From Classroom to Community: Kya Collins Reflects on Experiential Learning
Feb 19, 2025 | Experiential Learning
Kya Collins, a Canadore College student, recently participated in a Community Service Learning opportunity offered in partnership with the Near North Palliative Care Network. In this video, Kya shares about the benefits of this type of experiential learning.
The video transcript follows:
Today we’re going to be talking about Community Service Learning. So you may be wondering, what is Community Service Learning? Community Service Learning is when students get the opportunity to go out in their communities and engage with community members through hands-on teaching and learning.
My Community Service Learning experience was amazing! It was a wonderful way to participate in community outreach as well as gain real-world experience working with community members. This event was an ongoing weekly painting class for the seniors in our community, appropriately filling the gap for programs for seniors in our area. The individuals giving me directions on how to assist in the smooth running of the event were some of the kindest people I have ever met. I was able to facilitate conversations between participants as well as coordinating the setup and the takedown of the event.
Taking part in an event of this nature gave me some insight into what working with senior citizens may resemble when I enter the field of Social Service Work. I was able to relate the interactions that I took part in to some of the concepts that we’re covering in class. Engaging in this activity showed me the ways that I could apply the different roles of social service workers in any community engagement setting. In the end, Community Service Learning is a wonderful way for students to get a taste of what working in and with communities may resemble in our future careers. I am thrilled that I got to take part in such a rewarding event.