Cultivating your Community:You Reap What You Sow

A presentation on community involvement and my first year

university experience

Why community service

• Pursue interests beyond academic setting• Hands on learning• Develop a new perspective• Help others• Positive feedback loop • Meet new people!• Have potential employers or schools recognize

your involvement

More than just 40 hours

• Common question: How many hours should I spend volunteering?

• Doesn’t matter!• (ok, well at least 40)• The skills you learn from your volunteer work,

the skills you bring, and the impact it has on you are what matters!

• Expect to get from it what you contribute

Where should I volunteer my time?

• Most important question!!!• Look for personal connection or passion• EASY for employers or educational institutions

to spot “resume builders”

Ask Yourself:

• Am I looking forward to this opportunity, or the doors this opportunity will open?

• What is my reason for picking volunteer work over working a job?

• Why did I pick this specific activity?• Can I write a full page about why this is

meaningful to me?• Am I having a good time?

A Word on Smart Volunteering

• Volunteering is not always a good thingExamples:• Rebuild homes in Haiti – skill set mismatch!• Psychiatry in Timor – wrong place, wrong time• Kim Kardashian and the 50k soles for souls –

charity that kills local economyRemember to pick volunteer experiences that will

help you learn useful skills and where your skills are needed!

If you want to donate, donate smart!Inspiration: “Doing Good” presentation at

Loran Nationals 2011

My Involvement Experiences

Pamplona District - Lima, Peru

The Anti-Bullying Mural

• Started as a Leadership Class ISU project

• Passion for making art and personal history with bullying

• Fulfilled 60 hours requirement within first 2 months of 16 month project

The Anti-Bullying Mural

• Made long lasting friendships

• Combined with anti-bullying week, raised awareness around the school about bullying

• Left an important message for future and returning students

YO!TC and Slice the Ice Skating Camp

YO!TC and Slice the Ice Skating Camp

• Organization that provides free sports programs for kids

• Ran a month long skating camp with motivational speakers, snacks, and one on one time with volunteers

• One of my best volunteering experiences

YO!TC and Slice the Ice Skating Camp

• Why was YO!TC successful?• Personal connection: Parents couldn’t afford to

enrol me in hockey as a child• Passion: I love hockey more than sleep, so first

program was centred around skating• Contributed Skills: Leadership, skating ability• Learned Skills: Organizational skills,

communication skills• Impact: Made me respect and appreciate the

perspectives of younger people, made me passionate about helping others in financial need

Scholarships

• Remember, quality, not quantity!• These experiences and time in student council

were the subjects of my 3 application essays• Helped me net the Loran Award, a

scholarship awarded to only 30 students across Canada, valued at $75,000

• If I hadn’t won, I could have applied to hundreds of other scholarships and bursaries awarded for community service contributions

Want More Tips???

• I will be blogging over this summer throughout my trip to Benin. I will write about what you want so please make requests!

• University life, scholarship & uni applications, volunteering abroad, academics, community involvement, leadership opportunities.... Etc.

• Copy this link down!!!!

noprereqs.blogspot.com

More Resources

www.scholarshipscanada.com www.studentawards.com Useful websites for scholarship and bursary information

www.medhopeful.com Great for students thinking about medical school, good resource for scholarship insider information

www.yotc.co.nrWebsite for Youth Opportunities! Through Community that will help you get involved

www.brampton.com/vp.phpVolunteer opportunities offered by the City of Brampton

Thanks for your attention!

Any Questions?