Deadline to apply for Alternative Reading Week Winnipeg extended – Apply now!
Applications close January 10
Are you looking for something to do this winter Reading Week? Join Alternative Reading Week Winnipeg to gain insight into the work of local non-profit organizations, and implement a hands-on project that meets community needs.
The Alternative Reading Week model connects students with community to enhance their academic training. During Reading Week, students engage in three days of project-based work with local non-profit agencies to explore their role in community, and learn firsthand about social justice challenges and solutions in Winnipeg. This year, placement agencies include new and returning partners, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg, North Point Douglas Women’s Centre, Two Spirited People of Manitoba, Wahbung Abinoonjiaag, West Broadway Youth Outreach, Winnipeg Harvest and others.
The projects proposed by partners this year are interesting and fun learning opportunities, including:
- Supervise programming for youth ages 4 and up with West Broadway Youth Organization
- Explore a Two Spirit Pride event in the North End of Winnipeg with Two Spirited People of Manitoba
- Help North Point Douglas Women’s Centre prepare for their All-You-Can-Eat Perogy Dinner and Cake Auction fundraiser
- Research and blog about human rights-related topics of interest for the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties
- And many more!
Reading Week starts with Monday FunDay, includes three placement days with a community partner agency, and ends at Winnipeg Harvest, where students learn more about poverty, food security and other challenges. Before Reading Week, students will participate in Community Engagement Training to develop their knowledge and skills in community development, plan their Reading Week projects with local non-profits, and begin a dialogue that will be carried on throughout the program. Guided reflections before and during Reading Week help students deepen their understanding of development challenges in Winnipeg, discover how to think critically about existing issues, and make connections between their formal academic training and their experiences at local organizations.
Community Service-Learning offers free local programs for students interested in applying their knowledge outside the classroom and gaining relevant hands-on experience in the community. ARW Winnipeg is offered in partnership with the University of Manitoba Student Union. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible for recognition on their Co-Curricular Record.
Apply now on UMCommunityLink. Applications for the program are due January 10, 2019.