Become a Volunteer
or Placement Student
As a national voluntary sector agency, SLSC offers opportunities to learn about working within the fields of social and criminal justice, with a particular emphasis on community corrections and integration issues.
Volunteers
SLSC appreciates the contributions of volunteers who donate their time to supporting the SLSC team with activities such as fundraising, research and policy work, and help with keeping on top of day-to-day operations.
Placement Students
SLSC greatly benefits from partnerships with post-secondary schools through their student placement programs. Field placement students are provided hands-on experience in office and NGO operations, Board governance, stakeholder consultation with government, liaising with professionals, social and criminal justice research, drafting policy, and business writing. We offer flexibility in terms of research and policy topics within a person-focused and community-based environment. SLSC currently has partnerships with:
- Algonquin College
- Carleton University
- Humber College
- Prepr Foundation
- Pro Bono Students Canada (University of Ottawa Chapter)
- University of Ottawa
- University of Toronto Mississauga
- York University
SLSC is extremely thankful to the students and volunteers who truly make a difference to our organization throughout the year.
If you are interested in volunteering or completing a placement with SLSC, please speak to your school’s Placement Coordinator, or email Danielle at danielle@stleonards.ca for more information.
Some messages from past students:
"Throughout my placement with SLSC, I have had the opportunity to enhance my research skills by supporting a qualitative research project looking at the intersections of youth justice and youth homelessness. This experience has been extremely valuable and I am proud of the work I've produced!"
"The four months I spent at SLSC have left me feeling accomplished and motivated...As a result of the opportunities I was given, I was able to enhance my skills while gaining first-hand experience and knowledge of the work done by not-for-profit organizations to reform criminal and social justice policies... I was aware that participating in the field placement program at my university would greatly benefit me but I was taken aback by the exceptional experience I had at SLSC. All of the work I have contributed to has provided me with a new and unique perspective that I can take with me and use in any career I may pursue. I have been inspired by SLSC’s dedication and enthusiasm and am truly grateful for this wonderful experience."
“Joining the team as a co-op placement student at St. Leonard’s Society of Canada has been one of my greatest accomplishments in life. It did not only expose and prepare me for the workforce ahead but has also taught me about diversity, and how to be kind and warm to others...Danielle has been so helpful by teaching me how to be very detailed and concise, she has been extremely patient and willing to guide me through everything I know now, which makes me very certain that when I go into the workforce, I am fully prepared. I finally met with Anita Desai, she was so kind and very supportive as well, willing to go out of her comfort zone to make sure we are all sorted... Indeed, it has been a beautiful experience for me.”
“I feel more accomplished after working with SLSC staff and enhancing the professional skills needed to graduate college and move forward with my education. I had my own project to commit to and it made me feel acknowledged for the work I was doing for SLSC. Equality here at SLSC is a big part of how the agency operates, and I felt like one of the staff here because of the chances I was given. SLSC gave me hope towards my past, present, and future of being someone with a record. I would recommend students in university and college to volunteer with SLSC as it is an agency to learn and grow with.”
“My placement with SLSC has ensured my perception of justice has expanded immensely through that experience. What I had previously simply seen as statistics and numbers, I realized were the real lives of people. One of the first things I learned was how important language was; how one label could restore or destroy another’s self-esteem and dignity. I was able to apply theoretical knowledge by aiding with the creation of policies and have begun to lead my own project about reconciliation. SLSC gave me the support, resources, and freedom related to what I wanted to learn and contribute to. With the open discussions that I was involved in with SLSC and other non-profit organizations, I became more mindful and thoughtful about translating the concept of justice into practice.”
"Despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brought to co-op placements, the team at SLSC welcomed me with open arms, warmness, and a professionalism that is sure to set me on the right path as I begin my career. Over the months at SLSC, I have gotten to engage with wonderful people and engrossing topics. One of my favourite research topics included learning a great deal more about the scourge of private prisons within Canada in preparing for updating SLSC’s existing policy on the Privatization of Corrections... Advocating for the rights of those who are marginalized in Canada can be difficult work, but as I have learned, it makes society better if we engage with difficult problems rather than pretend they do not exist."
“I was given the opportunity to update SLSC’s policy on restorative justice, write literacy-friendly policy summaries, conduct research on various subjects, participate in different committees, coalitions and meetings, and much more. I have also been able to gain a better understanding of the relationship between non-profit organizations and the Canadian government, SLSC and their affiliates/associates, as well as SLSC’s engagement with many social and criminal justice issues. Although I still aim to have a career in frontline service delivery, the skills and knowledge that I have gained through this placement have given me a broader understanding of the bidirectional relationship between research and policy processes and frontline work”
