Transitioning Into Post-Secondary (TIPS)
The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY) is a charitable not for profit organization that serves over 12,000 individuals annually. CBFY provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for immigrant and refugee youth and their families by enriching them with the appropriate information, knowledge and experience as they build a life in Canada.
The Transitioning Into Post-Secondary (TIPS) program matches pre-service teachers and students with international experience with immigrant and refugee youth. Participants serve as mentors to newcomer youth, providing support, resources, and information. The goal of this program is to help newcomers achieve their personal, social, and academic goals, as well as better understand the Canadian post-secondary system and communities. It also offers pre-service teachers and students with international experience the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with youth, and discover some of the challenges faced by newcomer youth when transitioning into post-secondary study.
What's Involved
- Pre-service teachers should commit to attending ~10 two-hour mentoring sessions, which will serve as a knowledge exchange between a newcomer youth, a pre-service teacher, and at least one international student.
- Sessions will focus on building youth awareness of the postsecondary system (e.g., the application process, student support services, clubs, tech, etc) and learning from the different perspectives within the triad.
Requirements
- Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after May 1 of the current academic year). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process online with their local Police station as soon as possible as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process. Please see the Field Experience Police Information Requirement webpage for more information on how to request a PIC-VS.
- Students placed with TIPS also require a Child Intervention Check issued by Alberta Human Services. We recommend starting the process as early as possible, but more information about the CIC will be provided at the orientation session.
Program Learning Outcomes
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Apply a variety of facilitation strategies to encourage discussion, generate ideas, and build consensus
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Apply a variety of leadership strategies to develop meaningful relationships with the program and its participants
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Apply a variety of mentorship strategies to support mentees’ personal, social, and academic goals
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Develop cross-cultural competencies related to language, culture, and place.
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Gain experience working with youth in a small group setting
TIPS Dates
- Program Dates:
- Fall: early October to mid-December
- Winter: February to April*
- Training Session: TBA
- Mentor-Mentee Introduction Session: TBA
- Session times will vary from group to group, but often run Tuesdays or Thursdays from 5:00-7:00pm weekly
In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 25-30 hours for their service-learning experience
*Please note that placements for this program continue beyond the end of the Werklund Service-Learning program period.
Co-Curricular Service-Learning Dates
Fall Semester Timeline
- Fall 2024 Applications Open: August 28, 2024
- Werklund Information Sessions:
- Cancelled; please email wse.experiential@ucalgary.ca with any questions about the Service-Learning program or to arrange for a meeting.
- Fall 2024 Applications Close: September 17, 2024 for smaller programs, larger placement applications are ongoing.
- Fall 2024 Placements Start: early October (program dependent)
- Fall 2024 Placements End: mid-December (program dependent)
Winter Semester Timeline
- Winter 2025 Applications Open: November 15, 2024
- Winter 2025 Information Session: November 26, 5:00 pm (Zoom)
- Winter 2025 Applications Close: Ongoing, program-dependent
- Winter 2025 Placements Start: early January (program dependent)
- Winter 2025 Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)
Experiential Learning Check-In & Reflection Opportunities
All participants in Experiential Learning programs are welcome and encouraged to attend at least two of the check-in & reflection sessions below as part of their program. Reflection is an incredibly important part of experiential learning. It encourages students to consider their experience so far and to adjusted as needed as they go forward through the rest of their program, or into the next step of their career.
Fall Check-In & Reflection Sessions
More information for Fall 2025 coming soon!
Winter Check-In & Reflection Sessions
More information for Winter 2026 coming soon!
Applications for Fall 2025 will open in September!
Interested in applying for a volunteer opportunity?
- Log on to Elevate and go to My Werklund Experiences > Courses/Programs
- Find the Service-Learning program and click Apply
- Complete the Service-Learning Application
Sharing my experience as an immigrant navigating the post-secondary system was a really important way for me to give back.
TIPS Participant
It was great experience working with my community partner. She helped me connect with my mentees, learn about community organizations, and understand ways to support immigrant youth.
TIPS Participant