August 24, 2006 Source: :
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060824-2513.asp Day of Community Service Planned Opportunity for students, faculty and staff to give back to community
Aug 24/06
by W.D. Lighthall (about) (email) Open your Daytimers and appointment calendars and block off Sept. 9. Students, faculty and employees at all three U of T campuses are invited to participate in Outreach 2006: Putting U in the Community, a university-wide day of community service being held Saturday, Sept. 9. Outreach 2006 gives students, staff and faculty the chance to connect the University of Toronto with the wider community by volunteering with neighbourhood and community groups, support agencies, charities and philanthropic causes. Students, faculty and staff can sign up for Outreach 2006 as individuals or as groups formed within a faculty or department. U of T’s Centre for Community Partnerships is co-ordinating the placement of teams from the university with hundreds of organizations across the Greater Toronto Area. Teams will spend the day doing activities such as volunteering at outreach shelters for the homeless, working at youth and senior centres, at food banks and environmental groups or at social justice, animal welfare and arts and cultural organizations. "The plan is to give students and faculty a chance to select a form of community service that’s a fit with a personal or academic area of interest," said Susan Addario, director of student affairs. "Outreach 2006 is a one-day opportunity for community building. Community service is a core value of the university and we want to convey that to both new and returning students," Addario said. "Of course, thousands of people here at the University of Toronto are already engaged in various types of community service. The value we are adding here is to connect that community service to student learning." For example, if a team volunteers with a food bank, the day will include some orientation on issues of poverty and hunger. While on site, volunteers will have the chance to discuss with the organization’s staff the work they do and connect that work with broader social issues and related areas of study. "We want students to have an experience that connects them with neighbourhoods, with communities and with particular issues and needs. Outreach 2006 ties together experiential learning and community building," Addario said. At the beginning of each season, coaching staff for the Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team organize a team-building exercise off the court and this year the team will participate in Outreach 2006. "We are in a position of privilege, so to speak, we are in a position to make a difference," said Kristine Drakich, the team’s head coach. "So whether it’s cleaning up the Don River or collecting toys for needy children, we can help and it makes people feel good to go out and make a difference." Drakich said advocacy initiatives such as Outreach 2006 not only add value to the community, they also serve as a team-building exercise. "You have a group of people working together for a common goal and there will be time for reflection and discussion later," Drakich said. "So you have personal growth, you have growth as a group and with this, you will have university growth in all sorts of ways," she said. Registration forms and more information about Outreach 2006 can be found at www.students.utoronto.ca/oUTreach.htm. There’s also a link directly from U of T’s home page, www.utoronto.ca.
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