When I started multilingual community outreach, I thought success was all about numbers—attendance, email open rates, or social media metrics. But I quickly learned real success is about connection, trust, and making people feel heard. One moment changed my perspective. After organizing an event for multilingual families, a local leader said, “Let me know next time—I can help!” That hit me. I’d been trying to do everything myself, thinking it was expected, especially as someone multilingual. The truth? Impact comes through collaboration. Involving community leaders builds trust and creates authenticity. Outreach isn’t just about speaking the language—it’s about listening, partnering, and working together.

I think I would find an ally in each community who could be my partner in getting out my message. Making connections with people is key, especially transcending a language barrier. There are various cultural nuances that an outsider may not recognize. A partner who is from that community can enhance communications and advise on what will resonate with the most people.

In my experience, the most effective way to foster meaningful connections is by identifying and addressing the specific needs of the target community. True engagement hinges on building trust and demonstrating genuine interest, rather than pursuing an agenda. Once this trust is established, the outcomes naturally follow. While tools like surveys and focus groups are valuable, it's equally important to ensure that members of the target audience are represented within the data team. This inclusion helps uncover subtle nuances and mitigates cultural blind spots that can often skew data interpretation.

We are able to connect effectively with multilingual communities when we invite people with different languages to the table. We include diverse ideas in our selection of texts so folks from different spaces see themselves. When we think from an english-dominate lens, we may think that simply translated materials will be effective. We have to remember that language is developed in a sociocultural way. Even colloquialisms that we are accustomed to, do not hold the same meaning when translated. This does mean your collection methods also need to be filtered through an anti-bias lens. The way we phrase questions can lead individuals to one answer over another.

Measures vary according to community and the scope of your work. But, always there are common KPI. From my perspective the leval of community ownership and engagement is common indicators for success.

One thing I have found helpful in effectively connecting with diverse language communities is establishing clear goals that outline engagement intentions. Using the SMART criteria—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound—to set these objectives is essential. Track participation through quantitative metrics such as outreach reach, response rates, and active participant demographics. Additionally, gather qualitative feedback to assess the quality of interactions and community sentiment. Finally, evaluate your engagement strategies by analyzing participation data and feedback to refine your approach, ensuring continuous improvement in community connections.

Be your authentic self. Enter each room owning your complex identities, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomics, race, level of education, degree of life or from a learning institution. Do NOT fit in. Work hard, create lines of communication among your peers. We sometimes invent narratives instead of asking and being direct to ask for advice and support among your peers.

In today’s time, Canada truly stands as a “mini United Nations,” embodying the spirit of being multinational, multicultural, and multilingual. These values are woven into the fabric of our communities, making inclusivity and diversity key to any initiative’s success. If I had to measure my outreach success in such an environment, I would have my leadership and team reflect the diversity of the community I served and that I actively engage across diverse groups to see their participation in my programs. I would build strong relationships with community leaders, cultural organizations and stakeholders to work in a partnership. Success lies in ensuring that all voices are heard, and would build bridges that connect and uplift everyone.