Nov 20, 2020
Vancouver, BC – Langara College’s VOLT Volunteer Program is celebrating 10 years of student volunteerism and leadership with an online reunion and celebration.
Since VOLT began in 2010, 4,468 students have volunteered over 83,560 hours. That is the equivalent of 45 years of work on a 35-hour work week or $1.2 million in minimum wage.
VOLT was founded by Jade Arignon, Warren Springer, and Clayton Munro who were inspired by the idea to do more. VOLT empowers students to connect with rewarding volunteer opportunities on campus and in the community. The program promotes community engagement, social awareness, and student development through volunteerism and helps students make new connections, learn new skills, gain experience, and give back to the community.
Arignon said the program has played a significant role in creating a stronger campus culture. “When I was a student, Langara was a commuter school,” she said. “Students would come for classes and then leave. We asked ourselves — how can we get students engaged and encourage them to stay on campus?”
“VOLT Homecoming is incredibly special for me because it's one of the few ways I stay engaged as a founder and alumni,” added Springer. “I look forward to reconnecting with past classmates and staff and learning the impact of the students. The number of student volunteers and their impact in the community grows immensely each year which was beyond my imagination as a founder.”
Today the program is a valuable piece of the Office of Student Engagement. Despite the pandemic, the VOLT program continues: a group of students recently worked with Metro Vancouver Parks to clear out invasive plant species at Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond, BC.
“VOLT 10 Year is an exciting opportunity to remember all of the incredible people, contributions, and memories from 10 years of building leaders and community at the same time,” said Stewart. “It is incredibly important to remember how far we have come, and very exciting to look forward to what another 10 years will bring. VOLT alumni and current leaders continue to build community wherever they go and we are honoured to have been a part of their journey.”
About Langara College
Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Canada, snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies education to more than 23,000 students annually. With more than 1,700 courses and 130 programs, Langara’s expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path. Langara is also known as 'house of teachings', a name given to it by the Musqueam people on whose unceded traditional territory the College is located.
Learn more.
Mark Dawson
Manager, Public Affairs
Langara College
mdawson@langara.ca
