Groups participate in community activities at the Saint John Newcomer Centre, Moncton’s Humanity Project

Students at Mount Allison University are known for their community involvement in the Town of Sackville and the wider Tantramar region. This spirit is expanding through the Mount Allison Cares program, launched this year by the University’s Office of Experiential Learning and Career Development.

The program is part of a partnership with Future Ready NB, a new provincial initiative aimed at helping students become job-ready, providing valuable experiential learning opportunities and career readiness. It sees students from New Brunswick’s four publicly-funded universities volunteering with community organizations across the province and gaining hands-on learning opportunities as part of these experiences.

“We are pleased to work with partners at Future Ready NB and in the community to organize these kinds of opportunities for our students outside the classroom,” says Krista Steeves, Mount Allison’s director of experiential learning and career development. “Hands-on or experiential learning opportunities are a key component of our students’ education and experience here at Mount Allison and give them the opportunity to learn more about New Brunswick communities and to give back in a meaningful way.”

A group of six Mount Allison students recently travelled to Saint John to participate in the Super Saturday Social event held at the Saint John Newcomer Centre. Students from Mount Allison, UNB, St. Thomas, and l’Université de Moncton met with Centre staff and recent newcomers over the course of the day, organizing activities and discussions with guests.

Rebecca Leaman, Mount Allison’s career services co-ordinator, attended the Saint John event. She says the day was a great opportunity for colleagues and students from all NB public universities.

“This project allowed our students to meet, mingle, and pull together as a team to show our newcomer community that we care,” says Leaman. “Being able to work with kids and families, to learn a bit about their stories, was really inspiring.”

Fourth-year international relations student Carly Pullin from British Columbia volunteered at the Saint John event.

“The things I enjoyed the most were getting to meet other students from Atlantic Canada who were studying in similar fields as me, and also meeting and speaking with people from different countries during the event itself,” says Pullin. “I hope to work with migrants in the future, perhaps in an advocacy, services and/or settlement context. Overall it was a very enjoyable and beneficial experience.”

Mount Allison’s Office of Experiential Learning and Career Development has partnered with the University’s office of Indigenous Affairs to organize another volunteer opportunity at The Humanity Project in Moncton on March 16. Students, faculty, and staff will aim to give back to the community by preparing and serving brunch to 150 individuals in the Greater Moncton Area.

“It’s very exciting to be bringing the Mount Allison Cares initiative to Moncton and to give back to the wider community in this way,” says Steeves. “This type of experience benefits all involved.”

The Humanity Project portion of Mount Allison Cares is supported in part by Future Ready Wabanaki, a branch of Future Ready NB that seeks to specifically support Indigenous students through experiential learning opportunities and building job-readiness skills.

Photo caption:

A group of Mount Allison students recently travelled to Saint John to participate in the Super Saturday Social event held at the Saint John Newcomer Centre. The initiative was part of the Future Ready NB, a new provincial initiative aimed at helping students become job-ready, providing valuable experiential learning opportunities and career readiness.