Jasmeen Bhatti, Jade Morgan, Kyrie Hemingson, Sadia Parvez

Jasmeen: Specialization in Psychology, 4th year

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

I volunteered for United for literacy as a CSL student alongside my community partner, Alysse Billings. The objectives for the reading circles were to focus on building a positive learning experiences for young readers. This included working one-on-one with a 7-12 year old learner such as playing games, reading, writing, and working on activities together. It was also important to help foster self-esteem and confidence in the learners and provide an overall safe and supportive learning environment for them. 

What was the biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?

The biggest takeaway from the CSL placement was being able to take part in the learning process for the learners. It was amazing to see the overall development and refinement of their reading and writing abilities in the reading circles. Although it was a short volunteer opportunity, it was very impactful for both the learners and the volunteers. 

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

I have gained valuable skills from this volunteer opportunity such as time management, adaptability, patience and experience working with children. These skills will be very beneficial for my future career and employment. I hope to continue working with children in the near future, and continue helping them in various ways.

Why should students consider being involved with CSL, and how does it enhance their academic learning?

Students should consider being involved with CSL because it gives you an opportunity to try something new and different. It is especially important for students studying psychology and education to pursue these opportunities because it can give you a chance to involve your teachings and knowledge from university into your placements. 

Kyrie: 4th year student majoring in Psychology, minoring in Linguistics through the Faculty of the Arts

What was the biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?

I would say that the biggest takeaway from my CSL placement is the impact we can make in our  community even in a short amount of time

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

Throughout my CSL placement I feel like I've gained a lot of adaptability skills! Going forward there are a multitude of ways I can apply this in the future. Whether this is engaging active listening skills when adapting to the various different people I'm sure to encounter or adapting to various situations I'm sure to be put in, I feel a lot more able to show up and meet people where they are at.

Why should students consider being involved with CSL, and how does it enhance their academic learning?

CSL placements are really beneficial in a students academic journey as they really enable us to connect with our community, as well as connect research and scientific literature to the real world. 

 Jade: Psychology, 3rd year

What was the biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?

The importance of community and strong relationships in a child's development. 

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

The knowledge I gained from this experience could be really beneficial in future job and volunteering opportunities as the work we did gave me enriched my skills in transferring more complex topics into practical and useful concepts when working in the field with children. 

Why should students consider being involved with CSL, and how does it enhance their academic learning?

You get a chance to apply and observe your knowledge learned in class to real life as well as being able to learn from the community and the community partners you work with!

Sadia: BSc specialization in Psychology, 5th year

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

Our community partner was United For Literacy. The project objective was to support an organization that provides valuable resources to our community. UFL has created several amazing programs to help tackle issues with literacy for people of all ages. Our group wanted to provide evidence-based strategies for parents of learners with learning disabilities on how they can be an active participant in their child’s education. 

What was the biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?

The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of evidence-based learning strategies and the incredible value of community-based education for us as students ourselves. 

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

In the future, I will continue to seek opportunities to apply my academic knowledge to my experiential work, allowing me to support my community while simultaneously enriching my own education.

Why should students consider being involved with CSL, and how does it enhance their academic learning?

CSL placements provide an opportunity for hands-on learning that many students in the human services field may not otherwise encounter until graduate school.