Service Learning in Action
V2V Discovery Lab is designed to provide a cohort of ten volunteers with an immersive and hands-on approach to the world of non-profts. Spanning multiple weeks, V2V includes ten scheduled activities starting in early July and wrapping up at the end of August. Activities include four workshops, as well as group brainstorming and work sessions, which will help participants to complete the project’s two main activites: a team-conducted interview of a Montréal-based non-profit organization in regards to their volunteer program, and a final in-person event where participants will present what they have learned over the course of the summer. This project is designed to be a welcoming, guiding and accommodating experience for participants who may struggle to enter the workforce.
You are eligible for this program if you are:
✅ A resident of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
✅ 15 to 19 years old
✅ Comfortable in French and English
✅ Looking to engage with your community
What we ask of our volunteers:
Participation in 8 out of 10 program activities
Availability of 1 to 2 hours a week on average from July 6th to September 1st
This program is hybrid and switches between online and in-person activities. However, if you are only able to attend either online or in-person, please contact us so we can figure out an accessible program structure for you!
By participating in the V2V program, each volunteer will receive:
✅ An attestation letter
✅ A concrete understanding of work in the non-profit sector
✅ Free, engaging access to hands-on workshops
Schedule
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Date: During the week of July 6th
Estimated duration: 2 hours
Location: In-person
Agenda:
Have a collective dinner (on us!) with this summer’s cohort as participants meet for the first time in-person.
Provide the cohort with all relevant information about their roles and responsibilities throughout the project.
Inform the cohort of the Volunteer Coordinator’s role and responsibilities throughout the project.
Fix a calendar for upcoming activites.
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Date: During the week of July 13th
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Location: Online
Agenda:
Gain a concrete understanding of what non-profits are, their inner workings, and how they interact with each other.
Develop the following skills:
Email drafting
Professional outreach and representation of a non-profit
Informal and formal team communication
Outreach and coordination of meetings with other professionals/organizations
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Date: During the week of Monday, July 20th
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Location: Online
Agenda:
As a team, gather information on a non-profit of interest through the reading and analysis of its activity report
Present the findings to the group in the second half of the workshop
Develop the following skills:
Teamwork
Summarizing and synthesizing
Note-taking
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Date: During the week of Monday, July 20th
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Agenda:
Learn how to plan and conduct an interview
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Date: During the week of Monday, July 27th
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Location: In-person
Agenda:
Form teams of 3-4 around common interests
Each team picks a few non-profits to reach out to from a list of suggested ones
Each team works on their interviews
All teams draft and send emails to non-profits
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Date: From Monday, August 3rd to Friday, August 14th
Estimated duration: 2-3 hours
Location: At the respective non-profits or online
Agenda:
Each group has a maximum 30 minute interview with a representative of a non-profit of their choice to ask questions about their volunteering program
Notes are taken during the interview process
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Date: From Monday, August 3rd to Friday, August 14th
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Location: In person or online (each group decides)
Agenda:
Each team works on a small presentation to share with the group centered around their findings and their experience of the interview process
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Date: During the week of Monday, August 17th
Estimated duration: 2 hours
Location: In person
Agenda:
Understand the basics of event planning by the end of the workshop
Brainstorm during lunch about final event
Distribute responsibilities
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Date: To be determined
Estimated duration: 3-4 hours
Location: In-person
Agenda:
Set up and hold the final event
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Date: To be determined
Estimated duration: 1 hour
Location: In-person or online (what the group decides)
Agenda:
Informal meeting to discuss what everyone learned throughout the project and their experience of it
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out to volunteer@y4yquebec.org.
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If you are:
A resident of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neigbourhood;
between the ages of 15 and 19;
comfortable in French and English; and
able to commit to the project hours throughout the summer,
We would love to hear from you!
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Given that volunteers work on their projects as cohorts, attending a minimum of eight activities is mandatory.
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Yes, there is the option of hybrid attendance for brainstorming sessions. We do, however, encourage participants to attend in person.
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Although Y4Y works with youth all over Québec, we are prioritizing volunteers from NDG for this project. However, we still encourage you to apply, and to keep your eye out for future opportunities at Y4Y.