Youth Volunteer Corps

Youth Volunteer Corps

Youth Volunteer Corps

Youth Central envisions a society where all youth participate in shaping a vibrant community. This vision is based on the firm belief that young people who experience involvement and philanthropy at an early age grow up with an ongoing sense of responsibility. Youth in modern society are undervalued and should be challenged to do more: they need to be included in all aspects of community life.

Through various initiatives, Youth Central provides youth the opportunity to volunteer, serve on steering committees, voice their opinions to business leaders and politicians, learn about the diversity in their community, serve on a youth foundation and develop citizenship skills.

The purpose of the Youth Volunteer Corps is to provide meaningful team-based volunteer opportunities to young people between the ages of 12 and 18 in partnership with over 150 community agencies and events.

We connect agencies with youth volunteers. Each team of youth volunteers is led by a trained team leader. Orientation and training for a specific project is provided by the agency requesting volunteers.

Who?

All Bachelor of Education Students

What?

Pre-Service teachers will work alongside a Youth Central staff member to lead groups of 8-12 youth in volunteer experiences at a variety of community organizations

When?

Fall: October - December

Winter: January - March

Where?

Various locations throughout the city

Youth Volunteer Corps Logistics

What's Involved

  • Pre-Service teachers will participate in a 60-minute training session
  • Each volunteer experience runs between 2 and 8 hours, depending on the partner organization. Pre-service teachers should commit to 6 experiences, averaging 4 hours each, during the semester.
  • As a Team Leader, you'll support youth as they learn about the social needs that underlie each volunteer project.
  • Pre-service teachers will begin by shadowing an experienced leader and supporting the icebreakers, service, and guided reflections that happen at each opportunity. As your placement progresses, you'll take on increased responsibility, with the goal of taking the lead role by the end of your service experience.

Requirements

Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after July 1 of the year you're participating). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process at their local police station as soon as possible, as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Apply a variety of facilitation strategies to encourage discussion, generate ideas, and build consensus
  • Examine a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in non-traditional educational settings
  • Gain experience working with youth in a small group setting
  • Lead or co-lead the component of at least one project within the program
  • Model positive behaviour for children, youth, teachers, and parents

Werklund Dates and Times

FALL 2023 (Application is now closed.)

  • Werklund Fall 2023 Wrap-Up Session: Friday, December 8, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Fall 2023 Placements End: mid-December

WINTER 2024

  • Winter 2024 application will open on November 20, 2024.
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Orientation: Monday, December 11, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom) 
  • Winter 2024 Placements Start: early January (program dependent)
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Check-In Session: Monday, January 29 at
    • 9:30 am - 10:30 am (in-person) or
    • 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm (Zoom)
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Wrap-Up Session: Tuesday, March 12, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Winter 2024 Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)

Youth Volunteer Corps Dates and Times

  • Training: tentatively January 9, 2023, 2 pm to 3 pm (online via Zoom) but training can be dependent on volunteer schedules
  • After school, evenings, and weekends
  • Schedule for leading volunteer opportunities:
    • 1-2 opportunities in January
    • 2-4 opportunities in February
    • 2-3 opportunities in March
    • 6+ total. Specific dates and times will be set based on student/program schedule

In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 20 hours for their service-learning experience

Making Connections

  • Throughout the semester, pre-service teachers will curate their volunteering experiences using a creative medium (e.g., photos, art, storyboarding, videos, etc.) that best reflects their experiences in the program. Your creative reflections will form part of a public showcase of Werklund student experiences later in the year.
  • Pre-service teachers will participate in 2 group meetings: one at the mid-point and another at the end of their placement (1 hour each). These group meetings provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on the community placement experience and to guide improvements for the program.
Service-Learning group

Winter 2024 applications are now closed.

Interested in applying for a future semester?

  1. Log on to Elevate and go to My Werklund Experiences > Courses/Programs
  2. Find the Service-Learning program and click Apply
  3. Complete the Service-Learning Application

Download an application guide here.

Apply on Elevate!

Working with the Youth Volunteer Corps was an incredible experience! It allowed me to work with students in a less formal setting, as well as engage with various organizations that help support the community.

Youth Volunteer Corps Participant

Each project was completely different and involved a whole new group of youth! This service-learning experience was also very flexible and essentially required a time commitment of 4-7 hours twice a month. This service-learning experience is great for anyone who wants to get involved in the community.

Youth Volunteer Corps Participant