#service-learning

This led me to my interest in the environment and to follow the terrible environmental destruction that is going on. I have since been a Director with our little local group here in Slave Lake called Regional Environmental Action Committee for over 20 years. It was through that group that I was first introduced to Keepers of the Athabasca, who were a lot bigger and a lot more active. Keepers of the Athabasca are First Nations, Metis, environment groups, and watershed citizens working together for the protection of water, land, air, animals, and everything that is alive in the Athabasca water basin. 

We started in 2006, and some of our original board members were University of Alberta alumni so we have been involved with the UofA from the beginning. When I was first introduced to Keepers, I immediately got involved with the group and started helping out where I could, and eventually they invited me become a Director on the board, which I did for a couple of years. Through the suggestions I had for grants, I was then hired to do fund development and communications; then, just over a year ago, I got my current position to be the Executive Director. However, in the last month I informed the board that as an Indigenous-led organization, it is important that not only the board be comprised of Indigenous folks (which it does), but that the face of the organization also be a person of Indigenous ancestry and background who can do the outreach. I am really excited about Keepers’ work and I think it is important work that requires that we do more to cease environmental destruction.

Keepers carries out its work through different avenues. Along the advocacy line for instance, we are currently one the interveners in the new proposed Frontier Oil Sands project by Teck Resources that is by far the largest and Northernmost bitumen mine, situated right next to Wood Buffalo National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the research line, Keepers is working with a group of hydrogeologists (groundwater scientists) to develop a tool called a Data Visualization Tool that informs people what the location’s surface water and groundwater quality is and the tool also show if there is any interactions between between the surface and groundwater. We have invited a whole number of First Nations communities to participate in the development of the Data Visualization Tool, and there is funding for community-based monitoring that will increase the capacity for communities to be able to use this tool and show exactly where the tailing ponds are leaking. We have also recently sent a media release around this on the pertinent information from the Alberta Energy Regulator that speaks to the liability that is estimated for Albertans in terms of covering these environmental hazards. As can be seen through this particular project, we are involved on various levels--on the advocacy and research side, as well as with community. Keepers participates in multi-stakeholder groups that help inform and increase our knowledge about the issues we tackle. Some of the other initiatives we have produced are the Healing Walk for 5 years (Stop the Destruction, Start the Healing), which has now turned into the Healing Gathering for the Land and Water.

I started working with the CSL program in 2015, and since then we’ve run at least a couple of students every year. The first project I was involved in were students doing some really interesting interviews of our membership and community members that were concerned about the links between health and the environment--so through CSL we had some really great reports produced on that topic. For a different project, we had a student interview the Traditional Knowledge Holders up at Dene Tha First Nation specifically about their concerns with pipeline spills and their experiences with the clean up of the spills. There were also a couple of students more recently that developed a report on Keepers for the CSL program, which helped with defining our work with CSL and was helpful for future students we would work with. This year, a group of students did a survey for University students to see how much they knew about Keepers of the Athabasca, and they also provided us with Social media plans. For the next three years at least, Keepers is doing a workshop series called ‘Flowing into Right Relationship, where students will be developing promotional items to help get word of the workshop series out. We also have an intern through the Non-Profit Board Internship Program that will be helping us develop a document for our board about board membership expectations.

It is a joy to work with CSL students because they are so enthusiastic. It helps bolster our work because sometimes it gets really tiring and discouraging, so it is nice to have that energy come into play. In order to stay in this field for so long, a person needs to focus on balance, their self-care, and include relaxation and exercise in their schedule. It is quite dangerous to burnout; so, I really encourage that work-life balance. Especially so when you are working for a cause because you tend to want to put more energy into it, which is great, but you also have to put that same energy into your own life and your own care and health. We need everyone to take part in this work, so it is essential to keep your own self healthy.

I began taking CSL courses mainly as an extracurricular since there was some room in my program. After the first CSL integrated course I took, I found that my existing misconceptions were challenged particularly around society and how/who we humanize. Since then, I have been able to take CSL 100, CSL 300, and the previously planned trip to go to Nicaragua but due to rising political tensions, we were unable to go to the trip. But there still remained a lot to talk about and content to explore—such as voluntourism and elevated privileges and power that come with the travel experience. I love CSL for the reflection piece, because you get the chance to really intentionally tie together the course themes with aspects of yourself that are intrinsically a part of you but you don’t start making “real” until you go through the experience of exploring who you are and how systems of power help to shape your reality. Another aspect of CSL that I found necessary was exploring your own biases and identity because these are going to impact the perspectives that you have. I also enjoy how the study willingly looks at discourses and limitations. So, for example, how am I able to grow and what sort of things am I missing? It is kind of a pursuit in humility.

The CSL experience has been a collection of ah-ha moments where every step seems quite significant. I am a second generation immigrant and so when I was growing up and going through the education system, we kind of lost the opportunity to be able to practice Tagalog—which is a big aspect of this cultural identity for me. In preparation for the Nicaragua trip, we had the opportunity to start practicing Spanish and it was fascinating to see links between Spanish and Tagalog. Seeing that connection through the class helped me to think deeper about who I am (in relation to community) and be a little bit more aware of my intersecting identities, and how they inform my power and privileges as I navigate this world. On one hand I feel privileged because I am able to very well articulate English, but on the other hand I am missing that cultural and linguistic identity. I am currently coming to terms with that and more broadly, who I am; whether that is through courses I take or through those whom I intentionally surround myself with.

Looking forward, I am anticipating being in the education system. I am not sure for how long, or whether that is going to be split between being involved in the community in some form of matter. I am very much open to the possibilities of what that could look like. In the meantime, I am working towards being a teacher, and challenging secondary students with various ideas, including the deeply entrenched idea that Social and Science and English are not connected whatsoever. I think eventually too I would love to do something involving the non-profit sector while keeping in mind all the discourses and limitations underlying it, but also the possibilities. One of the cool things I heard from a friend who worked in the non-for-profit sector was that “I am here, and I am working; but I am essentially trying to work myself out of a job.” They recognized that they had a job because of these disparities, but ultimately they wanted to get to the point where they are not needed anymore. I think that being able to help people help themselves (so that aspect of empowerment) is something I would like to do.

Notably the relationship you build with a community partner and the reflection throughout. There exists this triangular support between students, instructors, community partners that is facilitated by the CSL office ensuring that everyone receives the benefits from the relationship. I was also surprised by how CSL classes are heavy on theory about Community Service-Learning—the history, what it is, who developed it, etc.—and how necessary this knowledge is when working with community partners.

CSL allowed me to apply all the elements I learned in class to create projects for actual organizations, where you get a chance to see your hard work appear and be implemented by the organization. I think that practicality is the biggest thing that attracted me to CSL. It makes it feel like you are already in the work world, and it gives you the opportunity to work on a project with a team that is more than just for your own grades and actually contributes a lot towards an organization. There is a lot of value in building experiential skills prior to entering the job market.

CSL allows you to test your knowledge and skills in a safe environment—because people are far more forgiving when you are a student—through professors’ advice, resources, and guidance; and it is not like if you mess up you could lose your job. Even though my previous Business courses shared a lot of similarities with CSL ones, there were distinct differences as well.

I heard about the certificate in my Marketing Research class and figured that was something interesting to pursue. I then went out to take a Marketing Communications class, CSL 100, and a CSL 300 course. The first time around I was partnered with Student Success Centre where we did a marketing research project for them; the second semester I was with Silver Skate festival, and we created a suggested marketing campaign in order for them to get more donations. I am currently partnered with the City of Edmonton’s Accessibility Council where the council is tasked with creating a 40 page document that outlines rules around making events accessible varying from movement to language translation.

It has been an interesting experience meeting with external partners that aren’t instructors and fellow students. At first you don’t necessarily realize how busy they are and how much of a sacrifice it is for them to find the time to sit with you. This allows for a difference in effort that one puts in when they are doing something for someone else that is not just you and your group; so I usually find more of an obligation to do a good job than if it is a project that is only centered around a grade.

NPBI requires students to develop a project that would contribute to the board. So, I did a presentation on Roberts Rules of Order in order to help the board conduct effective meetings and set out clear expectations for every board member. I delivered and planned out a workshop for people on the board—who ranged from lawyers to accountants, really a diverse range of people with all these different skill sets and backgrounds—so that was an incredible confidence boast, and I felt very accomplished afterwards. To anyone with an inkling to do the program, I would say try it out! To make your education more well-rounded, I think it is great to put yourself out there and try something new. I know that when I did the NBPI I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I was open to any experience to see what kind of pulls me.  The program opened up my eyes to the idea that there are so many different types of jobs out there. When we grow up we are thinking about niche jobs, but going into this program I met people that have such interesting jobs that I’ve never heard about.

I was also able to take CSL courses throughout my degree, like the Women and Gender Studies courses, and through that was partnered with Girl Space which was a program under the YWCA. It was an afterschool program for girls which did module work such as self-esteem building, media messaging, specifically for girls out of libraries in Edmonton. I really do think that that experience led me to my current job. The skills I gained as a facilitator there led to my job as a facilitator for this program here the next summer. I’ve transitioned to a different role now, but it is just so interesting that these volunteer experiences have led me to my work. It makes me so happy that I made that decisions I made in my undergrad.

Throughout my Political Science degree, I definitely thought I was going to be working with the government, and I did do a co-op with the federal government in my second last semester in Gatineau, Quebec. The program I am currently a part of involves more community engagement, it is working with people, and seeing actual change. It sounds cheesy, but it’s incredible how my volunteer experiences have forged my path because if I hadn’t done Girl Space or the NPBI I wouldn’t have had the qualifications or the background skills to apply for a program like this.