practicum

During my almost two months at Frog Hollow, the employees were very caring, warm and inspiring to me every day. In particular, I will never forget being part of the National Indigenous Peoples’ Day event from start to finish. Not knowing what was the best thing to do from a non-Indigenous perspective, I was still able to experience almost the entire process of planning the day, preparing for and carrying it out, after many proposals and thought processes. I was also able to experience creating an event for the community with an awareness of a decolonial mindset with respect and reverence for Canada’s First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples. Ultimately, the event was a huge success. The most wonderful thing about Frog Follow was that I was allowed to participate and work just like everyone else. There was no hierarchy. People from all the organizations I worked with respected my opinion and being there. Everyone was very kind and generous. I felt that an anti-oppressive feminist perspective and a decolonial perspective and values permeated the organization, and I could see every day that everyone was genuinely well-meaning and working to be a help to the community. If you want to be a social worker, a community support worker, or a counsellor, and if you want to learn about what decolonization and reconciliation with Indigenous people means, I would encourage you to come here, spend time at Frog Hollow, explore and apply what you are learning at school. The organization has a lot of programmes to learn and experiences to gain in a very safe and caring environment that will help you fulfil your potential. I would strongly encourage other interns to come to Frog Hollow and experience what I have experienced.

I feel very grateful for the opportunity to do my practicum at Frog Hollow. It allowed me to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to various settings: I worked in a few programs at Frog Hollow as well as at Drive Youth Resource Room. I was able to understand the role of a neighbourhood house in the community and experience the variety of services that it delivers to people. I practiced different skills of a community organizer, such as active listening, supporting, facilitating, planning, and empowering people. Having an opportunity to work with different groups: seniors, youth, newcomers, and children, helped me to understand what I group I want to focus on in my social service worker career in the nearest future. During my practicum, I felt very cared for and appreciated by my supervisor and all the staff. Watching people do their work with dedication, passion, and love, really inspired me and made me think that I chose the right profession. I enjoyed being a part of Frog Hollow for 5 weeks and I wish my practicum lasted longer, because there is so much more to learn and experience in this wonderful place!