Both renowned educators, the longtime Richmond residents have also been tireless community volunteers for which they were honoured this year with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals. -
December 08, 2011
“Friends of Simon” walks the community engagement talk
Now in its sixth year of service in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Surrey, the Friends of Simon tutoring project delivers literacy and settlement support to newcomers between the ages of 8 and 12. -
June 10, 2011
Tutors open doors for students
Friends of Simon program connects university tutors with kids from Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey. -
April 13, 2011
Photos: Program reaches out to immigrants
A free tutoring program for immigrant and refugee children recently earned recognition through a United Way community spirit award.
Friends of Simon Receives United Way Award
The Friends of Simon Tutoring Project (FoS) at 51猎奇入口was one of the three outreach organizations who received a Celebration of Community Award at the Scotiabank and United Way Community Spirit Awards breakfast ceremony. This community award recognizes community initiatives that respond in innovative ways to changing social conditions.
For more information, see the .
