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Volunteer Opportunity - Lead Volunteer (Honorarium) (Virtual), English Conversation Groups - SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre
Take a leadership role supporting newcomer adults with English!
English Conversation Groups are offered through a collaboration between the SFU Surrey-TD CEC and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. BC Settlement and Integration Services (BCSIS). BCSIS is a settlement service that supports newcomers to settle and integrate into the community. Participants include temporary foreign workers, refugee claimants and immigrants who have now become Canadian citizens but may still be facing language barriers. By removing language barriers, through weekly conversations, BCSIS clients can integrate better into their workplaces and understand more about their rights and responsibilities at work.
Due to Covid19 and to provide better access to the sessions for BCSIS clients, this program will be delivered virtually.
Date & Time:
This program is scheduled to run on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm from February 7 to March 14, 2023. Lead Volunteers must also be available for meetings with SUCCESS BC staff outside of session hours.
Your Role:
The SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre is looking for one SFU student to fill the role of Lead Volunteer for the English Conversation Groups program.
The Lead Volunteer will perform the following duties, with oversight from the SUCCESS Program Coordinator:
Meets with SUCCESS BC staff for an orientation and planning meeting on Tuesday, January 24th;
Facilitates the volunteer training session on Tuesday, January 31st, from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm;
Attends ALL six English Conversation Group sessions;
Supports leading program activities, manages the schedule of activities under the direction of SUCCESS program coordinator;
Communicates any concerns to the SUCCESS program coordinator (or the Program Manager in SFU’s Office of Community Engagement);
Supports overseeing the program and participants to ensure each session runs smoothly;
Meets and communicates with the SUCCESS program coordinator outside of program hours, as needed;
Writes a short one-page report after serving as Lead Volunteer (reflections on personal and professional development, how the program went, successes, challenges and any suggestions for improvement).
Requirements:
- Fluent in English (CLB level 9-12);
- Respectful and non-judgmental;
- Friendly and reliable;
- Encouraging and patient;
- Have access to reliable internet connection and computer;
- Familiar with PowerPoint or other platforms used for creating presentations.
- Education or experience related to teaching or adult learning is an asset.
Program Logistics:
The English Conversation Groups is scheduled to run every Tuesday from February 7, 2023 to March 14, 2023 from 10:00 am-12:30 pm. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, January 24th | 10:30 am-12:30 pm (orientation with SUCCESS staff)
Tuesday, January 31st | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm (volunteer orientation)
Tuesdays from February 7 to March 14th | 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (sessions running)
Generally, we expect the incumbent to be performing approximately five hours per week.
Benefits:
Through this program you will:
- Acquire knowledge about the goals of the English Conversation Groups and the challenges faced by newcomers in the workplace.
- Acquire knowledge about the English Conversation Groups curriculum.
- Apply learned knowledge of the program curriculum by facilitating engaging and participatory conversations.
- Apply learned knowledge of English Conversation Groups curriculum by coming up with new ideas, or by altering existing conversation topics to meet the needs and interests of the participants attending the program.
- Apply communication, interpersonal and professionalism skills by facilitating conversations where all participants are able to practice their English skills.
Upon successful completion of the role after the designated time period, the Lead Volunteer will receive:
- Recognition for your service on SFU’s Co-Curricular Record,
- An honorarium of $200.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please send your resume and your answers to the following questions by email to Saba Fatemi (sfatemi@sfu.ca), Program Manager at the SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre:
- Why do you want to apply for this position?
- What personal and professional strengths would you bring to the position?
- How would you ensure that a virtual English Conversation Group session is interesting for participants?
Please note, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
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