Room 341 at 100 Marie Curie is tucked away at the end of a long, secluded corridor. But behind its doors you’ll find Kristina McDougall and Catherine Lavoie, two lively, energetic and dedicated women who jointly manage the Community Service Learning Program and the Co-Curricular Record Program – which together form the Experiential Learning Service. The Experential Learning Service falls under the responsibility of the Student Academic Success Service.
Catherine Lavoie (left) and
Kristina McDougall
Under the Community Service Learning Program, students perform volunteer work as part of a course (unlike the Co-Curricular Record program, where they can earn recognition from the University for non course-related volunteer work). This official recognition will help students stand out when applying for admission to law, medicine, master’s or other programs, or when applying for jobs, since it highlights practical experience gained while working for community organizations.
Both Kristina McDougall and Catherine Lavoie work tirelessly to provide first-rate service to their clients, who include more than 1,300 students, 80 faculty members and 200 community partners. “We do much of our work as a team,” says Lavoie. “Our community partners inform us of their volunteer needs, and we make the decisions together on how to promote volunteer placements, under which program to place them and so on.”
Their dedication has earned considerable praise from people like Jeff Keshen, Department of History professor and Experiential Learning Service manager: “Catherine and Kristina are remarkably dedicated, and have an undeniable talent for their work. They deal with a diverse clientele and encounter new and different challenges each day, which they confront with a winning and positive attitude. I am grateful and privileged to have them on the Experiential Learning Service team.”
For McDougall and Lavoie, seeing the end result is the most rewarding part of the job. “When I think of all the good that students have done for the community through our programs, I know how fortunate we are to do this work,” says Lavoie. Last year, some 1,000 students performed an average of 30 hours of volunteer work apiece. “We expect an even higher participation rate this year,” says McDougall, “and that doesn’t include students who continue volunteering for their organizations once their placements are over. It is a genuine pleasure to see how much the University contributes to the well-being of the community.”
To learn more about the Community Service Learning Program and the Co-Curricular Record Program, contact Kristina McDougall or Catherine Lavoie.
