Guest blog by Apathy is Boring Youth voter turnout is on the decline across the country. In the 2011 federal election, only 38.8 per cent of Canadians aged 18-24 voted. This trend is especially worrisome for the upcoming provincial election, given that Alberta is the province with the largest demographic of young people in Canada. For…
A few weeks ago, Sam (our resident Serving Communities Internship Program expert) and I got the chance to participate in the SCiP mixer at the University of Alberta, organized by CaPS (Career and Placement Services). Designed as a speed-networking event, the event matched four representatives from nonprofit organizations with 16 prospective interns for what turned…
Unpaid internships have become a hot topic recently. In the United States, unpaid interns are suing big companies that have offered subpar opportunities with little educational or experiential value. In Canada, students and politicians are pushing for clearer legal standards for unpaid internships to avoid similarly exploitative experiences. So where does the Serving Communities Internship…
I’m two weeks away from completing my degree in Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. Although I’m not new to the workforce, my options are expanding and instead of searching for jobs, I’m now seeking a career. In this quest, I’m looking to marry the two important factors in my perfect career. The first…
When I told some friends that I was doing a SCiP internship, I got a lot of shocked reactions. “Another job? How are you going to juggle all of that?” “Are you sure that’s a good idea, what with starting a new program and everything?” I was just starting graduate school in Library and Information…
A friend of mine was sharing a conversation she had with her 14 year old, they were talking about résumés, the importance of volunteering and how that can impact future jobs. It started the wheels turning in my head… is there not enough information available to students in younger grades about volunteering? Are we…
Last week I had the privilege of sitting on the Vitalize 2012 Conference youth engagement panel, ‘Volunteerism: The Next Generation’ moderated by my colleague Steven Kwasny. I joined 16-year old co-founder of 8th Rung Jocelyn Davis, Volunteer Calgary’s Community & Service Learning Coordinator, Ralamy Kneeshaw, and Banff Volunteer Centre Executive Director (and all-around youth engagement guru) Katherine Topolniski,…
Last week, Rosanne (VA’s Director of Programs) and I attended Volunteer Lethbridge’s annual National Volunteer Week celebration – the Leaders of Tomorrow awards. This event recognizes the exceptional contributions made by youth aged 5-24 years old in the Lethbridge area. I was blown away by the list of hundreds of organizations that Lethbridge youth volunteer…