Secondary students from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows were back in the classroom this summer to help younger students learn and play, as part of a new volunteer opportunity.
“It was good, I really enjoyed it,” said Riley Carswell, a Grade 9 student at Maple Ridge Secondary School (MRSS). “I enjoyed making a difference in their lives.”
School District 42 offers elementary and secondary learning options every summer, and this year, high school-aged students were able to volunteer to help out in elementary classes and after-school multi-sport camps.
“Student volunteers got the chance to grow and develop their leadership skills, practice taking initiative, and explore education from a different perspective,” said Hannah Macdonald, SD42 program manager of community connections and healthy living.
“Many of the volunteers who joined us this summer said that their reason for participating had to do with an interest in a future career in education.”
MRSS Grade 9 student Tianna Bailey was one of those volunteers.
Summer learning volunteer Maya Mendez-Whitehead helps a student.
“I really just needed more experience with kids so that if I want to get a job in something like child care or [teaching], then I have more experience with that,” she said.
Bailey volunteered for the after-school multi-sport camps, assisting coaches with setup and cleanup, instruction, and providing alternative activity choices.
“We played soccer, tennis and basketball,” Bailey said. “It was pretty fun.”
Bailey and Carswell also both volunteered for the summer learning program, engaging students in lessons and answering questions.
“Since I’m in French immersion, I helped kids read French books and learn new French words,” Carswell explained. “In the English classrooms that I was in, I was just helping everyone understand what the teacher was saying.”
Having student volunteers like Carswell in the classroom was a treat for everyone, according to French immersion teacher Lisa Gore.
“As a French teacher, it was particularly advantageous when the volunteer spoke French, as it encouraged my young students to speak the language they’re learning,” she said.
At the same time, Gore added, “the student volunteers learned practical skills, empathy, and the importance of community through hands-on experience and interaction with younger students.”
In the end, it was a fulfilling experience for Carswell.
“The best part was helping kids,” he explained. “If a kid was having a rough day, I’d sit with them and we would work together and stuff like that… By the time I left, their day had been improved tenfold and I think that was the most rewarding thing for me.”
Maya Mendez-Whitehead, a Grade 10 student at Thomas Haney Secondary, had a similar experience volunteering and helping elementary students with classwork like spelling and art.
“I loved just helping them out and being there for them,” she said. “It made me feel good to make sure they had somebody they could ask for help so that they could learn.”
At the same time, it helped Mendez-Whitehead build her resume.
“I’m trying to get a job for next summer,” she said. “[This] will really help on my resume.”
All student volunteers received letters from the school district outlining how they helped the programs, the strengths they showed and the number of volunteer hours they earned.
Summer learning volunteer Riley Carswell talks to a student.