There are scores of people on the Downtown Eastside and at UBC who volunteer their time, support and good will to make this Programme possible.
Volunteer discussion facilitators + writing tutors
Hum offers a unique educational experience to student volunteers who take on the roles of in-class discussion facilitator, or writing tutor.
The scope of the Hum101 and 201 courses are wide, covering approximately 16 disciplines over the academic year, and studying with a different teacher each week. As a discussion facilitator you will be responsible for leading a 30-minute group discussion around a set question that is based in the subject and assigned reading for that week. It’s not necessary to be an expert in any of the subjects—what’s required is a willingness to participate in and guide a dialogue with 6-8 Hum participants. Training sessions focusing on collaborative learning and discussion facilitation techniques will be held during term 1, plus ongoing support will be received throughout the course. Classes are on Thursday evenings from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Discussion facilitators must be able to commit to Thursday evenings for two terms.
Hum’s Writing courses focus on a different genre of writing each week. Writing tutors work with participants on a one-to-one basis for an hour before class, giving constructive feedback and offering direction on assignments that make up their course portfolio. Classes take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:30–8:30 p.m., with writing tutoring going from 5:30–6:25 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to attend classes after tutoring.
Anyone interested can send a brief cover letter and resume to: h.u.m@ubc.ca
Volunteer teachers
In Hum courses, teachers volunteer their time to teach one or two evenings in their area of expertise. They are UBC faculty and graduate students, as well as public intellectuals from other universities, organizations and community activist groups. All of them bring us their best “gold,” many condensing years of knowledge and teaching expertise into one week’s sessions.
Mentors
Each year, graduates of the Programme kindly offer to help welcome the new students to UBC and help run the courses. Mentors participate in the course alongside fellow students, while taking on additional responsibilities. If you are a Hum alumnus and have an interest in returning as a mentor, please contact us for more information about the role.
Study Group facilitators
Hum also encourages volunteer students and alumni to become involved with the greater Hum community by starting their own Community Reading and Writing Groups, or help to facilitate one.
Hum is not part of UBC’s Community Service Learning initiative.
