It takes a lot of courage to come to a new country, learn another language and adapt to a new life and culture. But courage isn’t all that a newcomer needs to settle in successfully. Open and welcoming communities do make a difference! You, as an established Canadian citizen or permanent resident, can help a landed immigrant or a pre-arrival newcomer in their firsts steps on Canadian land!
As a Settlement e-Volunteer, you will:
- have 10 one-on-one online sessions with a newcomer via Skype
- share resources and information you know about your community
- answer newcomer’s questions about life in Manitoba
Possible topics:
- Important Documents
- Housing
- Health
- Transportation
- Money and Finance
- Education
- Canadian Law and Justice
- Employment and Income
- Communications and Media
- Rights and Freedoms
Benefits
By volunteering your time, knowledge and smile you will:
- gain greater understanding of your multicultural community
- acquire new skills that can be applied in your career
- enhance your digital skills
- and meet new people
We only accept volunteer applicants who are either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian Citizens who have lived in Canada for at least a year.
Qualifications
- 1+ years of residency in Manitoba (Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status)
- Experience working with adult newcomers and immigrant community
- Good communication skills
- Demonstrated ability with regards to the computer skills and Internet is extremely beneficial
- Ability to be a team player, initiate and maintain relationships as you work with a variety of people
- A police record check is mandatory
What to Expect
Settlement e-Volunteer Training
English Online will provide comprehensive orientation and training necessary to fulfill the volunteer duties. Training will consist of two parts:
- Self-paced/asynchronous : Successful candidates receive a passwords for Volunteer Hub page on English Online website (http://www.myenglishonline.ca/volunteers/volunteer-hub/) accompanied by instructions on how to proceed. They explore training materials and reflect on their learning in the Volunteer Journal.
- Synchronous: Volunteers participate in an orientation webinar about English Online services and WEB 2.0 tools for e-volunteering. During the training sessions volunteers have time to discuss what they have learned and ask their questions.
With this training English Online aims to provide volunteers with the opportunity to exercise their qualities of self-directed learners to better understand English Online model and clients’ needs and develop online volunteering skills.
Settlement e-Volunteer – Client Match
Volunteers are asked to complete an online Match Survey. The Match Survey helps English Online perform appropriate e-Volunteer-Client matches, both from needs and interests perspective and time commitment.
We sign volunteer hours confirmation letters (10+ hours of volunteering, upon request) and issue volunteer recognition certificates (30+ hours of volunteering, at the end of the fiscal year) to our e-Volunteers!
Join Us!
Become an e-Volunteer: improve your digital skills and learn new perspectives… from the comfort of your own home!
Please forward your cover letter and resume to:
Pam Elalfy
e-Volunteer Coordinator
pelalfy@myenglishonline.ca