Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre

102 King St W | Kitchener

The Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre exists to foster the diversity which exists in this community. Volunteers help to break down the barriers to full participation for new Canadians, immigrants, and refugees in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the surrounding areas.

The Conversational English volunteers support second language learners in improving their conversational English skills for everyday living in Canada. Our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and play a major role in helping their learners feel comfortable speaking English, and in Canada in general. The learner may ask the volunteer questions about the many aspects of living and working in Canada.

Responsibilities and Qualifications

• Volunteers are required to meet with their learner for at least 1-2 hours per week for a minimum of 4 months
• Volunteers will require the technical skills to arrange a virtual meeting using programs like Zoom or Google Meet
• Volunteers should be completely fluent in written and spoken English, have strong listening and interpersonal skills, and respect for people of diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Volunteers are required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check from their local police service and provide a copy to the Program Coordination team**
• Volunteers must share two references (one professional and one personal) for the Program Coordination team to contact

Application Process

• Fill out our online application form at: www.kwmulticultural.ca/volunteer
• You will be contacted to arrange an interview with the Program Coordination team
• Submit your references to be contacted
• Obtain your Vulnerable Sector Check from your local police service
• Read the Volunteer Handbook and sign the Volunteer Agreement form
• Be matched with an English learner!
• ** Volunteers are required to submit a vulnerable sector check from their local police service. A past record of police involvement may not necessarily be a barrier to volunteering. Submitting a vulnerable sector check is only one aspect of our screening process to ensure client safety in our program. To find out more about what a vulnerable sector check is, as well as what the vulnerable sector check does and does not include, click here.