Mohawk’s Campus to Community program brings smiles to Ronald McDonald House
For 50 years, Mohawk College has built a reputation for leading students to successful careers through its world-class educational programs as well as a strong commitment to community outreach.
Today, perhaps more than ever, students are eager to combine academia with relevant, hands-on experience that make a difference in the local community.
Mohawk’s Campus to Community program launched in 2016 to address the student demand for meaningful connections and forge stronger ties with the Hamilton community.
Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario (RMCHSCO) was among the first of three community organizations to participate in this exciting pilot program.
As a resource for hundreds of families of critically-ill children who are being treated at local hospitals, it relies on approximately 350 volunteers to run its many programs.
Partnering with Mohawk College to help fill this need seemed a perfect fit, according to Jill Page, manager of communications branding and community engagement for RMCHSCO.
“We were very excited when Mohawk approached us,” she says.
“We had a liaison at the college who matched our needs with the needs of students wanting experience.”
The Campus to Community program hired Mohawk student, Careena Browne, to act as the lead coordinator of the charity’s summer family game nights. She was charged with recruiting, training and scheduling volunteers as well as planning the activities for each event.
“We would play games, make bracelets and do other activities with the families in attendance that evening,” explains Browne.
“If we could make at least one child smile that night, then we’d achieved our goal.” While the student volunteers came from a spectrum of academic programs, all of them shared one common trait – a passion for working with sick children and helping families during very challenging circumstances.
For busy students juggling heavy course loads and changing schedules, the Campus to Community program makes relevant volunteer experience more accessible. The program asks a volunteer commit to a minimum of one shift per month, and normally runs only during the school year.
The partnership with RMCHSCO continued through the summer though, as students wanted to continue to volunteer. Certainly, the staff at RMCHSCO have only glowing reviews about its experience with the Campus to Community partnership. The second year of the program launches this fall, and Page is excited to work with more Mohawk College volunteers.
“They are dedicated, passionate and genuinely interested in helping the house in any way they can,” says Page.
This year, Mohawk’s program will continue to partner with the original three community organizations,
“They are dedicated, passionate and genuinely interested in helping the house in any way they can.” JILL PAGE
with plans to double its number of partnerships to six.
“The program evolved from a need to have more community involvement for our students,” explains Claire Webber, student involvement program assistant for Mohawk College.
“It has helped create meaningful connections for students and community organizations.”
The ideal community organization should have the potential to offer a work-integrated learning experience. Additionally, the volunteer-based project (such as running games nights at RMCHSCO) must work within the academic calendar and be appropriate in scale, content and timing for college students.
To determine the ideal project, Webber works with the partner organization to come up with a wish list of what it would like students to do. After reviewing the list and settling on a project, a student lead is engaged to coordinate the volunteers.
For RMCHSCO, the program clearly forged meaningful connections for all involved – the students, the charity and most importantly, the families seeking support through the Hamilton community.
Browne affirms the personal experience is what makes the program so special.
“It’s an amazing opportunity… You don’t realize the impact you can make on someone’s life by something as small as playing a game with them.”
We are now accepting applications from not for profit community organizations. To view program overview and to submit an applications visit: mohawkcollege.ca/campustocommunity