Co-op for Social Good helps both students and community organizations thrive
If you’re a student with an eye on a career in the not-for profit sector, co-op job searches can sometimes feel a little challenging. A food bank, museum or community services centre might not have funds to hire a co-op student. At the same time, they could really use the extra energy and fresh ideas that a Waterloo Arts student brings — and so many Arts students are driven by a passion to do good work. How to bring them together?
That’s where the Co-op for Social Good fund comes in. Donations big and small help support co-op positions in organizations with a mandate to benefit society. This way, donors to the fund double the benefit: not-for-profit organizations can hire co-op students to help them do great work for their cause, and Arts students get hands-on experience in the career of their dreams.
Raquel Paredes
(Honours Arts and Business) was in her final co-op term search when she came across a listing from STEPS Public Art. It’s a Toronto-based charity and social enterprise that facilitates public art projects across Canada. “In my past co-op searches, I have wished more opportunities were in the Arts field,” she says. “So when I saw the posting to work at STEPS, I thought it would be amazing to use my marketing and communications skills for a public art organization.”
There was a Waterloo connection on the other side of that posting, as well. Grace Lai is STEPS’s communications manager and a Global Business and Digital Arts graduate (2016). “I know how meaningful co-op experiences are for academic growth and career development,” she says. Waterloo’s co-op team reached out to let Lai know about the grant last January, inviting STEPS to apply.
With just nine employees working on projects nationwide, STEPS is small but mighty—and it’s hopping in the summer season. Among other things, STEPS connects artists with developers to decorate construction hoardings, assists cities developing cultural plans and programs, and helps BIAs build all kinds of community art projects, from murals to light installations to one very artistic mini-putt course. “I was never aware of the massive community that existed for public art!” says Raquel. As Communications Assistant, Raquel pitched in with social media and email marketing campaigns, digital storytelling, and other promotional activities throughout the summer. Grace praises her strong writing and creativity.
Raquel says she learned how important it is to really love your work at a not-for-profit. “You have to be passionate about what you are doing because that shows through all you do,” she says, “whether it be interacting with followers on social media or hosting events for local communities.” One of her favourite parts of the job involved hearing directly from the artists themselves, as a contributor to the artist newsletter. “I could see the impact the organization was making on these artists. It is extremely fulfilling to know that your efforts are being put towards something meaningful, something that brings others and communities joy and support.”
From STEPS’s perspective, there’s meaning in helping the next generation of arts grads: “Having a co-op student is great because not only is the co-op student contributing to the organization through their day-to-day tasks and projects,” Grace adds, “it also feels rewarding to be able to provide a valuable learning experience for the student.”
That good feeling makes all the difference for co-op students who find work that feeds their passion for a cause. Raquel is particularly appreciative of the donors who make the Co-op for Social Good possible. “I’ve searched for a co-op position like this one since my very first co-op job search back in 2021,” she says. “I am very grateful that these opportunities are being given to Arts students so that they can gain job experience while being in a sector they love and giving back to communities.”
Banner image: Comm(uniti) in Bloom (2024) by Fuelled by Coffee Collective (Photo Credit: Stories at the Table)
