Aurelia Uarsama, Seniors Well-being and Engagement Program Lead at Africa Centre

What inspired your involvement with CSL?

Our involvement with CSL was inspired by the need to grow our programs while creating meaningful opportunities for students to contribute their skills in real community settings. We saw strong value in engaging students to support areas such as digital skills learning for the seniors, research, program design, and newsletter content development. At the same time, CSL gives students a chance to apply what they are learning in a way that is practical, purposeful, and community-centered. For us, it has been a partnership rooted in both organizational growth and student learning.

How does collaborating with CSL students enhance the work of your non-profit organization? Was there a particular CSL project that made a difference or impact to your organization this year?

Collaborating with CSL students enhances our work by bringing fresh energy, thoughtful ideas, and practical support to our programs. This year, students made a meaningful impact by helping us develop clear and accessible brochures and guides for seniors on topics such as tenant rights and protections, fall prevention, and memory support. 

Their work was especially valuable because the materials were simplified for seniors facing language barriers, making important information easier to understand and use. Another student played a key role in our digital skills classes by working one-on-one with seniors in a dynamic and effective way, helping them build confidence with technology. Students also supported our celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually on March 21, through the launch of a community cooking book that highlighted culture, storytelling, and belonging. Their contributions strengthened both our programs and our ability to serve the community in meaningful ways.

What advice do you have for the next set of CSL students?

Come in with curiosity, humility, and an open mind. Community work is not only about completing tasks; it is also about listening, building trust, and understanding people’s lived experiences. Take time to learn about the organization’s mission and the community it serves. The more intentional and prepared you are, the more meaningful your contribution will be.

What are some upcoming events or initiatives your organization is working on? 

Africa Centre is expanding programs for seniors, youth, and families through culturally responsive services. Upcoming initiatives include wellness activities, intergenerational programming, community events, and continued work in digital inclusion for older adults.

What’s one project or initiative that makes your team especially proud, even if it doesn’t get much attention? 

One project we are especially proud of is our seniors programming, especially the crocheting project and our summer walks in the parks. These activities help older adults stay connected, active, and engaged while reducing isolation. Even though they may not get much attention, their impact is deeply meaningful.

Elyse Wood, Braided Journeys Supervisor

What inspired your involvement with CSL?

The positive impact it would have on our students and our program.

How does collaborating with CSL students enhance the work of your non-profit organization? Was there a particular CSL project that made a difference or impact to your organization this year?

Success stories from across all of our school sites: 

1. We had a Grade 10 student failing Science 14, they worked with a CSL tutor for 3 hours and caught up on all their work. The CSL tutor said they had so much fun.

2. With their help we were able to support over 60 students in tutoring and catch up help. Today we celebrated 35 students who were able to achieve 80% or higher in one or more of their cores. 

3. One CSL student has shared a lot with our students about her Ukranian heritage and culture in a seemless way as she worked with students.

4. At first, one of our CSL tutors wasn’t sure how to begin teaching math to students, so our Braided Journeys coach connected them with one of our math teachers. During each visit, the CSL tutor observed the math lessons and learned different teaching strategies. Over time, he built confidence and began working with small groups of students, supporting them with math problem-solving and guided practice.

5. A CSL student shared that they learned a lot about the realities schools face, including limited resources, large class sizes, and food insecurity. This helped him better understand the broader challenges educators navigate daily and the importance of supporting the whole child, not just academics.

He also shared a unique global perspective, reflecting on his own schooling experience in China, where classrooms were much larger (up to 93 students per teacher) and operated very differently. This comparison deepened his appreciation for the relationships, supports, and learning environments we strive to create here.

What advice do you have for the next set of CSL students?

Have an open mind and an open heart.

What are some upcoming events or initiatives your organization is working on? 

National Indigenous Peoples Month

What’s one project or initiative that makes your team especially proud, even if it doesn’t get much attention?

Summer School for all of our Indigenous Grade 9 students entering a Braided Journeys high school - they can complete an Indigenised CALM and PE course with us and complete 2 graduation requirements before September.

Jessica Truong, Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau, Co-Founder

What inspired your involvement with CSL?

CSL reached out to Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau about partnering for their winter term. We were inspired by the chance to have student volunteers to help build our grassroots initiative through youth involvement and the ability to teach and provide students opportunities to become more involved with the local Vietnamese community.

How does collaborating with CSL students enhance the work of your non-profit organization? Was there a particular CSL project that made a difference or impact to your organization this year?

The CSL students’ provided Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau with youthful insight into the Vietnamese community from a student's perspective. Their energy and curiosity to learn more about Vietnamese-Edmonton heritage was inspiring and reinforced our mission to bridge younger and older generation Vietnamese community members.

Many CSL projects were community engagement-focused. Students supported our information booth at Edmonton’s biggest Tết Lunar New Year Celebration, a Lunar New Year Celebration in collaboration with the U o A Vietnamese Students Association, and experienced community events with a partner organization FascinAsian Film Festival - Edmonton as well as Chinatown Chow Down. Students also spent time at the City of Edmonton Archives beginning work to understand and research the history of Vietnamese people into Edmonton. This foundational work will help our organization increase Vietnamese-Edmonton representation in the official City of Edmonton archives.

What advice do you have for the next set of CSL students?

We would love to tell the CSL students that working within the community has its challenges—with funding, personalities, process—but it is fun, worthwhile and impactful. We continue to do this work because we know helping bridge different generations will create a stronger Vietnamese-Edmonton community in the years to come. Increasing your presence and working to build relationships in the community are all meaningful actions. And if you have an idea or a project you’re interested in, consider how you can be the creator of it - to bring that idea to life and see how you can contribute to your community. 

What are some upcoming events or initiatives your organization is working on? 

We are currently working on our "Where We Came From (and where we go from here)" art and heritage exhibition which will be helped at the ArtsHub Creative Studios during Asian Heritage Month May 2026. We are also working on an upcoming Vietnamese Heritage Mural in Edmonton’s Chinatown which will be unveiled late Summer 2026.

What’s one project or initiative that makes your team especially proud, even if it doesn’t get much attention? 

We are very proud of a recent podcast episode Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau guest hosted for the Edmonton Community Foundation on their Well Endowed Podcast.

We brought on local Vietnamese community members David Nguyen, co-founder of AGNT and Linh Vu, owner of Mai Mai Viet Street Kitchen to share family stories of leaving Vietnam by boat and their experiences growing up in Edmonton. 

This podcast episode was released on Tết Lunar New Year in February and was a moving way to share stories of the local Vietnamese diaspora and a bit of Vietnamese-Edmonton heritage.