Elder Keith Anderson taking U of M students out for a boat ride to see the pickerel hatchery
Learn about gardening and the boreal forest region this spring
Are you interested in learning about northern culture and development while volunteering with local community projects?
Community Service-Learning offers a six-week program where students live and volunteer in Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, a former mining town of 500 people located three hours northwest of Thompson.
Through Leaf Rapids Service-Learning Experience, students gain hands-on experience in gardening and greenhouse management by volunteering with the boreal gardening project. Students will also develop valuable skills through managing a house and group living, project planning, and building relationships with local community members.
“Leaf Rapids may seem like a faraway place, but Winnipeg is intricately connected to northern communities who depend on food deliveries and postal service from the south, or have community members travelling to Winnipeg for health care or to see family,” says Anny Chen. “We may be separated by thousands of kilometres, but it’s invaluable for southerners to have a firsthand appreciation of northern experiences. After all, a U of M student may become a nurse attending to a mom who has flown in to deliver her baby, or a teacher with a class of northern youth displaced by flooding. It makes a huge difference to start from a place of compassion and understanding.”
This year’s program will be the U of M’s fourth year in Leaf Rapids. Students can look forward to working with children at the Leaf Rapids Education Centre, getting to know local youth, and learning from Elder Keith Anderson. New this year, regional gardening coordinator Chuck Stensgard will share his knowledge of the boreal forest region, giving students insight into local ecosystems, the impacts of climate change and the opportunity to explore the beautiful land surrounding Leaf Rapids.
This program is offered in partnership by Community Service-Learning and Frontier School Division.
Program Details:
Dates: May 1 to June 12, 2018 (exact dates may vary)
All-inclusive program fee: $1000 (includes round-trip drive, housing, meals, activities, and supplies)
Student Team: 4-6, Interdisciplinary
The program deadline has been extended to March 9. The program is open to all students of the University of Manitoba.
For more info, visit the Community Service-Learning website or email anny [dot] chen [at] umanitoba [dot] ca, or apply online now!