Michaëlle Jean Centre for Global and Community Engagement

Volunteering can really open doors. Just ask Élyse Normand, a fourth-year human kinetics student. Élyse, who has been an elite athlete for several years and is currently a coach, discovered the Community Service Learning (CSL) program through her APA 3113 - Management of Sporting Events and Festivals course.

Last summer, Aminata Cissé, a third-year biochemistry undergraduate from Mali found herself with quite a bit of free time on her hands: she was taking courses part time and was looking for a good way to spend the extra time between classes. So she dropped by the Career Centre, where the counsellors recommended that she volunteer. They explained that volunteering would help her refine her career plans since, as an international student, she had little in the way of Canadian work experience. She knew she wanted to help others, so she decided to apply for extracurricular volunteer positions posted on the Community Engagement Navigator, which is hosted by the Michaëlle Jean Centre for Global and Community Engagement.

Cloé didn’t hesitate to apply for a community service learning placement at the centre, as part of her FEM 1500 course in women, gender and feminism. Cloé says she has been a very helpful person since she was a child, and as a francophone student, she has a good understanding of marginalization among francophones, including homeless or low-income women.

The #uOvolunteer campaign was created by the Michaëlle Jean Centre for Global and Community Engagement, with the goal of recognizing university students and professors who are involved in the community.