Ottawa, December 3, 2021 — Canadian Parents for French would like to thank and recognize the important contributions of all its volunteers across the country helping us achieve our mandate of promoting and creating opportunities for youth to learn and use French.

December 5 marks International Volunteer Day, with this year’s theme “Volunteer now for our common future”. This day helps keep the spotlight on the important contributions of volunteers as we address critical social, economic, and environmental issues. Volunteers are leading social change around the world as we all navigate the impact of the pandemic and take action on racism and social injustice.

The expansion to virtual volunteering with CPF, launched last year as a response to the impact the pandemic, has exponentially increased the many ways volunteers contribute to our work at Canadian Parents for French.

  • 50+ volunteers serve on Branch and the National Board of Directors offering oversight in risk management and strategic planning direction;
  • 150+ volunteers serve as contest judges annually including for Concours d’art oratoire, French public speaking contest and O’Poésie French poetry competition;
  • 300+ volunteers serve local Chapter executives or lead local Team initiatives across Canada;
  • 840+ French-speaking volunteers support our weekly French Virtual Tutoring and WIGUP After School Club helping students across Canada build their confidence and French language learning skills.

“We have had a very positive impact with the Virtual Tutoring and WIGUP Club programs since they were launched last year. Parents value our support, which is why we are grateful for our volunteers, their commitment is helping students in FSL programs thrive,” said Nicole Thibault, Executive Director, CPF National.

The tutoring program volunteers facilitate weekly online French conversations, reading practice and homework help with students ages 6-14. Through the WIGUP Club, volunteers, called “mentors,” guide activities and encourage students ages 9 to 14 in creating content in French and uploading it to an online, secure platform.

This fall, CPF launched a new Volunteer Management System tool, where volunteers can keep track of their hours, receive training and connect with like-minded individuals. The new tool also allows CPF to easily connect with volunteers allowing instant recognition and facilitating feedback. The ability to speak French is not required for many of our volunteer positions. For more information about volunteering with CPF, visit: https://cpf.ca/en/volunteer/.

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Canadian Parents for French is a nationwide, research-informed, volunteer organization that represents 34,000 members across Canada and champions the opportunity to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home.

For more information, please contact:

Marcos Salaiza, Communications Manager

Tel: 613.235.1481 x222 Email: msalaiza@cpf.ca