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  • Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service

    Getting Your 40 Hours of Community Service

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    Many volunteer centres are independent non-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions:

    • Promote volunteering
    • Build the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers
    • Facilitate connections between people with volunteer opportunities
    • Provide leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizen engagement

    If you want to volunteer, your local volunteer centre is there to connect you to opportunities in your community. It may have a database of volunteer opportunities or can connect you directly to opportunities within its member organizations.

  • The Media Tedium: How can I stay focused when the world news is so horrible?

    The Media Tedium: How can I stay focused when the world news is so horrible?

    When you are up all night finishing that essay at the last minute, you probably spend most of the seconds of that minute checking Facebook posts and news updates. We catch up on the news daily, but do not always realize the effect it might be having on us. The biggest effect is that it convinces us the world is an awful place.

    We seem to live in troubling times. It is too late to stop the damage of the Earth’s raising temperatures. Terrorist attacks and mass shootings show up on our news feeds on a daily basis. How can that essay possibly get done when the world is falling to pieces?

    It is important to remember that the threat of doomsday is nothing new. From talk of the Rapture in Ancient Rome, to the threat of December 21, 2012 in recent times, the end of the world seems to be upon us again and again. It is almost like we enjoy it. For religious people, there is a sense of relief from knowing that God will take care of problems that seem beyond our control. For many, the idea of knowing when the world will end and getting prepared gives us a sense of comfort and satisfaction. It makes sense that the news would want to populate its stories with ideas that make us feel good. Yet these stories lead to the other problem: They convince us that individuals are powerless.

    There is a great sense of despondency when watching war after war, or political battle after battle. Yet if we narrow our scope, we tend to see the world in a positive way. People generally see their neighbours as friendly, and we feel like we have a great impact on the lives of our family and friends. Even their negative behavior can be analyzed and we can understand why they might do hurtful things.

    When that scope is widened, we get the horrors of war and the suffering of poorer countries. We do not see the impact of individuals. The behavior of people becomes generalized and not analyzed. Yet the grand scale of things is really just a giant group of individuals like you and me. It is a giant group of friendly neighbours and individual impacts that all add up. Without those seemingly tiny things, there would be no grand scale.

    Ultimately, the news might try to be objective, but it is important to remember that everything is objective. There is no way around it. We are viewing life from our own perspective, filled with all our little biases. The news is not some magical entity outside of that truth. The news is a business, and we are the customers. That does not mean it is all a lie, but sensationalism is good for business.

    News can be good and bad. The good news is that the world is not going to end. The bad news is you still have to finish that essay.

    Sources:

    Pappas, Stephanie. The Draw of Doomsday: Why People Look Forward to the End.
    http://www.livescience.com/14179-doomsday-psychology-21-judgment-day-apocalypse.html

    Singal, Jesse. What All This Bad News Is Doing to Us.
    http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/what-all-this-bad-news-is-doing-to-us.html

  • Fat Shaming in School

    Fat Shaming in School

    As young people we are more perceptible to the impact of other people’s opinions. It takes years to develop resilience against hurtful comments as well as a sense of self worth. When it comes to obesity, there can be many contributing factors to that particular condition; some of which may be medication, addiction, anxiety or depression. Somehow through out the years, society has launched an attack on body image. But the fact remains…everyone has his or her own story, and that story is none of your business.

    Body shaming is such a social illness and affects all shapes and sizes. It’s so difficult to love ourselves, yet so easy to judge others—because sometimes when we put other people down, it makes us feel better about ourselves. This cycle is perpetuated by media and peer pressure, and can some times feel impossible to escape. As members of a student body, we are thrown into a tank of other young, highly impressionable people. And with healthy lifestyles being constantly promoted in the educational world, young passionate people often feel the need to take it upon themselves to “spread the gospel”—so to speak. Body shaming leads directly to fat shaming—a phrase some use to describe encouraging those who are obese to lose weight or a phrase that can be described as straight out bullying.

    In September 2015, YouTube star Nicole Arbour’s video titled “Dear Fat People” went viral. It featured Arbour spewing out hurtful comments against people that battle obesity. Despite going on The View recently to claim that the video was not meant to be taken seriously and was actually just satire, her hateful comments depict what is wrong with our society and—sadly—what is widely believed to be true. Arbour flat out claims in her video that fatness is associated with laziness, gluttony and bad decisions—a narrow-minded opinion that no doubt many obese people have heard all their lives. Obese individuals often have to deal with workplace discrimination and unwanted comments from those who feel that they have the right to expose their prejudice masked by ‘health concern’.

    “Fat shaming is not a thing; fat people made that up. That’s a race card, with no race,” said Arbour. “If we offend you so much that you lose weight, then I’m okay with that.” The comments for her video were disabled, which is definitely not surprising considering the media storm it created. And hopefully her cruelty has opened up a dialogue about so-called fat shaming.

    First of all, why do you care?

    Why does someone else’s body concern you? How does it concern YOUR path? YOUR health? If you are concerned about the person, it has been clinically proven that telling them that their weight is out of control may damage them emotionally and possibly even physically. Negative emotions can lead to negative physical implications.

    Fat shaming DOES NOT WORK

    There is a socially acceptable size, and if you are not within those size boundaries you have most likely been bullied about it at school. While peers get kinder between elementary school and university, the media grows harsher. According to www.secureteen.com, the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital conducted a study, which revealed that 34% of all obese children are bullied in their schools. The study also found that mothers of over-weight children remarked that 45% of those children had been bullied. Furthermore, 25% of the obese children claimed that they have been put through fat shaming in school. Instead of causing someone to lose weight in a healthy way, fat shaming can lead to eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia. And even if weight is lost in the proper physical way—through diet and exercise—fat shaming can leave long lasting mental health and insecurity dangers.

    Things to remember:

    • Beauty and being fat are NOT mutually exclusive. Being overweight does not make one less intelligent. Physicality is a personal thing. We are not responsible for other people’s bodies. Only our own. Poking your head where you should not could really hurt someone.
    • Body autonomy is hard to have when our prejudiced society deems your body to be unacceptable. Self-love and acceptance leads to a desire to take care of yourself. Know your body—what it needs and what it reacts to.

  • Wonder Women: Inspiring Female Educators

    Wonder Women: Inspiring Female Educators

    In 2009 I moved to Nanaimo, B.C. to attend Vancouver Island University. A book worm since I could read and a general lover of the written/spoken word, I enthusiastically joined as many writing and English courses as I could fit into my fall semester. On my first day I sat in the front row of my “Introduction to Fiction Writing” class. A smiling blonde woman sat at the front with a laptop and a pile of outlines on her desk. As she introduced us to the material and addressed what we could expect that semester, I kept repeating her name over and over again in my head. “Susan Juby…Susan Juby. Where have I heard that name before?” As she discussed term paper deadlines, I Googled her name—and couldn’t believe what I saw. Juby was the author of the preteen Canadian hit novel Alice, I Think and its sequels. This was a series that myself and nearly every girl I had gone to school with had read in either middle or high school. It eventually became a CBC television series, and implanted in my mind an early understanding of the importance of Canadian authors. Having this woman who—like me—was BC grown and able to make a living as a writer, filled me with such admiration and ambition. I knew right then that if I worked hard enough and got good enough, I could be published.

    Since then I have met many amazing and inspiring female educators, as I’m sure you have as well. Here are some famous female educators teaching in Canada:

    Adele Diamond

    Known to be one of the pioneers in the field of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Diamond has been extremely influential in research focused on the executive functions of prefrontal cortex and interrelated brain. Much of her study focuses on children. She is the Tier 1 Canadian Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. (www.ranker.com)

    June Larkin

    Larkin attended university late, balancing her undergrad with a primary-school teaching job. Now she is a lecturer in Women and Gender Studies and Equity Studies as well as vice-principal of New College at the University of Toronto. Her main focus is pushing her students to community outreach; combining class with the field. (www.macleans.ca)

    Mary-Lou Donnelly

    Donnelly is the president of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and served as teacher for thirty years in Halifax. Previous to being appointed as president of the CTF, Donnelly was president of the Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union. A trailblazer, she was a founding member of Nova Scotia’s Coalition Against Workplace Violence, She has since received the Canadian Progress Club Women of Excellence award. (www.financialpost.com)

  • Career Profile: Television Reporter

    Career Profile: Television Reporter

    For many people, watching the evening news is a daily routine. They learn about world events from reporters who gather facts and inform viewers about what they’ve discovered. Becoming a television reporter involves education and experience, but also the ability to pursue stories and to condense them into forms that fit into news programs. If that idea appeals to you, becoming a television reporter might be the right choice.

    Have you ever worked on a school newspaper or interviewed someone for an assignment? Television reporters spend a lot of their time trying to find the facts about events in their own communities or around the world. This can often involve talking to people and doing research in libraries or archives. They need to research everything they can about their subject/s, so they can ask intriguing questions while getting to the truth or heart of the story.

    Most television reporters prepare for their careers by getting a bachelor’s degree in journalism, broadcasting or television production. Taking creative writing or English literature courses can also be useful. Some reporters might also want to specialize in a particular type of writing or in the history and politics of a certain area of the world. If you know a lot about subjects that involve science or literature, you can work towards specializing in a specific topic. However, reporters have to be prepared to work on any assignments that they receive-usually in the beginning of their career.

    Knowing about camera and recording equipment is also useful for television reporters. Large news stations normally have technicians who operate cameras and sound recording equipment, but at smaller stations, reporters might have to learn how to use all of this equipment themselves. When they go out to report on an event, they have to keep the camera rolling while talking and asking people questions.

    When they first start out, most reporters work on small, local stories. They might report on a local music festival or a problem with playground equipment. In large television stations with many reporters, it might take several years before they can work on bigger stories. However, if they gain skills and experience, they can often move on to other types of reporting. They might never get to work on the most exciting stories, but they could begin to make their own decisions about which ones to cover.

    Salaries for television reporters may vary. When they start out, especially at small stations, reporters might earn only about $20,000 per year. With experience, however, they could reach $100,000 per year, especially if they are willing to travel to different parts of the world. In most parts of Canada, the average salary for a television reporter is between $45,000 and $55,000 per year.

    Becoming a television reporter takes a lot of practice and requires you to be open to the world and what stories it has to offer. If you enjoy talking to people and finding out the facts behind a story, this job might be a good career choice for you.

    Bibliography:

    Halbrooks, Glenn. TV Reporter Career Profile and Job Description http://media.about.com/od/televisionandradio/p/Tv-Reporter-Career-Profile.htm.
    Living in Canada. “Journalist Salary Canada.” http://www.livingin-canada.com/salaries-for-journalists.html.
    Occupation Profile for Radio and Television Announcers http://www.careers.org/occupations/27-3011.00/radio-and-television-announcers.
    Study.com. “News Reporter Career Information, Job Duties and Salary Info.” http://study.com/news_reporter_career.html.

  • How Do I Know I’m on the Right Career Path?

    How Do I Know I’m on the Right Career Path?

    When children are young, they often dream of becoming a ballet dancer, search and rescue pilot, or explorer. Later on, however, most of them begin to think of different careers like teacher or doctor.

    Picking a good career is hard; how do you know you’re going to make the right choice?

    In the past, people tended to choose one career, train for it, and then stay in that career for the rest of their lives. These days, however, permanent jobs are hard to find, and people tend to switch jobs or career paths quite often. Young people starting out in their careers might have twelve to fifteen different jobs in their working life, not including summer work. Although, some of these job changes are within the same career path- people have to be much more flexible than they were in the past.

    This need for flexibility is important to remember as you decide on what career path to pursue. You might start out as a lawyer but then go back to school to study librarianship, or you might use your training as an engineer to get work in theatre set construction. The important thing is to find careers that fit your skills and your personality.

    Knowing yourself can be the key to finding the right career path. Do you love to talk and work with people? You might want to choose a career that allows you to do that, such as becoming a teacher or a social worker. Are you very precise and love to work with your hands? You might want to consider careers such as lab worker, inventor, or mechanic.

    Your skills and abilities can also help you choose the right path. If you dislike studying and memorizing facts, for example, you should avoid careers in medicine. If you have troubles handling stressful situations, you should probably not try to get into the police or security work. You might be able to overcome these barriers, but you should consider other options before you try these difficult jobs.

    Besides all of your personal characteristics, you need to know something about the working world to choose a good career. The available opportunities change rapidly, and a job that seems promising now might disappear entirely within a few years. However, knowing the job market can help you prepare for these changes.

    If you can fill a need, you are likely able to stay in your chosen career path for a long time. No one can predict exactly what will happen in the next few years, but it is a good idea to be as prepared as possible. Consider your options; try things you haven’t considered before. Using trial and error will help you figure things out, and lead you to where you’re supposed to be.

    Bibliography:

    Harris, Peter. “How Many Jobs Do Canadians Hold in a Lifetime?” http://careers.workopolis.com/advice/how-many-jobs-do-canadians-hold-in-a-lifetime/.

    HelpGuide.org. “Finding the Right Career.” http://www.helpguide.org/articles/work-career/finding-the-right-career.htm
    Wikihow.com. “How to Choose the Right Career.” http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-the-Right-Career.

    Work BC.ca. “Self-Assessment.” https://www.workbc.ca/Job-Seekers/Build-Your-Career/Planning-Your-Career/Starting-and-Planning-Your-Career/Self-assessment.aspx.

    Zimmerman, Eilene. “Helping Teenagers Find Their Dreams.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/jobs/25career.html?_r=0.

  • Aboriginal Scholarship Spotlight: September-October 2015

    Aboriginal Scholarship Spotlight: September-October 2015

     Scholarship information Via http://www.ammsa.com/

    AltaLink Aboriginal Scholarship Program

    (Alberta)

    This scholarship program is designed to recognize leaders in the Aboriginal community by offering eight scholarships to Aboriginal students attending post-secondary institutions. Two eligible students from each of Treaty 6, 7, 8 and the Métis community in Alberta will be awarded with a $1,000 scholarship. 

    ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution and:

    • Treaty applicants must be born in Alberta. 
    • Métis applicants must either be a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta Association or an Alberta Métis Settlement or must have been living in Alberta for at least the past three months with a Métis membership card from another province.

    HOW TO ENTER: Application forms are available online at http://www.altalink.ca/responsibility/communityinvestment/powerful-education.cfm and may be submitted by email or by mail to the address below. A transcript, either official or unofficial, and a photocopy of your status card must be submitted for the application to be considered. The deadline for receipt of the completed application is October 15.

    Email: aboriginalrelations@altalink.ca,

    or mail to

    AltaLink ATTN: Altalink Aboriginal Scholarship 2611 – 3rd Avenue SE Calgary, Alberta T2A 7W7

    See more at: http://ammsa.com/content/national-scholarships#sthash.CLircM9Q.dpuf

     

    Graduate Scholarships

    (Saskatchewan)

    Value: Up to $2,000 for each award period, granted on the basis of 12 consecutive months of full-time studies. The number of scholarships and the amount are determined by the number of applicants in relation to the available funds.

    Eligibility: Métis or Non-Status Indian. Has resided in Saskatchewan for at least five years. Engaged in any graduate degree program at the masters or doctoral level or accepted into a masters or doctoral program at a recognized Canadian university. The major research project or thesis must relate to the economic development of Aboriginal peoples. Committed to working in an Aboriginal work environment on successful completion of studies. Demonstrate a commitment to the needs of Aboriginal peoples. Achieve a B average in the most recent months of full-time studies, over a period of 12 consecutive months.

    Duration: Annual. Masters applicants may receive two consecutive or non-consecutive awards. Doctoral applicants may receive three consecutive or non-consecutive awards.

    Application Deadline: October 1 and May 1 each year.

    See more at: http://ammsa.com/content/saskatchewan-scholarships#sthash.WPa8tFvg.dpuf

     

    Undergraduate Scholarships

    (Saskatchewan)

    Value: Up to $500 for each eight-month period of full-time studies. Number of scholarships and amount determined by the number of applicants in relation to the funds available. An individual may receive up to three consecutive or non-consecutive undergraduate scholarship awards.

    Eligibility: Métis or Non-Status Indian. Has resided in Saskatchewan for at least five years. Completed a minimum of one academic year of full-time studies at a recognized Canadian public or Aboriginal educational institution. The program must be at least eight months of full-time studies in an area related to economic development. Committed to the needs of Aboriginal peoples. Committed to working in an Aboriginal work environment on successful completion of studies. Achieve a B average in the most recent eight months of full-time studies, over a period of 12 consecutive months.

    Duration: Annual

    Application Deadline: October 1 and May 1 each year.

    Information: Napolean Lafontaine Scholarship Fund Room 210 College West building University of Regina 3737 Wescana Parkway Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2 Phone: (306) 347-4100 Fax: (306) 565-0809

    See more at: http://ammsa.com/content/saskatchewan-scholarships#sthash.WPa8tFvg.dpuf

     

    Donald R. Simmons Memorial Scholarship

    Eligibility: Indian or Metis ancestry

    Value: Two $500 awards

    Criteria: Enrolled in first year of approved institution, Grade 12 graduate; General Proficiency Award applicants excluded

    Deadline Date: October 15

    Applications submitted to: Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment

    Student Financial Assistance Unit Ground Floor, East Wing, Walter Scott Building 305 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3V7

    See more at: http://ammsa.com/content/saskatchewan-scholarships#sthash.WPa8tFvg.dpuf

     

     

  • Western Canada Scholarships for Students with Disabilities: December 2015

    Western Canada Scholarships for Students with Disabilities: December 2015

    Via www.disabilityawards.ca

    CN Railway Diversity Scholarship
    CN is proud to recognize and encourage educational excellence.Through its Diversity Scholarships, CN will offer grants to support the post-secondary education of women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, military veterans and people of Aboriginal heritage in Canada. As part of this program, and to support its hiring needs, CN will sponsor these deserving, best-in-class students enrolled in programs relevant to CN’s core business. Selected students will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship, tenable for one academic year.

    Amount: $3000
    Deadline: December 31st, 2015
    Contact: partners@cn.ca
    http://jobs.cn.ca/en/CanadianScholarships.sn
    Via www.disabilityawards.ca

     

    Edmonton Realtors’ Charitable Foundation Bursary for Disabled Students
    Edmonton Realtors’ Charitable Foundation funds the award and it’s available to persons with disabilities.
    *This awards is only available to students at Concordia University College of Alberta
    Amount: $500
    Contact: http://www.concordia.ab.ca/programs/awards.php

     

    Lion Bruce Thornicroft Memorial Bursary
    This bursary is sponsored by the Grand Prairie Lions Club. It is awarded based on financial need and reasonable academic standing.
    *This awards is only available to students at Grande Prairie Regional College
    Amount: $750
    Deadline: December 11th, 2015
    Contact:
    Grande Prairie Regional College
    10726 – 106 Ave
    Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 4C4
    Phone: 780-539-2943
    Fax: 780-539-2888
    Email: financialaid@gprc.ab.ca
    http://www.gprc.ab.ca/downloads/documents/Awards_booklet_2009.pdf

     

    Rick Hansen Bursary
    The Rick Hansen Bursary is awarded to assist a student with a mobility impairment at Grand Prairie Regional College. It is awarded based on financial need and reasonable academic standing. This bursary is sponsored by the Student Association.
    *This awards is only available to students at Grande Prairie Regional College
    Amount: $350
    Deadline: December 11th, 2015
    Contact:
    https://www.gprc.ab.ca/downloads/documents/2009_Bursary_Application.pdf
    Grande Prairie Regional College
    10726 – 106 Ave
    Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 4C4
    Phone: 780-539-2943
    Fax: 780-539-2888
    Email: financialaid@gprc.ab.ca

     

    Zajac Foundation Scholarship
    This scholarship was named, at the request of the Zajac Foundation, to honour their late sons who were both tragically killed in separate sporting accidents. The fund is held and administered by the BC Centre for Ability Foundation.
    Amount: $400
    Contact:
    Zajac Committee
    c/o BC Centre for Ability
    2805 Kingsway
    Vancouver, BC, V5R 5H9
    Email: info@centreforability.bc.ca
    http://www.centreforability.bc.ca/?page=80

  • Happy Holidays from JobsPeopleDo!

    Happy Holidays from JobsPeopleDo!

    December can be a very busy, hectic month. Between shopping for Holiday gifts and attending parties, you will most likely be dedicating time to study for exams and finals. The excitement of a brand new year is upon you, and you will be taking the time to reflect on your year- what you accomplished, what you didn’t, and what you want to accomplish in the new year.

    This month, JPD has some great articles like how to handle exams, what you can do when you feel bogged down with school work, managing family and peer pressure, and how to motivate yourself. We also have a special article on how to save money during the holiday season (Scholarships). In our Trades section, we have a number of Career Profiles to catch up on, as well as information on scholarships in the trades.

    Be sure to check out our brand new job videos on being a Construction Manager, Engineer Technologist, Marine Engineer, Physiotherapist Assistant, Public Relations Rep, Speech Language Pathologist, and Veterinarian.

    Whatever your December schedule entails, keep in mind that balance can be the key to success during the holiday season.

    Happy Holidays and see you in 2016!

     

    Erin Lynne Bouman

    Content Editor

  • Scholarships for Aboriginal Students

    Scholarships for Aboriginal Students

    Bursaries and Scholarships The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada is dedicated to helping Aboriginals reach the highest standard of excellence in finance and management. AFOA’s initiatives in the development of Awards and Scholarships are examples of that commitment.

    See link below for scholarships and bursaries: http://www.metisnation.org/programs/education–training/education/bursaries–scholarships

    Want even more options? Check out the scholarships and bursaries for Aboriginal students that we found:

    The Aboriginal Canada Portal Offers an online Aboriginal funding tool that offers a way to search for scholarships, bursaries, loans & grants according to your needs.

    Canada Post Aboriginal Education Incentive Award The Aboriginal Education Incentive Award is part of Canada Post’s nation-wide scholarship program and commitment to furthering individual potential. Each of Canada Post’s eight regions across the country will grant three awards annually: Two $1,000 scholarships for the return to and successful completion of one full year of high school and One $1,000 scholarship for the return to and successful completion of one full year of post-secondary education, including vocational or trade skills training.

    FAAY (Foundation for the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth) FAAY is a scholarship program operated by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. CCAB is dedicated to developing the future generations of Aboriginal leaders. They have scholarships for high school or post-secondary students.

    AMMSA (Aboriginal Multi- Media Society) Large listing of scholarships and bursaries available to Aboriginal people (including youth) in a variety of educational programs. You can look up educational institutions and find the awards available to their Aboriginal students only.

    Royal Bank of Canada Aboriginal Scholarships  Royal Bank offers scholarships to all Aboriginal people and also has a summer placement program as an award to qualified applicants. Royal Bank has employment opportunities for Aboriginal students in grade 9-12 for summer employment.