CSL 100 Group

Destiny Desjarlais - Bachelor of Arts, Psychology major, Philosophy minor, 4th year

Lucy Burghardt - Bachelor of Arts, Criminology major, 2nd year

Nethini Perera - Bachelor of Arts, Sociology major, Economic minor, 4th year

Joanne Macdonald - Bachelor of Arts, Women & Gender Studies major, Art & Design minor, 2nd year

Course: CSL 100 (Winter 2023) with Instructor Randelle Nixon

Who was your community partner and can you describe the project objectives? 

Migrante Alberta - CELPIP prep course. The goal was to help participants improve their English skills by going through CELPIP questions with them.

What was your biggest takeaway from your CSL placement? 

The Migrante Alberta CELPIP prep program is a very conducive environment to centering the needs of participants. The program is run by people who are dedicated to helping migrants in whatever is needed. They emphasize agency by encouraging participants to speak up and communicate needs and they seek to educate all new volunteers. We are happy and grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about the organization and to meet all the lovely people involved. It has been a great privilege to grow our understanding about migrants in Canada, the challenges they face, and the value that they bring.

How can you apply any newly gained knowledge/skills to your future endeavours (courses/employment/volunteering)?

During our placement, we have learnt the importance of listening. When going into a new environment, everyone is susceptible to biases and assumptions. To mitigate the effect of these biases it is essential to be open minded and to listen to what others say and how they see themselves. We have learnt to think critically about how power and privilege shape our understanding of others. In future endeavors, this will help us be open minded.