Julia

Julia V, BA Anthropology with a double minor in Women's and Gender Studies and Psychology (5th year)

Course: CSL 200 with instructor Dr. Jay Friesen (Winter 2023)

Who was your community partner, and can you describe the project objectives?

My community partner was The Learning Centre Literacy Association. As part of my placement, I primarily served the role of classroom support. In my role, I supported learners of the Learning Centre in the classroom to help them work towards achieving their learning goals. TLCLA helps adults develop literacy and numeracy skills, and most of their students have the goal of improving their work prospects through the Centre's programming.

What was the biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?

The biggest takeaway from my CSL placement has been the integral role that community-based organizations play in our communities, especially through addressing literacy needs. I was able to witness firsthand the positive impact that their programs and services had on all of the students, not only regarding their literacy education but also in generating a safe and comfortable environment to learn. Many of the students I worked with genuinely liked spending time at the Centre and spent most of their weeks taking as many classes as they could. TLCLA provides such an integral service in our Edmonton community to help increase adult literacy in our city, but they also play a large role in cultivating a safe third space that makes students, staff, and volunteers feel welcome.

How can you apply any newly gained knowledge/skills to your future endeavors (courses/employment/volunteering)?

I am incredibly passionate about literacy and the importance of education in improving our quality of life. I've often done volunteer work and employment that assisted in advocating for this social issue, but this is my first instance of doing the work first-hand to help students further their education and literacy. Through my work at the TLCLA, I've gained a lot of further insights into adult literacy and community-based learning. I hope to take this newfound knowledge in my career to hopefully also help do the important work that community non-profit organizations do.

How has receiving the Student Equity Award been a supportive avenue for you?

The Student Equity Award was incredibly helpful for me. Being selected as one of the recipients gave me recognition and validation for the work I was doing with the CSL, which was something I didn't necessarily expect or needed but was great to have nonetheless! The financial aspect of the award also helped to alleviate financial burdens and barriers to my participation in CSL courses, so having the opportunity also to have CSL be more accessible to me and other students from diverse backgrounds that absolutely amazing to see!