Our socio-emotional supports are catered to your personal goals, with the aim of helping calm the mind, learn new skills, form social connections, and stay occupied. They include, but are not limited to, group activities and one-on-one tutorials, be it in mindfulness, art/crafting, journal writing, yoga, or book discussions. Group sessions will be divided by age. It is important to note that none of these services are confidential - Peer Supporters may disclose to students' parents or guardians, as well as Co-VID SSN leadership, details regarding the sessions as deemed appropriate and necessary.
Self-directed learning requires significant organization and time-management, which is not easy for all of us. Peer Supporters will offer group "study skill" workshops as well as one-on-one help setting goals, making a schedule, and developing other strategies for staying focused, on-track, and efficient.
If you are in Grade 10 or 11, you are likely beginning to think about your plans following graduation. As students who have been through this process very recently, we will provide one-on-one coaching/guidance for university and scholarship applications as well as offer group panels about post-secondary education and options after high school.
These include more conventional forms of academic tutoring that are tailored to K-12 students' learning needs and styles. Students will be matched with a Peer Supporter with similar academic interests and who has successfully completed similar coursework. To get the most out of these sessions, we recommend sending Peer Supporters questions and/or specific topics in advance. For younger students, learning supports might include group/individual academic games, reading together, or going deeper into classroom subjects.
Supporting "The Victoria Rapid Relief Fund" will improve food security and other areas of pressing need for individuals and families in Victoria during uncertain times. All minds and bodies, young and old, should not have to sacrifice their health or take extreme measures to have their needs met. We ask that those families who are in a financial position to do so donate $1-$10 per session, directly to The Victoria Rapid Relief Fund and send us the receipts for our records, enabling us to measure our impact. Not donating will by no means affect the quality of support you receive from Co-VID SSN.
Co-VID SSN meets you where you are at, providing tailored support and social connection from caring, talented older peers. We are passionate about learning and are focused on making this the best possible experience for you. Furthermore, our scheduled calls keep you accountable and, for our younger students, give parents time to do their own work. Co-VID SSN is also free of cost and consists entirely of people from the Greater Victoria BC region, meaning that all Peer Supporters are familiar with the curriculum that your K-12 student(s) are currently learning.
After you submit the Co-VID SSN interest form, we will review your situation and seek to connect you with a Peer Supporter who seems to be suited to your needs. We will do our best to be in touch with you within a few days of your indication of interest. If you do not hear from us within a week, please feel free to email us at covid.ssn@gmail.com.
Co-VID SSN connects you with university student volunteers who are passionate about assisting our community during this difficult time. All Peer Supporters are required to submit to us their resumes as well as their university student identification cards as proof of their enrollment. They must also attest that they have never been convicted of a criminal offense and that they will abide by professional standards. Co-VID SSN leadership will also conduct brief interviews with prospective Peer Supporters in order to ascertain their strengths and interests. Co-VID SSN and its Founders do not employ Peer Supporters and are not liable for any harm that may arise as a result of participation in Co-VID SSN sessions. Consistent with best practices employed by Victoria schools, all video sessions will be recorded for the safety of all participants. Recordings will be held securely and shared with parents upon request. Any concerns parents, students, or Peer Supporters have should be immediately reported to Co-VID SSN via email.
Unfortunately, at this time we are not extending our services beyond Victoria and Saanich. However, please feel free to reach out to us with questions and we will help you connect with other resources.
Many of us university students will have more time on our hands now that we are no longer attending school in person. It is important that we as youth role model taking this pandemic seriously and doing our part to combat it, especially as a show of intergenerational solidarity. In joining Co-VID SNN, you give back to a community that has given to you and become part of something larger than yourself in a contemporary where we are, quite literally, isolated. The time commitment is small but the impact you can have on a child or teenager's wellbeing and education is infinite.
Any person who is currently enrolled in a post-secondary education institution, attended high school or university in Victoria, BC, and is passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with the Victoria community! Experience working in education or with youth is beneficial, but is not required. We do not look for any specific academic background and expect that Peer Supporters will span a wide array of academic disciplines and bring diverse skills to the SSN.
As you will see on our Peer Supporter application form, we require that you share with us your resume, some information about your interests / strengths / weaknesses, and a copy of your university student ID. We will then review your application and will likely extend an invitation, within the next seven days, to a 10-minute interview via Zoom. If you are invited to an interview, you can expect to be asked a few questions about your experience and application and will have the chance to ask questions of us. If your application is successful, you will be required to attest that you have never been convicted of a criminal offense, that you are eighteen years of age or older, that you are indeed currently enrolled in a post-secondary education institution, and that you will abide by the Co-VID SSN community standards. While this may seem like a lot, we recognize that your time is valuable and have done our best to keep the process as streamlined as possible. We do not anticipate it taking more than a total of 30 minutes.
Once you are selected to be a Peer Supporter, we will note the strengths and areas of interest that you shared with us and connect you, via email, with K-12 students who could benefit from your strengths. We will reach out to you to better understand what type of group sessions you may be interested in running and at what times. We will provide you with additional materials to help you organize your work with Co-VID SSN. We will provide basic trainings and mandatory check-ins for all Peer Supporters at regular intervals to answer questions and address any challenges that may arise. You may also request a one-on-one meeting with Co-VID SSN leadership if helpful.
If you feel passionate about our project, we will provide you with the tools and resources to begin a chapter of Co-VID SNN in your own community.
Copyright © 2020 CO-VID Student Support Network (SSN) - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder