By Jerilyn Kotelniski, NAITSA VP External
After being announced two months ago, the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) is finally here. It is a new program funded by the federal government.
Below, read about the 5 key things you need to know about the CSSG.
What is this program?
The program’s purpose is to support students to find volunteer positions that will benefit their communities in the fight against COVID-19.
Not-for-profit organizations and charities will list volunteer opportunities for students to apply to. Once accepted, students earn valuable volunteer hours. The positions can be in person or virtual (work from home).
If they volunteer 100 hours, the student will receive $1000. The maximum is $5000 or equivalent to 500 volunteer hours.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible, you must be:
A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, refugee, First Nations, Metis or Inuit. AND
Aged 30 or under as of December 31st, 2020.
AND
Enrolled part time or full time in a recognized post-secondary education program in Spring/Summer 2020 or Fall 2020 or have completed your post-secondary studies in December 2019 or later.
If you are currently employed (part time or full time) and/or are receiving the Canadian Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), you are eligible.
If you are receiving or have received the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), you are not eligible.
When does it start and end?
The program starts today, June 25th, 2020, and ends on October 31st, 2020. This means you can apply to volunteer opportunities today and accumulate hours until October 31st.
Each student that volunteers has until August 21st, 2020 to register and apply.
What if I’m already volunteering?
If you are already volunteering, you can ask that your organization submit an opportunity for approval so your hours can count towards the CSSG.
The volunteering must aid Canada’s response to COVID-19 along with other requirements, check the website to find out more.
Where do I go to find more information?
If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, go here to the job bank.
Remember that lots of the volunteer opportunities are virtual so you do not need to limit your search to Edmonton. Be sure to double check whether the opportunity is in person or virtual and track your hours.
If you are having difficulties applying or have additional questions, feel free to reach out to me at savpexternal@nait.ca and I’d be happy to help.
Best of luck finding a great volunteer opportunity!
Cheers,
Jerilyn Kotelniski (she/her)
VP External, NAITSA
