Frequently Asked Questions: National Youth Service Network

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To become a volunteer at GLOCAL, you must be either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or refugee, between the ages of 15-30. 

 Individuals aged 30 years old can still take part in the NYSN and Micro Grants Project.

As a volunteer at GLOCAL, you will contribute your skills and passions in various areas towards civic knowledge and digital infrastructure building. With six distinct tracks to explore – research, data, social media, digital products and services, community outreach, and compliance, you will engage in exciting activities in your interests at your skill level. Beyond tasks and projects, you will have access to workshops, events, seminars, and team-building activities, enriching both your academic and professional development. In a dynamic, supportive, and inclusive environment, we aim to empower you to make a meaningful impact while fostering your personal and professional growth.

Tracks are what we call our organization’s different work teams/departments. Here are the tracks that we have at GLOCAL:

• Research: Conducting and putting together information for research heavy topics such as our homelessness project
• Data: Putting together information from databases, such as the many municipalities all over Canada
• Outreach: reaching out to other organizations to partner with, as well as the team responsible for recruiting and onboarding volunteers
• Digital Services & Products: In charge of websites like youcount.ca and volunteer.youcount.ca , UX/UI, gamification
• Communications/Social Media: Our social media team, promoting our events and workshops, copywriting.
• Compliance: This track is responsible for legal and ensuring that all content and work that GLOCAL does is safe, and compliant with Canadian law.

While volunteering at GLOCAL, your tasks will often fall under one of these tracks! We also ask you to indicate which your preferred track(s) are so that we can guide you to each track’s leaders for supervision and advice!

Our program is extremely flexible. Feel free to complete your service hours through a variety of the six tracks, or by specializing in a single track. 

You can acquire volunteer hours at GLOCAL Foundation of Canada through a wide range of activities. Here are some examples of what counts towards your hours:

• Tasks assigned to you
• Attendance and participation in our meetings, events and workshops
• Involvement in civic discussions on our Discord
• Contributions to team projects and social media content, such as the fun team photo collage
• Engagement in research projects
• Emails you wrote to legislators

This is just a short list - we encourage you to reach out to your supervisor and/or volunteer coordinator to ask about other opportunities and their eligibility towards your 120 required hours at NYSN. 

 We are flexible with the timeframe provided to achieve 120 hours. However, if the 120 hours are not met, we will be unable to provide you with a certificate of the completion of the program. However, any of your current hours can be recognized and we are able to provide you with documentation of those hours. 

We have many volunteers going beyond 120 hours throughout the years. The need for volunteers is ongoing, even after you complete 120 hours. Feel free to continue volunteering past 120 hours even after receiving your certificate.

 To request a recommendation letter or volunteer hours certificate, please fill out the Google Form here: 

• You can request a record of your volunteer hours at any time of your time with us.
• For a recommendation letter, a minimum of 40 hours is required before submitting a request.
• A reference request must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance.

Filling out this form provides our team with the necessary information to create a certificate or recommendation letter that is personalized and based on your contributions and achievements. If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, please do not hesitate to reach out to our volunteer coordinator or the designated point of contact for assistance.  

Work journals are spreadsheets where you keep track of your activities completed that count towards your 120 hours. We will provide you with a template spreadsheet where you create a sheet for yourself. In your work journal, for each entry you only need to fill in the date, the name of the activity (workshop, working on a task, etc), a link to the activity/document, and the duration of time that you have spent on it. This is so that we can keep track of your progress towards the completion of your certificate! 

To be eligible for the Microgrants Program, you must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or refugee, between the ages 15-30.  

There are various examples, and the possibilities are vast within each track, including research projects, short videos, data analysis, digital product development, and community outreach initiatives like tutoring refugee youth, assisting with housing, and offering educational sessions for newcomers. As long as your project aligns with GLOCAL's goal of providing civic knowledge to Canadians, it's a fantastic starting point!

The project proposal submission deadline for the Microgrants program is rolling before November 15, 2023. You can submit your proposal at any time before this date, but we encourage early submission to allow for improvement and refinement. After submission, our team will review and provide feedback to strengthen your proposals. 

A total of 100 monetary grants will be available, distributed across various tiers: 

• 3 grants of $5000
• 30 grants of $3000
• 30 grants of $1500
• 37 grants of $500

An outline of your planned research, quick film, digital initiative, or other cutting-edge civic engagement tools and content should be included in the project proposal. Additionally, it should make it abundantly obvious how your project seeks to fulfill at least one of the three objectives listed by GLOCAL:

• Assisting communities of immigrants and/or refugees in better understanding Canada.
• Enabling a greater understanding of immigrant and/or refugee groups in Canada among the general public.
• Assisting Canadians in improving their civic literacy.

Applicants are allowed to apply multiple times, but must propose a new and unique project for each application they submit. 

At GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, we understand that each project may face unique challenges and timelines. While we encourage applicants to engage with our mentors during project planning, we acknowledge that unforeseen circumstances may arise. If you find yourself unable to complete your microgrant project by the submission deadline, it's essential to communicate your situation as early as possible. By consulting with our mentors, you can explore potential solutions, including the option to submit a demo or partial project with justification for larger projects. We are committed to supporting our grantees and finding suitable solutions for timely delivery while considering individual project circumstances through open mentor communication and support.

If you need mentorship support regarding your project, we recommend joining our office hours, introduce yourself to a participant success manager. During these dedicated sessions, you will have the opportunity to engage in discussions with our staff members and receive guidance in polishing your project ideation. Participant Success Managers are also available via Discord and email. 

Our staff members are experienced and knowledgeable in various areas of civic engagement and social innovation. They can provide valuable insights and advice on aspects such as project feasibility, workload management, impact assessment, resource allocation, and potentially pair you up with similar-minded peers.

Yes, at GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, you can add more members to your group project after your application. We actively encourage collaboration, as diverse perspectives, skills, and contributions can enhance the collective knowledge and impact of your team. Please consult your project mentor or designated point of contact for support and clarification if you need assistance in integrating new team members into your project!

Certainly! While we recommend being concise and focused in your project proposal, there is no strict word count limit. Providing sufficient information is essential for the evaluation process. Include as many relevant details about your project idea, goals, methodology, and expected outcomes as you can. Striking a balance between comprehensiveness and conciseness will help evaluators quickly understand the scope and impact of your project.

If you need mentorship support regarding your project, we recommend joining our office hours, introduce yourself to a Participant Success Manager. During these dedicated sessions, you will have the opportunity to engage in discussions with our staff members and receive guidance in polishing your project ideation. Participant Success Managers are also available via Discord and email. 

Our staff members are experienced and knowledgeable in various areas of civic engagement and social innovation. They can provide valuable insights and advice on aspects such as project feasibility, workload management, impact assessment, resource allocation, and potentially pair you up with similar-minded peers.

GLOCAL Foundation of Canada is a national not-for-profit organization with offices in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Their mission is to encourage civic participation through local government and global understanding among Canadian youth. They empower young Canadians to contribute to digital infrastructure development for civic engagement, involving fields like construction, design, and engineering. Prioritizing creative problem-solving, GLOCAL addresses challenges related to civic information accessibility, misinformation, and information overload. Their primary objective is to foster an inclusive community and serve as an incubator for social innovation while promoting active youth participation in shaping Canada’s civic landscape.

GLOCAL focuses on digital civic engagement and youth participation. Our flagship project, YouCount.ca provides online profiles of political representatives at various government levels and non-partisan resources for Canadians. They strive for inclusivity, demystifying Canada's political institutions and democratic processes for all communities. GLOCAL improves public information accessibility through digital initiatives and community outreach. They are committed to combating misinformation and information overload in the digital age, aiming for an informed and engaged citizenry.

GLOCAL is the organization that runs Youcount. Youcount is our flagship product website that helps individuals find their political representatives to better inform their voting decisions. As the only one-stop digital platform for information exchange between Canadians and their respective political representatives at the three levels of government, YouCount plays a unique role in navigating Canadian political institutions.  

At GLOCAL, as a staff member or volunteer, you'll have the chance to contribute your skills and passions in various areas of civic knowledge and digital infrastructure building. With six tracks to explore, including research, data, social media, digital products and services, community outreach, and compliance, you can engage in exciting activities ranging from fun challenges to sophisticated projects. We are committed to tailoring your experience, putting you at the forefront of digital civic engagement and interdisciplinary social innovation. Beyond tasks and projects, you'll have access to workshops, events, seminars, and team-building activities, enriching your academic and professional development. In a dynamic, supportive, and inclusive environment, we aim to empower you to make a meaningful impact while fostering your personal and professional growth.

At GLOCAL, a dynamic group of over 30 staff, consultants, advisors, and 500+ nationwide volunteers from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds forms our team. We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Laura Stephenson and Dr. Fred Cutler as charter members of the Board of Directors on 26 June 2023. Dr. Laura Stephenson holds the position of Professor of Political Science and Graduate Chair at Western University and co-directs The Consortium on Electoral Democracy (C-Dem). On the other hand, Dr. Fred Cutler serves as Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia and impressively leads as Co-founder and CEO of ISIT Technology and Founder and CEO of Prograds. 

For more information about our exceptional staff, please visit: https://www.youcount.ca/about.

Now is the time to start volunteering! GLOCAL's experience is hands-off due to many volunteers and automated processes. However, you can still get help from us. Reach out on Discord or by email for assistance. There are track-specific office hours for questions. You are free to choose tasks you're passionate about from various tracks. Work on a task, log it in your work journal, and submit it for feedback on volunteer.youcount.ca. Stay tuned on email and Discord for workshop and event announcements, which can count towards your volunteer hours. Get ready for a fulfilling volunteering experience at GLOCAL!

Work journals are hours filled out for your records! Which is mainly for the research team. Otherwise, we will record all your work hours for you when you submit your hours + tasks in our task submission form system.

Tracks are what we call our organization’s specialized work teams, where you can delve deeper into a specific set of tasks. Here are the tracks that we have at GLOCAL:

Research: Conducting and assembling information for different research topics, such as our current homelessness project.

Data: Compiling information from databases, such as the many municipalities across Canada.

Outreach: Recruiting and onboarding volunteers, along with reaching out to potential partner organizations.

Digital Services and Products: Handling our websites (youcount.ca, volunteer.youcount.ca), working on UX/UI, and gamification.

Communications/Social Media: Promoting events and workshops, copywriting, and creating content for our social media accounts.

Your tasks at GLOCAL will often fall under these tracks. We also encourage you to specify your preferred track, in order to meet with the track’s leader to get supervision, advice, and support.

• Tasks assigned to you
• Attendance and participation in our meetings, events and workshops
• Involvement in civic discussions on our Discord
• Contributions to team projects and social media content, such as the fun team photo collage
• Engagement in research projects
• Emails you wrote to legislators

This is just a short list - we encourage you to reach out to your supervisor and/or volunteer coordinator to ask about other opportunities and their eligibility towards your 120 required hours at NYSN. 

To request a recommendation letter or volunteer hours certificate, please fill out the Google Form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_FMUMTyEt4JlA1ldTlJax0ubgqlKXLuBrMmYGAZBRsYuPiQ/viewform

• You can request a record of your volunteer hours at any time
• For a recommendation letter, a minimum of 40 hours is required before submitting a request
• A reference request must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance

Filling out this form provides our team with the necessary information to create a certificate or recommendation letter that is personalized and based on your contributions and achievements. 

If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our volunteer coordinator or the designated point of contact for recommendations.

On Discord, there is a channel dedicated for help in each track. Click on the button “needs help” for a Participant Success Manager to get to your request. Alternatively, feel free to email any of the participant success managers provided below:

admin@glocalfoundation.ca

christian.l@glocalfoundation.ca

danielle.jbeili@glocalfoundation.ca

kryzz.serrano@glocalfoundation.ca

If you prefer to talk face-to-face, join our daily office hours!

Here is the schedule: https://glocalfoundation.ca/nysn-project

Volunteering at GLOCAL is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. Here are a few ways to expand your social circle:  

• Participate in discussions, share ideas, and contribute positively to the community on Discord.
• Take part in the workshops and networking events organized by the GLOCAL Foundation.
• Take the initiative to introduce yourself and engage in conversations with others.
• Embrace teamwork and collaboration during group projects.
  
  

Remember, building new friendships requires mutual respect, empathy, and consideration for the well-being of others! Using basic etiquette, respecting different viewpoints, and being mindful of safety and cyber security are crucial for maintaining the positive and secure environment within our community.

We wish you the best in forming meaningful connections and fostering a respectful and safe social environment at the GLOCAL Foundation of Canada. 

For technical support, feel free to reach out to admin@glocalfoundation.ca, christian.l@glocalfoundation.ca or joseph.ong@glocalfoundation.ca and we will do our best to assist you! 

All of the files and resources you need can be found in the NYSN Participants shared drive. Here, you will find useful documents such as this FAQ and our Discord FAQ, along with other materials that will assist you in getting started with your journey at GLOCAL.

If you have any difficulty locating specific files or need additional assistance, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator or the designated point of contact for file access.

Our office hours can be found in the following schedule below, and take place over Google Meet. There are track specific office hours, as well as time to meet with our executive director, Faye!

During these hours, participant success managers will be present for you to ask questions about anything GLOCAL related. Our team is here to help, so we encourage you to stop by if you need any assistance.

The GLOCAL newsletter is how we share what we’re up to with all of our team members. There is a section dedicated to providing recognition to our most active participants, and anyone that our team would like to shoutout. If you are attending workshops, submitting excellent tasks, or are simply active on discord and are asking questions - you are demonstrating initiative and will be featured! Our newsletters are sent out often, so do not be discouraged if you are not featured. 

The task submission form allows the GLOCAL team to look at your submissions and provide feedback to you, along with tracking your hours. This is also a place where you can provide feedback to us on how we can improve. Each time you complete a task, fill out the questions in the form to have your hours recorded and feedback provided on your work.

After completing your 120 hours of volunteering, GLOCAL acknowledges your work by awarding you an official certificate of achievement. Many of our dedicated volunteers receive work opportunities and job recommendations based on their performance!

Completing your hours is just the beginning of a potential long-term service with GLOCAL. You can continue to work and log hours, expand your impact, and contribute to the organization’s mission of civic engagement. 

The safety and well-being of our volunteers are of utmost importance to us. We urge all volunteers and participants to be vigilant to cybersecurity issues, scams, abusive languages, or inappropriate behaviors to ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.

We want to emphasize that GLOCAL staff will never ask for any form of payment. If you encounter any suspicious requests or communications claiming to be from GLOCAL staff, please exercise caution and refrain from sharing sensitive information.

Please report any such incidents or concerns immediately to admin@glocalfoundation.ca or directly reach out to any staff member so that appropriate actions can be taken.

Thank you for your commitment to maintaining our positive and secure online volunteer community!