WPA Volunteer Committee
The responsibilities of the Volunteer Committee include staffing the Psychology Resource Centre with volunteers and assisting with the planning of the WPA formal/fundraiser. The formal will take place next semester and will raise money for a local, yet to be determined charitable organization. The volunteer committee requires only as much time and effort as you are willing to commit. If you are interested in being a member of the volunteer committee, please email me (rmerkle@uwo.ca).
Psychology Resource Centre Volunteers
PRC volunteers are required to commit one hour a week to the PRC. The Psych 020 TAs hold office hours in the PRC for their students, so our volunteers share the room with the TAs. Our primary responsibility is to sell old Psych 020 exams to students. We can also sign up members for the WPA. One of our goals, though, is to make the PRC more accessible and helpful to all psychology students. One suggestion was to create an exam bank of old exams from all undergraduate psych courses. We are also hoping to assemble better resources for students about applying to graduate schools, and volunteering in the community.
Volunteer Opportunities with Psychology Faculty Members
If you are considering continuing your psychology education beyond the undergraduate level, then research experience is extremely valuable. In the honours specialization module, students are required to do an honours thesis. Master’s programs also require a thesis. Gaining research experience prior to these can help you generate hypotheses for your own research, and ideas for methodology. Getting research experience can also help you to decide if you do in fact want to continue on in research and determine which area of psychology is most appealing to you.
Unfortunately, most research assistant jobs are reserved for graduate students or for work-study students. Volunteering is the best way to get involved in research, and while you won’t receive monetary compensation for your time, you will gain valuable skills, and hopefully a letter of reference.
Almost all of the psychology professors at Western are involved in research and are constantly collecting and analyzing data. Very few would turn down extra help. To get an idea of what kind of research is being conducted, take a look at the faculty list at http://psychology.uwo.ca/faculty.htm. Each faculty member has a bio posted and a summary of their research goals and findings. The best way to get involved is to find a professor who’s research interests you, read a few of their published works so that you are familiar with the theories behind their research, and send them an email asking to meet with them to discuss their research and possible volunteer opportunities. Even if they are not personally conducting a study at this point in time, they will most likely have graduate students and honours thesis students who are, and could use some help. Volunteering with a professor could lead to doing your own research under that professor for your thesis, or even to a job as a research assistant.
As volunteer coordinator, one of my goals this year is to compile a list of more specific volunteer opportunities with professors and detail the exact studies and work involved.
Volunteer Opportunities in the Community
Volunteering in the community not only gives you a warm feeling inside knowing that you’re helping others, but it also gives you a competitive edge when applying to graduate programs. In fact, many counseling and clinical psychology programs demand this type of experience. The following is a list of organizations in the community that accept volunteers.
London & District Distress Centre
http://www.londondistresscentre.com
LDDC volunteers answer phones for the distress line and take calls from members of the community. Volunteers must complete several hours of training. They are asked to commit 16 hours a month for at least a year. Eight hours a month must be an overnight shift. This is a great opportunity for people considering clinical or counseling psychology.
Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex
http://www.caslondon.on.ca
The CAS has a fairly rigorous application and interview process. This opportunity is particularly appealing to students considering social work as a career.
Alzheimer Socity of London and Middlesex
http://www.alzheimerlondon.ca/volunteer/index.html
Child and Parent Resource Institute
http://www.cpri.thehealthline.ca/aboutus.asp
CPRI provides services to children and youth with mental or developmental disorders.
Regional Mental Health Care
http://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/mhl/programs/openingpagelondon1.htm
RMHC is the mental illness division of St. Joseph’s hospital.
Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario
http://www.ldalondon.ca/
It is too late to get involved with the LDAO this session, but
here is a list of ways to get involved for the next session:
1) Student Buddy Volunteers:
Skills for School (Sept. to Nov.) & Social Skills Program (Nov. to Jan.)
The Skills for School & Social Skills Programs are specially designed evening programs for children who have a learning disability and/or AD/HD. Tutors will be responsible for assisting the Program Coordinator by leading small group activities and planning social games. The compulsory time commitment for this program is 2 hours/week either Tuesday or Wednesday for 8 weeks. Training will be provided for all volunteers. Registration, training, and a Police Record Check are all mandatory.
2) Academic Tutor – One to One Tutoring Program
September to December and/or January to April
The tutoring program is designed to assist with homework or target a skill/strategy that the student needs to practice, in working towards improving their grades and competencies. Tutors are responsible to lead one to one tutoring sessions with students in grades 3 to 8 with learning disabilities and/or AD/HD. The compulsory time commitment for this program is 2 hours/ week either from 8:45-10:30 or 10:00-12:00 on Saturday mornings for 10-weeks. Training will be provided for all volunteers. Registration, training, and a Police Record Check are all mandatory.
3) Youth Mentors – Youth Transitions Program
September to January and/or February to June
The Youth Transitions Program is designed to assist students in Grades 10 to 12 with developing learning strategies, LD understanding and awareness, self-advocacy and long term goal planning. Youth mentors will assist with the mini lesson and learning activities. The compulsory time commitment for this program is 2 hours/week. This program will be held at Montcalm High School from 12:30-2:30 Thursday afternoons. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to provide transportation to the program site. Training will be provided for all volunteers. If you are interested in this specific opportunity please contact the Program Coordinator to discuss further details.
4) Camp Counsellor
‘Fun Fridays’ PA Day CampsOctober 3rd, November 14th, December 5th, January 30th, April 24th
Fun Fridays are interactive camp days that use cross-curricular learning centers, recreational activities and social scenarios for an enjoyable day of learning. Camp counsellors will be responsible for assisting the Program Coordinator with planning and implementing activities. The time commitment for this program is one OR more days from 8:30-3:30. We would be happy if you could volunteer for a half day too! Training will be provided for all volunteers. Registration, training, and a Police Record Check are all mandatory.
Pillar
http://www.pillarv.com
If none of these opportunities appeal to you, here is a list of volunteer opportunities in the London committee compiled by the Pillar Volunteer network.
