Volunteering either as part of a course or on your own helps foster social participation and responsibility. It’s also the perfect opportunity to strengthen community ties, bring about positive social change and form solid partnerships. Many volunteer opportunities are available, on campus, around Ottawa or abroad.
Community engagement programs
Help others while helping yourself! Show future employers who you really are. Express your drive to change the world by putting what you learn in the classroom to good use as a volunteer.
Community Service Learning (CSL) program
Did you know that you can replace course assignments with professor-approved volunteer placements?
The CSL program involves credited learning experiences as part of a course. If CSL is available for your class, you can take part in structured volunteer activities that meet a community need. Then, you can engage in critical reflection on what you’ve learned, to increase your understanding of the class material and your field of study.
Benefits
- Apply theory to everyday situations
- Increase understanding of class content through practical experience
- Make a difference by getting involved in the community
- Gain transferable skills and real-world experience
Participating in a CSL placement?
CityStudio Ottawa
CityStudio Ottawa is a formal trust-based partnership between the Community Engagement and Employability Team and Faculty of Medicine at University of Ottawa, and the City of Ottawa. Through co-creation with our community, students, and faculty, CityStudio Ottawa finds creative solutions to Ottawa’s priorities highlighted in the City of Ottawa’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan. This plan describes how the city will work with its community partners to improve the safety, health and well-being of Ottawa residents.
These six priorities, identified through a consultative process with involved parties and the public, are:
- Discrimination, marginalization, and racism
- Financial security and poverty reduction
- Gender-based violence and violence against women
- Housing
- Integrated and simpler systems
- Mental well-being
Together, CityStudio Ottawa will work towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and healthier city.
Social Engagement
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT is a pilot initiative of the University of Ottawa implemented in collaboration with two networks —the Centre for Social Enterprise Development and the Coopérative de développement régional Outaouais-Laurentides/Pôle d’économie sociale Outaouais.
