Community Service Learning & Partners

Enhancing Student Engagement through Community Service Learning Projects

The core concept behind community service-learning as a transformative educational strategy is that by combining service with learning objectives, the result is the provision of a personally meaningful experience. Community service-learning is not simply volunteering and logging hours. It is a dynamic process, through which students’ personal and social growth is tightly interwoven into their academic and cognitive development (Eyler and Giles, 1999). Enhancing student engagement in this manner allows the student to understand their community, their role as a citizen and in this case their future role as a Child and Youth Care Practitioner.

Course Description: FAM1255 Field Preparation Seminar II

Building on previous field preparation work, students acquire a deeper awareness of the role of the child and youth worker within a wide variety of settings. Students further develop necessary skills in client engagement, therapeutic activities, advocacy and teamwork. Through a practical project that links students with a community agency, students plan and implement a program that benefits the agency with which they partner.

Community Partners

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ottawa (BBBSO)

BBBSO has been a long standing partner with Algonquin College’s Child and Youth Worker program. They have offered invaluable volunteer experiences and placements for our students and have honoured their hard work through presenting them with their “Gratitude Award” for 2010. For more information about the extensive services they provide to our community please visit their website at http://www.bbbso.ca/

The Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa

The Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa is a long standing partner with the Child and Youth Worker program. Many first year students through the years have volunteered at their club houses as well as completed placements in a variety of capacities. In 2011 the CYW winter Outdoor Activities course will utilize the wonderful facilities of Camp Smitty. For more information about the extensive services they provide to our community please visit their website at http://www.bgcottawa.org/

Project T.E.M.B.O. (Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity)

To enhance the opportunity our students have to learn more about children and communities on an international front the program has reached out to work with Project T.E.M.B.O. This organization was founded in 1998 by two Ottawa women Jo Marchant and Marian Roks. T.E.M.B.O. provides education for girls as well as economic empowerment for women through micro-business loans and opportunities in Northern Tanzania. To learn more about T.E.M.B.O. please visit their website at http://www.projectembo.org/