There is more than just academics for students at George Brown College.  

Meaningful youth engagement is essential in communities such as George Brown College (GBC) that works closely with and caters to a large young population.  

The college engages students through quality academics and industrial experiences. However, more importantly, there is an element of student engagement beyond classrooms that contributes to meaningful youth engagement at GBC.  

Student Life, a department dedicated to supporting the success of students through events, activities, and learning opportunities, takes on a major part of this responsibility.  

Matthew Harris, coordinator of co-curricular experiential learning and leadership development at Student Life says, “Student Life plays a really integral part in getting students engaged in campus and learning about different ways to advance and develop skills that can support them, either in the classroom or outside of the classroom or after they graduate from George Brown. We offer a ton of different ways for folks to network and get to know their peers and participate in different things.” 

Harris looks after leadership programming for students as well as professional development for student staff. 

Student staff members of the Student Success division are given a space to learn key skills required for their work through the professional development program that Harris looks after.  

This also extends to helping students with professional development opportunities beyond just training for a particular job in the division.  

Harris also looks after leadership programming for students called the leadership lab.  

“One of the key functions is it’s an opportunity for folks to experiment and consider what leadership means to them and think about how their lived experience impacts the way in which they act as a leader,” they said.  

There are three parts to the leadership lab – the student leadership conference, the leadership library, and the online leadership module.  

The student leadership conference is a two-day conference held during the fall and winter semesters’ intersession weeks. This conference is provided to students in two streams, the introductory and the returner streams.  

The conferences are facilitated by a mix of team members from Student Life and external facilitators.  

In the future, Harris hopes GBC alumni or students themselves may be able to facilitate them, in the spirit of student leadership.  

Leadership library is a platform that allows students to refer to key skills as well as add on skills that they consider important. This is available through Student Life’s Instagram page @gbc.studentlife. 

The third part of the leadership lab, the online leadership module, is currently in the works. 

“We believe leadership education is something that everyone should be able to access and so we are putting together an online resource that supplements and adds to what’s happening at the Student Leadership Conference, and allows folks to engage with leadership that way,” said Harris. 

In addition to the leadership lab, Harris leads the experience record which is an online dashboard where students can view the co-curricular experiences they have had.  

The team is currently also working on integrating classroom and experiential learning from different academic centers into the dashboard, such as students may be able to make use of this record for professional reasons.  

Harris and their team wish to create a strong online experience for students so that they can learn at their own pace.  

Another important aspect of student engagement is volunteerism and community engagement.  

Davor Mamuzic is the coordinator of the Student Life volunteer and engagement initiatives and looks after the college’s volunteer program, the Student Leadership Academy.  

The program was created to help students with career readiness through skills development.  

“Volunteers are provided specific opportunities that can help them develop their soft skills, such as leadership, communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management, because we recognize all these skills are valuable both in personal and professional life,” Mamuzic said.  

The program also exposes students to a larger network, allowing them to connect with their peers, potential mentors, community members, and GBC staff and faculty members.  

Mamuzic said that the program focuses on both personal and professional development by giving students an opportunity to gain valuable insights and experiences. 

Volunteerism is considered an important part of meaningful youth engagement. It allows young people to engage with their communities and gain a personal sense of satisfaction, in addition to the various skill development and networking benefits. 

“It can help boost self-esteem and overall wellbeing. Cultural Awareness, a lot of volunteer opportunities that we do might be related to cultural themed sessions, you could learn different things that we might not have exposure to. So, volunteering in diverse communities exposes students to different cultural cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds,” said Mamuzic.  

Students engaged in the volunteer program are engaged in various events over the year. “We were key staffing for orientation, convocation, other events like we were there for president’s breakfast, United Way events like a CN tower climb. Those things were always a part of it and recently Ontario college fair and open house for the George Brown College”, Mamuzic shared. 

Volunteers are given training sessions and are required to complete certifications such as ODA Health and Safety and the Ontario Human Rights Commission Anti-Racism certification. These certifications can be valuable to students while applying for jobs.  

GBC plays an important role in the lives of its students. Through Student Life and its various initiatives, the college is providing holistic growth and learning. 

“We know that a lot of things that we’ll learn in a class is great, but also there’s so much to learn outside of the class, and that’s where the volunteer squad comes in. Engaging in volunteer work can serve as healthy distraction from academic pressure, reducing stress, preventing burnout. Also, you get to meet new people, new friends. Volunteering often challenges students to step outside their comfort zone and take on responsibilities they may not have encountered otherwise, and create an impact on communities,” Mamuzic said.  

There are various resources and opportunities available for students through Student Life as well as other GBC departments such as Athletics and Recreation, Career Services, and Counselling and Wellness. 

The Student Association (SA) also engages students through part-time job opportunities, fun events such as paint night and sports outings, and student clubs. The various SA services aim to provide students a safe space for learning, growth, and support and act as an essential part of the student engagement process. 

Students also have the opportunity to participate in the SA Board of Directors elections and develop their leadership skills. 

Meaningfully engaging students in a post-secondary institution can be challenging due to students’ personal obligations.  

However, departments at GBC that work on student engagement such as Student Life continue to prioritize meaningful youth engagement and provide numerous opportunities.  

New students, returning students, and alumni can make use of available resources to further personal and professional development.  

“Finding who you are, what you value, building connections with your peers, learning from different perspectives, and really, you know, engaging your mind in other ways. It’s making sure that our students are provided with an experience outside of the classroom that is enjoyable and helps develop you as a student,” said Harris.