Faculty E-Service Learning Options and Needs – Virtual Volunteering in the time of COVID-19

The following is a list of some of the up-to-date needs of non-profit organizations, as well as ideas for the ways to partner virtually during these times. If you have questions, or stories to share, please contact: experiential@kpu.ca

Needs of Nonprofit Organizations and Community Projects:

COVID-19 and Volunteer Involving Organizations from Vantage Point has great resources with links to Virtual Volunteering, Volunteer Safely, Volunteer Management & Emergency Response, Mental Health Supports, AGMs During COVID-19, Sector Advocacy, Sector Governance & Operations, Corporate Community Engagement, Public Health, Online Learning

NO IMMUNITY BC NONPROFITS AND THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AN EARLY IMPACT SUMMARY REPORT. Completed by Vantage Point, Vancouver Foundation and Victoria Foundation and released May 13, 2020. The report follows from a survey conducted with the region’s nonprofit organizations and survey and provides information about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the operations and program delivery of nonprofit organizations in BC, including what assistance they might need.

Food Secure Canada also provides a spreadsheet of needs across the country.

Community Campus Engage Canada includes ideas for helping out, including bringing greater awareness of existing vulnerabilities and inequalities in communities and harnessing the potential of virtual methods of engagement for broader inclusion and knowledge-sharing.

Universities Canada is gathering stories about partnership projects.

Community-Campus Partnership Stories:

Check here for examples of KPU’s mobilization around COVID-19. Much of KPU’s most immediate support has been mobilized around supporting students, and building on our current community connections with donations and research. Here are some of the things happening at other institutions to help brainstorm possible partnership options.

Virtual Volunteering Options:

Would your students be interested in researching human rights violations, recording audiobooks, translating crisis relief documents, or taking part in citizen science projects? Check out some of the online options that are available.

You can also check out the local volunteering sites or contact a nonprofit organization directly.

For some project ideas, welcome to the Experiential Learning Random Generator. These are examples of actual projects at KPU. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it creates a very unexpected project (that could work)! Get brainstorming…

Here is a list of virtual micro-volunteering options, to help you think about tasks that can be completed online.

Also, KPU is currently partnered with Riipen, through an RBC grant. Check here for examples of Riipen projects and let us know if you'd like help setting one up. Contact: experiential@kpu.ca

If you have some ideas about projects that might fit well with a Practicum project, research grant or a similar partnership, please let us know. And, do let us know if you have some success stories to share! Contact: experiential@kpu.ca

E-Service Learning:

Research is newly emerging about virtual volunteering or E-Service Learning. Consider the student benefits of service learning, or experiential learning, and then consider how you might still achieve those benefits, or learning outcomes, online. Summary of student benefits:

Student benefits from Service Learning courses

Academic development (mastery of discipline material, problem solving, critical thinking and reflection, linking theory to practice and improved student-teacher and peer relationships)

Personal development (personal efficacy, social responsibility, moral development, behavior development, leadership, self-confidence, self-esteem, communication skills, social interaction skills, self-awareness, political awareness, identity reaffirmation, promotion of intercultural communication, personal transformation)

Social development (reducing stereotypes, facilitating racial and cultural understanding, interacting with and accepting diverse cultures, societal awareness, social justice attitudes, developing an other-oriented ethic, and promoting collaboration)

Career development (confidence, networking, opportunity to practice newly learned skills, and real-world experience)

Community involvement (increased volunteerism, community involvement after graduation, civic-mindedness, and civic engagement)

From: Del Bharath, Using eService-Learning to Practice Technical Writing Skills for Emerging Nonprofit Professionals