Engage Edmonton
Engage Edmonton is a program for students who live in residence that offers service learning opportunities and educational social justice events throughout the year through partnership with various initiatives both on campus and in the greater Edmonton community.
The theme for the 2024-2025 academic year is social justice and humanity.
Using a social activism lens, participants will engage in a variety of service learning activities, research, service and reflection exercises that will expose them to diverse social issues. These engagements should equip students with the knowledge and skill to move beyond acts of charity and address the root causes of systemic social inequality.
Participating in Engage Edmonton will allow you to:
- Make friends with residents across various communities.
- Develop personal growth in social and political awareness.
- Form connections with organizations in Edmonton committed to pursuing social justice.
- Gain experiences that instill a greater sense of purpose in learning.
- Stand out amongst your competitors when applying for a job.
What is service learning?
Service learning is an approach to learning that emerges from active engagement with the community, with the ultimate goal of working towards positive social change. Although volunteering and service learning both involve community service, service learning has a stronger focus on the intentional learning outcomes associated with that community service. A key aspect of service learning is reciprocity, which emphasizes that service placements should be mutually beneficial for students and campus/community partners.
Service learning comprises of four components:
- Preparation: Learning about the community partner and the social issue that will be explored.
- Action: Participation in the service event.
- Reflection: Discussing the experience and reflecting on the outcomes to process the impact.
- Celebration: Recognizing the partnership and learning that took place and celebrating the communal success of the team.
Examples include sorting clothing donations, serving meals, packing food hampers, hosting a virtual afterschool program for youth living in poverty and creating holiday cards for houseless seniors.
What is social activism?
Social activism is about making real change in the world by tackling local and global issues through raising awareness, increasing engagement and facilitating education.
Examples include documentary screenings, panel discussions, attending protests and participating in letter-writing campaigns for various social justice causes.
PROGRAM CALENDAR
The Engage Edmonton program is unique because it is a low-commitment program that boasts a high diversity of service learning opportunities. Sign up for as many or as few opportunities as you like!
Programs are updated throughout the year, so check back periodically.
If you have any questions or would like to organize a service learning opportunity, please contact the Diversity, Inclusion and Service Learning Intern at slintern@ualberta.ca.
Day of Service
Friday, August 29, 2025 | 12–4 p.m. | Various non-profit organizations across Edmonton
Make your orientation meaningful by giving back to the Edmonton community. Participate in a Day of Service — tour a non-profit organization, understand their impact, and lend a helping hand.
The group will travel together to the organizations.
Engage Edmonton Information Session
Monday, September 8, 2025 6-7:30 p.m. | ECHA 1-420
Meet like-minded people and explore ways to get involved with service learning on campus and in the local community. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
No registration required.
Elizabeth Fry Society
September 11, 2025, 4:30–7:30 p.m.
Join us for an information session to learn more about the work the Elizabeth Fry Society does in the community and how you can get involved.
Sign-ups closed.
Campus Food Bank - Trick or Treat Session
October 25, 2025 , 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Join us as we go trick-or-treating to support the Campus Food Bank. We will visit neighbourhoods surrounding the North Campus to collect donations of non-perishable food items. You can even dress in your Halloween costume!
Sign-ups closed.
Alternative Reading Week - Fall 2025
November 12 - November 14, 2025, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Alternative Reading Week is a 3-day, immersive service-learning opportunity that allows students to participate in service-learning opportunities, classroom lessons and reflection activities centered around a different theme each semester.
Participants will earn a certificate, get access to exclusive swag, meet students living in Residence, and connect with several different organizations on and off campus. Lunch will be provided everyday.
By participating in Alternative Reading Week, students will:
- Evaluate their identities, values and roles in relation to social issues and social justice in the Edmonton community
- Analyze stereotypes and stigma as they occur on both an individual level and a societal level in relation to the theme
- Apply leadership skills such as teamwork and values-based action to connect with their peers and others in the community
- Develop a sense of citizenship and recognize the role that individuals have in creating positive social change in their communities
Alternative Reading Week is a competitive program. Only ten students will be selected. Participants are selected based on the quality of their answers to the application questions. Application deadline: November 1, 2025