The Student Experience Office (SEO) in Student Affairs is launching an “alternative” Reading Week program as a pilot initiative in 2016 for students who want to make a difference in the local community.    

Queen’s Cares Reading Week will give up to 15 first-year students the opportunity to examine issues related to poverty in Kingston through community service, workshops and presentations, and critical reflection exercises.

“This new program supports the university’s goal to develop more experiential education opportunities for students,” says Tim Tang, SEO Manager. “In addition to enriching the student learning experience, we see this program as building capacity for students to affect real change in their community.” 

During the four-day service-learning initiative, students will volunteer at local community organizations. These volunteer experiences will be supplemented with debriefs and reflections facilitated by upper-year students.

The goal is to help participants improve their critical thinking skills while they gain a sense of civic responsibility. The program also aims to give students a better understanding of how they can apply their knowledge and connect their academic studies to real-world problems. 

“Service-learning goes beyond simply volunteering,” says Bridget Steele, Student Development Coordinator, SEO. “It’s a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academics, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between students and the community.”

Student group leaders, faculty members and local community organizations were consulted in the development of the program. Queen’s Cares Reading Week will continue to be promoted through student clubs and groups with a shared interest in engaging with and promoting social issues in the Kingston community. The program will be reviewed in the spring to assess participants’ experiences and to evaluate impact.

Visit the Queen’s Cares Reading Week website for more information and to apply. Program applications as well as upper-year facilitator applications are due Dec. 7.