Community Education Application

Apply to be a Community Education Volunteer

STEP 1 of 2: Review Requirements and Program Information

Thank you for your interest in volunteer work with our Community Education Program. Below is a description of the volunteer role and the commitment we require. Please read this information carefully before continuing with your application.

About Being a Volunteer Classroom Educator

Community Education volunteers visit high schools in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Burnaby giving suicide prevention presentations in high school classrooms.

Volunteering in the Community Education Program is a very rewarding experience. You will learn new and valuable skills and be involved in a ‘front-line’ helping environment.

As a Classroom Educator you will strengthen your skills in:

  • Public speaking and group facilitation
  • Working interactively with youth in an educational capacity
  • Classroom management techniques

You will also gain a deeper understanding of:

  • Youth suicide prevention
  • Adolescent development
  • Youth perspectives, strengths and challenges
  • Mindfulness principles and practices

Training

While we ask that you have an interest in youth and suicide prevention, all training is provided and no previous experience is necessary. The Community Education program offers two training sessions each year – one in September and another in January.

Each session starts with a 17-hour Basic Training, including:

  • Youth suicide awareness & response
  • Resiliency building
  • Facilitating for empowerment
  • Presentation planning for the classroom
  • Program policies and systems

Volunteer trainees then choose and learn one classroom presentation. This training includes observation of a classroom presentation and plenty of opportunity to practice. In the next school semester, each volunteer learns a second presentation.

Regular In-Service Trainings
We host several in-service evenings each school year, offering volunteers opportunities to hone their skills and learn about issues youth face. Recent examples have included youth drug and alcohol awareness; aboriginal youth suicide; becoming an effective story teller.

Volunteer Commitment
Each volunteer commits to completing:

  • Minimum of 1.5 years of service (three public school semesters)
  • Basic Training – 17 hours
  • Training Sessions for two presentations – 22 hours each (one in the first semester and a second in the following semester)
  • Two half-days per month presenting in high school classrooms
  • Two In Service Training events over the course of your commitment

For classroom scheduling purposes, a half-day is either 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 or 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Minimum Requirements

  • Completion of a Criminal Record Check
  • At least 19 years of age
  • At least one year has passed since your experience of a significant life event (e.g. a death, divorce, serious physical or psychological illness) or any personal use of our crisis lines
  • At least two years have passed since you made a suicide attempt
  • Contribute $90.00 tuition towards the cost of training materials and refreshments provided to each volunteer. Due to the demand for spaces in our training groups, should you not complete training for any reason, the fee is non-refundable.

The Application Form

Our lengthy and detailed screening process is part of our effort to ensure we have the right people staffing our volunteer team. Community Education volunteers work with sensitive educational material. In addition, classroom educators often present to vulnerable youth.

To help us get to know you, and to learn about your life experiences, related skills and your understanding of the helping process, we ask you to provide information that you may find sensitive.

We are looking for people who are genuinely caring, compassionate and willing to learn new skills. Who you are is far more important to us than a particular academic background or specific work or life experience.

Your application will be held in confidence, with only Crisis Centre staff having access to the information. If you would rather not respond to a particular question in writing, you may indicate in the relevant section that you will be pleased to discuss the question during the interview.

Should you have any questions or concerns about our application and screening process, please call (604) 872-1811 and speak to Susan, our Community Education Program Director. You can also email us.

Volunteer Interview

Once your application form is completed and sent, you will be contacted for an interview to further discuss your interest in this program. Your references will not be contacted prior to an interview.

Thank you for considering a volunteer opportunity with the Crisis Centre. We look forward to supporting you in your endeavors to make a difference.

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