Voluntary Sector Contributions to Public Education in Canada: A Discussion Paper (Community Service Learning)

This report was written as a discussion paper for the forum Re-Connecting Schools and Communities: Students as Citizens, an event co-hosted by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation’s Social Innovation Generation initiative and the Canadian Education Association in June 2007.

The general goal of the report is to map out the landscape of voluntary sector contributions to the Canadian public education system. The outcome of this process is a clear picture of the incredible number of points where the education and voluntary sectors intersect in schools and school systems across Canada.

The map of education-voluntary sector intersections presented in the following pages is – like any map – a guide for embarking on a journey that allows travelers to explore both new and familiar landscapes in greater detail. In keeping with the visions of both the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Canadian Education Association, this report is a starting point for a journey toward longer term dialogue about the potential of education-voluntary sector partnerships for fostering a culture of continuous innovation and strategic collaboration focused on inclusion, engagement and community resilience, and the creation of opportunities for learning in schools and communities to nurture the development of all young Canadians.

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