Become a community partner

We work with over 600 local, national and international community partners, 300 per term on average. Our current community partners include:

• not-for-profit organizations 
• sections and units in all types of government, public and broader public sector entities (including public school boards and schools) 
• faculties, departments, services, centres, student associations and clubs affiliated with the University of Ottawa 
• other universities and colleges
• social enterprises

Please note that private sector businesses and organizations are not eligible. 

Our student volunteers will make you better at what you do, whether in front-line services, communications, research or capacity building. Placements can be done in person or virtually. Here are some areas where we can support you.

Front-line services and administration 

• Providing front-line services to children, youth, seniors, newcomers, 2SLGBTQ+ communities and others 
• Performing administrative tasks, such as preparing briefing notes and correspondence  
• Providing bilingual support in answering general questions from the public by email or phone 
• Drafting surveys and collating data collected 

Learning support 

• Creating play-based and educational activities and facilitating access to school supplies online 
• Developing public educational resources for target groups 
• Providing second-language learning tutoring support 

Communications and public engagement 

• Helping develop strategies and planning tools for marketing, communication, social media and outreach (e.g., awareness campaigns, educational material and presentations)  
• Planning or facilitating events, conferences and large-scale activities  
• Helping implement fundraising strategies, look for sponsors and draft grant applications 
• Preparing or translating website content  

Program planning, implementation and evaluation 

• Helping design and implement projects or program components (e.g., community gardens, reforestation projects)  
• Preparing draft planning strategies and business plans  
• Drafting terms of reference for program evaluations and taking part in the evaluation process  
• Helping develop policies and procedures (e.g., occupational health and safety, human resources)  

Literature review and strategic analysis 

• Gathering and collating data and statistics  
• Conducting analyses and reporting on sector-specific contexts, issues, practices and programming (e.g., health promotion, coaching, nutrition, environmental sustainability) 
• Conducting literature reviews on specific topics (e.g., international development, environment, health) and making recommendations in reports or presentations 

Community Service Learning (CSL) program 

Community Service Learning (CSL) is a credited educational experience that (1) is conducted as part of a course, during which (2) students participate in structured volunteer activities designed to meet community needs and (3) critically reflect on their in-community placement learning, to develop a better understanding of class materials and their field of study. 

Read more about CSL. 

Career Development Path for international students

This partnership aims to give international students the necessary tools and skills to overcome the challenges of integrating into the job market in Canada.

Throughout the 2024 spring-summer and fall terms, students will participate in internships, micro-placements, competitions, events, community-based or industrial projects, or community research and will thus contribute to the missions of our partner organizations. Through your participation, you will not only have access to innovative solutions, but also gain more visibility and create new collaborations. 

Read more about the Career Development Path for international students.

Extracurricular volunteering 

Extracurricular volunteering (EV) takes place during students’ personal time and is not part of any course. EV opportunities are available to the entire student community (unlike CSL, which is only available to students enrolled in courses that have a CSL component). Volunteer opportunities are promoted throughout the year. However, more students are available during the academic year, which runs from early September to mid-April. 

• Contribute to their education by giving them the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they’ve learned in class.
• Give advice to help them carry out their duties and provide feedback on their performance. 
• Sign off on volunteer hours performed and complete a short online evaluation of their work.