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Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth

Youth Serves Manitoba

Program Eligibility | Position Assessment Criteria | How to Apply | Procedures and Timelines

Youth Serves Manitoba (YSM) encourages post-secondary students to engage in meaningful, part-time community service with incorporated non-profit or registered charitable organizations. Upon successful completion of 100 hours of service, approved students will receive a $500 bursary towards tuition or student loans.

Students who have completed 100 community service hours on or before January 11, 2008 may apply to the program to increase their community service to 200 hours and be eligible for an additional $500 bursary. To apply, students must forward a letter of request signed by the student and an organization representative along with their completed Hours of Service Record by January 25, 2008.

YSM will operate between:

September 4, 2007 and May 2, 2008 for university students, and
September 4, 2007 and June 20, 2008 for college students.

All bursaries are subject to the availability of funds on a first come first serve basis. Once the assessments are completed, approved students will be notified in writing.

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Program Eligibility

Organizations must:

  • be a Manitoba incorporated non-profit or registered charitable organization;

  • generate and maintain meaningful part-time community service activities;

  • provide an organization mentor to work directly with the students; and

  • be in full operation prior to applying to the program.

Positions must:

  • provide a minimum of 100 hours of community service activity;

  • be sustained over a period of three to six months;

  • be flexible to allow the student to reduce the number of weekly hours of service if necessary to fulfill academic commitments;

  • be part-time (ie eligible hours for overnight camps/conferences, etc. do not include travel time, rest periods or down time, etc.);

  • provide a personal mentor who will facilitate training and offer guidance to the students;

  • wherever possible, provide the students with career related experience in their field of study or career area; and

  • not result in the lay-off, reduction of hours or dismissal of current employees or volunteers, or replace employees who have previously been laid-off or dismissed.

Student applicants must be:

  • currently attending a post-secondary institution full-time (taking 60% or more of a normal year's studies in the 2007-2008 school year) and returning in the next academic year;

  • 16 years of age or over and legally entitled to work in Canada; and

  • approved by YSM staff before beginning their community service hours for this program.

The following are not eligible:

Organizations:

  • Federal and provincial government departments;
  • Crown Corporations;
  • Private businesses; and
  • Institutional organizations such as schools and hospitals.

Student Applicants:

  • non-students;
  • part-time students;
  • high school students;
  • unemployed Manitobans;
  • immediate relatives (father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, child/ward or relative permanently living in the household) of the hiring authority or any director of the organization;
  • individuals with a financial interest in the organization; and
  • staff members, board members and members of the executive of the organization.

Any exception to eligibility criteria must be approved by program staff.

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Position Assessment Criteria

Position assessment is based on the following criteria:

  • career-relatedness of the community service for the student;

  • mentorship and on-the-job training to be provided to the student;

  • duties to be performed;

  • new skills the student will develop;

  • ability to maintain meaningful on-going part-time community service over a 3 to 6 month period; and

  • degree to which the position provides a direct service to the community.

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How to Apply

Post-secondary Students:

  • If you are currently performing community service hours with an eligible organization you can continue with this organization. Complete the Student Application form and have your organization mentor/supervisor complete the Organization Application form. It is important that the organization identify new experiences and skills for the YSM project period, that will expand on your current involvement. See "Procedures and Timelines" for more details.

  • If you are not currently performing community service hours with an organization but want to participate and know where you want to perform your community service hours - complete the Student Application form and visit the eligible organization to discuss YSM. When you find an organization that is receptive and provides the opportunities you are looking for, have them complete the Organization Application form. See "Procedures and Timelines" for more details.

  • If you want to participate, but do not know where you would like to perform your community service hours visit www.myvop.ca for youth volunteer opportunities or contact Volunteer Manitoba for assistance. Approval will not be considered until an organization is identified.

Incorporated Non-profit Organizations/Registered Charities:

  • If you currently have post-secondary students performing community service hours with your organization and you want to be considered for the program complete the Organization Application form and have the student(s) complete the Student Application form. Carefully detail what additional skills and experiences the student will gain during the YSM project period. See "Procedures and Timelines" for more details.

  • If your organization does not currently have any post-secondary students performing community service hours but you want to be considered for the program contact Student Employment office of a post-secondary institution for referrals or visit www.myvop.ca and post your position with the youth volunteer opportunities web site or contact Volunteer Manitoba for assistance. Complete the Organization Application form and have the student complete the Student Application form. See "Procedures and Timelines" for more details. Your application will not be considered until a suitable student is identified.

Note:

All applications should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the proposed start date. Any community service hours worked outside the approved start date or program operation end date(s) will not be considered.

Approval of positions is subject to availability of funds.

The program reserves the right to limit the number of YSM positions approved to individual organizations and agencies.

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Procedures and Timelines

The following timelines have been developed as a quick reference for you to refer to when applying to the program and outlines the steps involved to process applications under Youth Serves Manitoba.

  1. Organizations submit their completed application form to:
    MB4Youth Division
    310-800 Portage Avenue,
    Winnipeg, MB R3G 0N4
    Apply as early as September to allow students to start accumulating community service hours. Applications will be accepted until January 11, 2008.
  2. YSM staff assess the Organization and Student Application forms. Applications are assessed on a first come, first serve basis until program funding has been committed.

    Program operation is from September 4, 2007 to May 2, 2008 for university students and September 4, 2007 to June 20, 2008 for college students.

  3. If a Child Abuse Registry check is being conducted on any students working with children under the age of 18 you can expect a wait of at least 3-4 weeks.

  4. YSM will notify the organizations and students of the assessment results by letter within three (3) weeks of receiving their application.
    • Approved organizations receive a letter, a Community Service Agreement and a Hours of Service Record.
    • Approved students receive a copy of the letter and a Student Information Sheet.

  5. Organization representatives and students sign the Community Service Agreement and forward it to the YSM office prior to recording community service hours.

  6. Students begin recording their hours on the Hours of Service Record.
    Note: Any hours recorded prior to the approved start date as indicated on the approval letter do not qualify.
  7. As soon as the 100 hours of community service are completed, students and the authorized representative of the organization sign the Hours of Service Record, make a copy for their files and forward the original to the YSM office.

  8. YSM mails the bursaries to students within four (4) weeks of receiving the Hours of Service Record. Note: Students must ensure that their mailing address is current and accurate because cheques are mailed directly to the address provided on the Hours of Service Record.

Any exception to program regulations must be submitted in writing to the Program Manager for consideration.

YSM staff will conduct position monitors of randomly selected positions.

For Bursary information and to return applications:

Marj Lamy, YSM Program Consultant
Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth
Youth Serves Manitoba
310-800 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 0N4
Telephone: (204)945-8619 Fax:(204)945-5726
Toll-free 1-800-282-8069 Ext. 8619
E-mail: marjorie.lamy@gov.mb.ca

For assistance on volunteering contact:

Volunteer Manitoba
410-5 Donald Street South
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2T4
Telephone: (204)477-5180 Ext. 225
Fax: (204)284-5200
Toll-free: 1-888-922-4545
E-mail: vmreferral@mts.net
Web site: http://www.volunteermanitoba.ca
For information on Manitoba Youth Volunteer Opportunities visit:
www.myvop.ca

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