We work with several students each year to meet the needs and goals of the 2SLGBTQ youth and young adults in our programs and services. When reviewing applications, we look at the learning goals of the student’s program; the time of year; the availability of supervisory staff; and the match between the student’s lived experience and those of our 2SLGBTQ young people. We greatly value the contributions of our placement students.
If you are interested in being considered for a Student Placement at SOY, please contact Patrick Salvani (psalvani@sherbourne.on.ca), SOY Mentorship and Peer Leadership Coordinator.
What do students on placement at SOY do?
Depending on your placement days, how you identify and your learning interests, there are a variety of tasks and responsibilities available to SOY students. We like to work with you to plan your placement and find activities that you’re excited about. Your placement may include:
- group support: support to groups and involvement with our various weekly group activities. Group work could include program planning, co-facilitation, guest speaker presentations, workshop design and presentation.
- one-on-one support: one-on-one support for individual youth who present issues during group or walk-ins. This could include housing/shelter referrals, sharing resources re: food security, safety, community information (e.g., 2SLGBTQ and/or youth services, social activities, etc.).
- community development activities: taking on or developing projects that contribute to the SOY community in important and creative ways. Past activities have included reviewing evaluations and making recommendations, and running a homework club.
- outreach and education: participation in public presentations or community information fairs, such as schools, social work events, equity conferences, etc. Workshop facilitation is also possible, depending on level of interest and experience.
I am a SOY youth already. Can I still apply to do a student placement with SOY?
We do not recruit students who are currently involved in SOY programming for student placements so that we can all maintain clear roles and responsibilities, professional boundaries and privacy. We also want to make sure youth have access to the services they need. Former participants in SOY groups or services are welcome to apply if they have been away from SOY for a minimum of six months.
Can people who do not identify as 2SLGBTQ do a student placement at SOY?
While SOY does not exclusively recruit students from the 2SLGBTQ community, we generally try to reserve these opportunities for students who are 2SLGBTQ-identified. Furthermore, we commit to providing a mentoring component to our work at all levels, which includes having staff, students and volunteers who identify with the lived experience of the youth we work with.
Do you take students from private colleges?
No. SOY only recruits students registered in programs at accredited public education institutions.