Encouraging a Community of Citizen Leaders at the University of Guelph A Showcase of our Programs

Guelph Serves!  Project Serve in September  Project Serve Canada  Ongoing Volunteer Experiences  One-Time Volunteer Projects for Groups  Adopt-A-Family  iCAN website –  Get Involved! Newsletter

Citizenship Education  Citizenship Awareness Month in January  “I Care, I Vote” Campaign  “Be…” Series to promote Citizenship Awareness  Social Action Workshop Series (New in 2005/06)  Community Liaison for Student Groups and Faculty  Education and Awareness Fact Sheets on Social Issues  Workshops and Resources

Leadership Education  Celebrating Leadership Week  Leadership Education Workshop Series  Workshops and Resources

Education and Reflection  Learning in our programs happens in the following ways: Personal Journals Daily check in discussions Small and large group discussions Speakers and workshops from the campus and community Related readings and resources with discussion Experienced senior student Team Leaders, who are trained in facilitating reflection discussions and activities Direct input and discussion with community agency representatives

Project Serve  Annual one-day volunteer event in September  Over 400 participants in teams of 6-12, with an assigned and trained Team Leader, are bused to over 25 community agency sites  Agency orientation on site  Return to campus for appreciation lunch, reflection activities and discussion with Team Leader, and information on continued volunteering

Project Serve Mission  To introduce students to community service and, through it, affirm the value of service to others – both locally and in the world beyond our campus.

Project Serve Objectives  To accomplish our mission we operate by the following guiding principles: Project Serve must:  Be a collaborative community project  Be inclusive and accessible to all students  Assist students in optimizing their learning and in making connections to greater societal issues, particularly in the context of their discipline  Provide students with opportunities to reflect upon their personal philosophy of citizenship that includes understanding of self, others and community, as well as the acceptance of responsibilities inherent in community membership  Facilitate positive interaction between students, faculty, staff, community volunteers and agency representatives  Assist community-based organizations in promoting the benefits of volunteerism  Positively reinforce the value of contributions made and the potential for future impact through community service

Impact of Project Serve…  “Project Serve provided us with the opportunity to participate in community building with the university and its students, and provided advertising for our agency” – Agency Representative

 “Project Serve shows the Guelph community that the university is not an entity operating on its own, but rather, a group of citizens who are willing to contribute to the community in which they live and learn.” - Participant  “We engaged in an activity that we probably wouldn’t have ventured into (garage sale) had it not been for Project Serve. This sale ended up making almost $600 to benefit clients” – Agency Representative

 “Project Serve is a wonderful program that has mutual benefits for the agency and for the participants. Not only do the participating students get to put their knowledge into action, but in doing so they are giving to and learning about the Guelph-Wellington community. Thank you all.” – Agency representative  “The message that I took away from all of the experiences was that regardless of where your interests may lie, a few hours of your time can make a huge difference.” - Participant

What agency representatives say about Project Serve…  “It is a great way to build community partnerships and raise awareness of our programs and services”  “Our clients were able to see that members of their community care about their home/program and are willing to donate their time”  “[Students] completed large tasks that we wouldn’t have been able to do; provided financial resources”  “Volunteers see youth of today deciding to get involved. Longer tasks can get accomplished in a way shorter time period. Awareness of who we are and what we offer as support.”  “The clients felt energized by the students’ enthusiasm. They were grateful for the support the students offered. All in all it was a wonderful coming together of a variety of individuals to complete a common goal.”  “Our clients learned that there are good people out there who want to and are willing to help them out for free. Our clients learn things by watching others. We encourage volunteerism and so they are more likely to want to do this, when they feel the good effects of it.”

Project Serve Canada  Each February, during the winter semester Reading Week  University of Guelph students connect with students from other Canadian universities, and together significantly serve in collaboratively designed four day volunteer placements in one or more of our national communities.  Learning opportunities, education and reflection components are integrated into the program to raise awareness in the students on critical social issues and to encourage the development of a lifelong sense of responsible national citizenship in these young adults

Project Serve Canada Goals  To provide significant service to non-profit organizations in Canadian communities  To maximize learning opportunities for the involved students, including raising awareness and understanding of critical social issues and the role of citizens in working for change  To facilitate leadership knowledge and skill development, particularly in the areas of team building, effective communicating, ethical decision making, understanding diversity and visioning  To connect students with their peers in another Canadian community, highlighting the diversity and commonalities of our nation, and encouraging the development of a strong sense of national citizenship  To indicate important and meaningful connections for students between their academic studies and society  To highlight the civic commitment of university students and their potential positive impact on society today and in the future, through meaningful connections between community members and student participants  To encourage lifelong civic engagement in the young adult participants, through the promotion of ongoing involvement in social issues awareness, volunteerism, positive political activism and socially responsible academic endeavors and career choices

Project Serve Canada Impact…  “It was a life altering experience.”  “Nothing I can say will do it justice.”  “Broke many preconceptions”  “I learned to confront and change my own biases and stereotypes.”  “Thanks for providing me with the highlight of my University career!”  "I learned to look beyond people’s external circumstances and see the humanity in everybody.”

 “I learned what types of issues there are, methods of targeting them. I learned that these are real people that I can connect with. I learned that I can make a difference and that it does matter.” – Participant

 “I learned not only about the demographics and life stories of vulnerable populations, but also lots about myself, community, social service agencies, and the goodness of humanity.” - Participant

 “This experience made me dig deep within myself and question my values and beliefs, however, at the same time has provided and solidified my vision in my life. It has shown me how different experiences are really a tool that is required as a student and a citizen of Canada.” - Participant

 “It’s time for me to think which path I want to take, either to continue to live that sheltered like or to go out there and be a part of something bigger” - Participant  “I learned that a small group of people can do great things. I was amazed at the passion, trust and enthusiasm this group had” - Participant

 “I learned that it is so important to be an active member of one’s community, and that the contributions we make, even though they may seem small, make such a difference in the lives of others. I also learned that we as university students have a great responsibility to be advocates for social justice and that we cannot just sit back and be idle citizens” – Participant

 “I realized during this service-learning experience that I am going to switch programs, so that I am dealing with issues that are more important to me. I have realized that I want my academic studies to better reflect my core values and beliefs” - Participant

Resources    Contact: Emilie Hayes, Experiential Education Specialist University Centre, Level 3 University of Guelph (519) , ext

Questions?