Why develop this Tool Kit?
Purpose of this Tool Kit
Who should use this Tool Kit?
How to use this Tool Kit?
What is volunteerism?
The Challenge
| SECTION I: Understanding Newcomer Youth Volunteerism | |||
| Benefits of volunteering Barriers and challenges to Newcomer Youth Volunteering 40-hour Community Service Requirement for High Schools |
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| SECTION II: How Partners can use the Tool Kit on the road to successful Volunteering | |||
Newcomer Youth |
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| SECTION III: Tools | |||
Play: Volunteering Eh! |
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1. 5 Great Web sites |
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| Introduction to this Tool Kit: The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre (KWMC) has developed this Tool Kit to help strengthen newcomer youth volunteerism in the Region of Waterloo. This Tool Kit was designed in response to the research that revealed significant barriers faced by newcomers in the area of volunteerism. The work of the KWMC, the Volunteer Action Centre, Multicultural Theatre Space (MT Space), Neruda Productions, and the Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) has resulted in new understandings about the need for outreach strategies for engaging young volunteers from diverse communities. The Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration has shown their support and endorsement for this project through generously funding this initiative. | |||
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| Purpose: This Tool Kit will help all partners to understand the needs of newcomer youth in hopes of engaging youth in their communities as volunteers and sharing in the joy and value of such experiences. This Tool Kit is intended to be a useful template that can be adapted to all communities in the Province of Ontario. | |||
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| Who would benefit from this Tool Kit: This Tool Kit is useful for everyone involved in the process of making newcomer youth volunteering possible, including: newcomer youth interested in volunteering, those who assist newcomer youth in finding volunteer opportunities (such as parents, teachers, and guidance counselors), agencies and organizations which engage newcomer youth volunteers, and anyone else interested in learning about newcomer youth volunteerism (such as ethno-cultural communities, volunteer organizations and the broader population). In addition, this Tool Kit is a valuable resource for outreach purposes, whether the organization is focused on arts, culture, environment, religion, recreation, education, human rights, or other services. | |||
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| Tool Kit Structure: This Tool Kit is divided into three sections. Section I: Understanding Newcomer Youth Volunteerism, presents an overview of the issues uncovered by the Centre for Community Based Research and detailed in their August 2008 report: Engaging Youth from Diverse Ethno-Cultural Communities. Section II: Partners in the Volunteer Process, highlights how the different players can benefit from using the tools provided in the Tools Section. Section III: Tools, provides easy-to-use and practical activities, templates, questionnaires, inventories, web sites links, and other useful materials with visual symbols to make choosing suitable tools easy. This interactive format helps you to adapt this Tool Kit to the unique needs of your community. |
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Definition of Volunteerism: Volunteerism means different things to different people. Within Canadian Society, a person working on behalf of others without receiving financial or material gain is referred to as a volunteer. Volunteering, generally considered an altruistic activity, is intended to promote good, raise awareness, improve the community or an individual’s quality of life, or encourage social change. People also volunteer to gain skills in the workplace without requiring an employer's financial investment. Volunteering takes many forms and is performed by a wide range of people. Some volunteers have a routine commitment while others volunteer on an as-needed basis. Volunteerism occurs in all cultures, but is often performed or defined differently from culture to culture. People from different cultures have different perceptions about volunteerism and not all are positive. Many cultures are community based and people instinctively help each other without naming it as volunteer work. In some countries, volunteering refers primarily to forced military service. In Ontario, having to volunteer because it is mandatory in order to find a job or to finish High School has confused the issue for newcomer youth and their families. |
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The Challenge: In order to create an inclusive society, agencies and organizations need to reflect the diversity of their communities. The networking that becomes possible when all communities are welcomed can only enhance the work and potential of any group. The Challenge then is to better engage newcomer volunteers into our environments to help make our communities stronger. When the volunteer base reflects the diversity that is Canada, everyone benefits. |
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