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This article deconstructs the now common practice of immigrant volunteering for the purpose of upgrading or practicing job-related skills in Canada. The analysis draws on the findings of two separate qualitative studies related to the integration of immigrant adults in Southern Ontario. The first study (Wilson-Forsberg) focused on the settlement and adaptation experiences of immigrants (both men and women) from Latin America and the second study (Sethi) examined the impact of employment on the health and well-being of immigrant and refugee women from the visible minority population. Having re-analyzed our interview data to highlight the motivations behind participants’ volunteering and their perceptions of the experience, the findings suggest that immigrants volunteer to gain Canadian experience, to maintain remnants of professional identity, and to overcome loneliness and boredom. Intersectionality analysis of participants’ multiple intersecting identities reveals that immigrant volunteering is more complex than merely volunteering for upgrading human and/or social capital skills. The article concludes that, while volunteering can be beneficial to foster the social integration of immigrants, it appears to do little to enhance their economic integration. Cet article déconstruit la pratique maintenant courante des immigrants de faire du volontariat à fin d’améliorer ou de pratiquer leurs compétences liées à l’emploi au Canada. L’analyse repose sur les résultats de deux études qualitatives indépendantes reliées à l’intégration d’immigrants adultes dans le sud de l’Ontario. La première étude (auteur 1) a porté sur l’expérience d’établissement et d’adaptation d’immigrants (hommes et femmes) d’Amérique Latine et la deuxième étude (auteur 2) a examiné l’impact de l’emploi sur la santé et le bien-être de femmes immigrantes et réfugiées provenant de la population de minorités visibles. Après avoir révisé notre analyse des données ramassées lors des entrevues pour souligner les motivations qui poussent les participants à faire du volontariat et leurs perceptions de l’expérience, il apparaît que les immigrants font du volontariat pour gagner de l’expérience canadienne, pour maintenir un semblant d’identité professionnelle, et pour surmonter la solitude et l’ennui. L’analyse intersectionnelle des croisements multiples d’identités des participants révèle que le volontariat immigrant est plus complexe que le simple fait d’améliorer le capital d’habiletés humaines et/ou sociales. L’article conclut que bien que le volontariat soit bénéfique pour favoriser l’intégration sociale des immigrants, il ne semble pas rehausser leur intégration économique.

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This study explored growth in the intercultural competence of domestic and international students who participated in an intercultural experiential learning initiative for academic credit. The initiative paired Canadian students in a second-year multiculturalism class at Wilfrid Laurier University with international students enrolled in the Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program. Qualitative data derived from the oral and written reflections of three cohorts of students inform the study. The data were coded using pre-existing codes derived from learning objectives and reflection questions based on Deardorff’s (2006) Elements of Intercultural Competence Model. The findings suggest that while exposure to different cultural values and practices deepens domestic and international students’ knowledge and challenges their assumptions about each other, creating optimal conditions for meaningful intercultural contact between the students at a university may not adequately reflect everyday contact between them in complex real-life situations.

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The tradition of leaving high school and finding full-time employment after grade 8 has put Low German-speaking (LGS) Mennonites in rural Southwestern Ontario in a vulnerable economic position. Consequently, alternative education programs have been developed by Ontario public school boards in areas containing high numbers of LGS Mennonites. The programs strive to keep LGS Mennonite youth in school by creating spaces where primarily male LGS Mennonite students feel more comfortable and can pursue a high school diploma while maintaining their religious beliefs, cultural identity, and work responsibilities. This article draws from qualitative interview data and open-ended survey responses to explore perceptions of LGS Mennonite men’s experiences in alternative education programs, and it highlights factors that caused the men to avoid or leave the programs. This article offers recommendations on how to strengthen the programs to increase the number of LGS Mennonite students attending them. It emphasizes the importance of LGS Mennonite students receiving strong messages from educators that their language, culture, and religious beliefs are valued even if that means separating the youth from Canadian society rather than integrating them on equal terms to minimize their marginalization.

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