Western University
EN-5: Civic Engagement

Western has a number of different types of civic engagement programs for students to participate in each year. For example, there are 218 community organizations partnered with Western through community engaged learning providing opportunities for students to learn and contribute to community-based organizations and gain curricular credit. Students can also gain work experience with over 11,000 employers through internships, co-ops and practicums. https://experience.uwo.ca/about/facts_and_figures.html

Each year first year students contribute to the local community through Orientation Serves on the last day of O-Week. http://cel.uwo.ca/students/local_cocurricular/orientation_serves.html

Impact Experience offers all students at Western access to unique co-curricular opportunities to support community projects during Western’s Reading Weeks. It includes pre- and post-program elements to build leadership and reflect on the service. http://cel.uwo.ca/students/impact/index.html

Western Student Experience provides a public documentation of Experential Learning – By the Numbers, available online here: https://experience.uwo.ca/about/facts_and_figures.html

o   To calculate student participation in civic engagement we added the numbers of students participating in the various forms of experiential learning for 2022-23 as follows:

§  4,700 – work experience through internships, co-ops, and practicums

§  1,563 – co-curricular activities with community partners

§  2,470 – community engaged learning courses

§  1,472 – first year student participation in Orientation Serves

§  Total – 10,205

§  10,205 / 36,205 (total students) = 28%

Western has participated in the Day of Caring program for 23 years. Day of Caring is led by United Way Elgin Middlesex. The program partners organizations who want to volunteer with local organizations who need the help of volunteers. In 2023 Western was partnered with London Cares - The Hub, a United Way funded agency providing street outreach, resting space, and housing stability services to help individuals experiencing homelessness. Western volunteers were tasked with sprucing up the building and property for their day of service.

https://news.westernu.ca/2023/06/caring-for-the-community-western-volunteers-support-united-way/?_gl=1*1ia13eq*_gcl_au*MjAxNzQ0ODgyMy4xNzI1MzY4NjY3

The annual Day of Caring takes place on a weekday during regular work hours where Western volunteers contribute their time to support a local organization. Each year Western participates in this day and collectively with other participating organizations, over 2,400 hours of volunteer time is achieved in one day. On Thursday, June 13, 2024 Western volunteers were dispersed across different areas of the Boys and Girls Club to support crafting, sports, and kitchen needs.

https://unitedway.uwo.ca/news_events/2024/day_of_caring.html

http://www.events.westernu.ca/events/western-sustainability/2022-10/safeguarding-biodiversity-with-nature-canada.html

https://naturecanada.ca/naturebus/

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/cop15-ends-landmark-biodiversity-agreement

Student-led groups on campus such as the Western Sustainable Leaders Program, Society of Graduate Students, EnviroUSC, and other biodiversity or nature oriented clubs held booths in a central location on campus on November 30, 2022 promoting a letter-writing campaign to advocate for biodiversity protection at COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference. Nature Canada led a national campaign to tour their “Nature Bus” across the country collecting community input on why nature is important to Canadians. This community input was shared with Canada’s Prime Minister in advance of COP 15 for advocacy purposes. Nature Canada’s first stop in Ontario was on Western University’s campus and in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, student groups participated in writing letters to add to the Nature Bus advocacy. Ultimately, COP 15 resulted in a landmark agreement to guide global action on nature through to 2030, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.