By Timmy Wong
From volunteering at an elementary school as a Literacy Mentor, to leading a week of summer camp for inner city youth, Stephanie McGee, a fourth-year English Honours student, has found her passion working with children.
She started her involvement with the UBC Trek Program in 2009, and it has led her to a world of opportunities.
The Trek Program builds connections between UBC and the greater community through service learning projects. Trek allows UBC students to take their classroom knowledge and apply it outside of the university setting.
Stephanie continues to participate in Trek as a volunteer Literacy Mentor at Queen Alexandra Elementary School in East Vancouver, where she works one-on-one with students in the classroom.
“I am mostly doing classroom support with at-risk students who are struggling. Unfortunately, in the inner city schools, the majority of children learn below grade level in terms of reading and writing and math skills, so they really do need the extra support to facilitate the lesson plans that are going on.”
Although Stephanie has been volunteering with the school for two years, her most memorable moment happened on her first day there. She was getting settled in the environment and getting to know the kids when she encountered her a-ha moment.
“I was really nervous to be going into the classroom and working with at-risk kids who have very different life experiences than me. I wanted to do some one-on-one work to get to know the students I would be working with over the year. I was talking to one student and all of a sudden, we were bonding over things like the Art Gallery and Jamaican food. By the end of it, she just looks at me and goes, ‘you know, Stephanie, you’re kind of cool.’ That really relaxed me and let me figure out that at-risk kids aren’t different from other kids; it’s just their circumstances that are different. Once I was able to break down that barrier, I was able to relate to them and build relationships that are important.”
The bonds that Stephanie made with the school children also helped Stephanie break down her own preconceptions of at-risk students in the inner city.
“When you walk into an inner city classroom, the kids who are the most at-risk are not going to look any different from the other kids in the class. Many of the children at Queen Alexandra have been through so much in their lives – they’ve been abused, witnessed domestic violence, they didn’t have dinner last night because there wasn’t any food in the house. This kind of experience stays with them and changes the way they perceive the world, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to let just anyone know. You really have to get to know these kids and earn their trust before they’ll open up to you. The sad fact is that a lot of these children do not have reliable adults in their lives, so the role of a literacy mentor is hugely important. Once a child realizes that you will keep coming back, week after week, then you really start to develop a relationship with them. The beauty of the Trek program is that it provides the opportunities for these relationships to grow and develop, meaning that we can start to identify at-risk children faster and provide them with support.”
Two years later, Stephanie now has plans to pursue a career in education, teaching elementary school children in the inner city. She credits the teachers at Queen Alexandra Elementary School for helping her find her passion.
“One of the things that stood out to me the most was the intense dedication of all the staff there; it feels like they’re there 24/7. They’re going absolutely above and beyond any job description that you can pull together, and they care so much. They’re so dedicated to not just making sure that their kids are receiving the best education possible given all the circumstances, but the best environment – it’s “are these students comfortable, do they feel safe, are all their emotional needs being met,” because until that happens, these kids aren’t going to learn properly.”
Currently, Stephanie is a student leader with the Trek Program; she liaises between the university and the community programs to ensure Trek volunteers are getting the most out of their experiences, while ensuring that the community demands are met. Stephanie’s work with the Trek Program has also led her to more opportunities in the inner city community. She is a volunteer with Kidsafe, a community program that creates a safe haven for kids who are classified as at-risk. As well, Stephanie works with the YMCA in their child-care division, providing before and after-school care.
Stephanie sees the power of volunteering and believes that it does make a difference, not only in the community that she is in, but also for herself. She offers some words of advice for students thinking about giving back to the Vancouver community.
“Don’t hesitate if you’re thinking of volunteering and you think it’s not going to fit into your schedule; I guarantee you there’s about an hour a week you spend on Facebook that you could cut, and you’ll feel way better about yourself afterwards. The time I spent with the Trek Program has absolutely defined my experience here at UBC; my education would not be the same without it. I’ve been able to take from my classes and give to the school, and I’ve been able to take my experiences from the school, and give it back to my classes.
