Seven years ago, Caroline Josephson applied for a volunteer position at the Immigrant Centre because she just wanted to help and give back to the community. At the time she was newly retired, and the Citizenship Class Facilitator position seemed like an interesting and worthwhile thing to do.

Caroline has since returned every year to teach a six-week course to permanent residents, preparing for their citizenship test. A Grade 9 Social Studies Teacher for many years, she brings a depth of knowledge and teaching experience that has helped countless students succeed, at what for many, can be a quite challenging test.

Watching Caroline teach is always an awe-inspiring experience; she just knows her stuff! Years of teaching has made her skilled at breaking down complex subject matter into a format that students, many of whom are still learning English, can more easily comprehend. Her knowledge of Canada along with the interesting details that she shares, and her ability to clearly explain and elaborate on the information in their study guide, keeps her students engaged.

For Caroline, volunteering at the Immigrant Centre has always been an enjoyable experience and an opportunity to engage with her students and meet new people. Over the past two years however, classes have been delivered online due to the pandemic, but Caroline did not shy away from the challenge. “I really enjoy meeting the students, so it was tricky to do it online. It’s easier, but making that connection is harder. I miss the smiles when they come in.” 

Caroline’s students are certainly appreciative of her efforts. At the end of every course, we ask students what they liked about the classes. Here are what two students shared after Caroline’s most recent course, in their own words. 

“She did a great job in making the difficult looking course by breaking it into tiny simple bits and linking those pieces together to remember for the test.”

“How the instructor explain the information to make it easier for non-native speakers to understand.”

Thank you Caroline. You are truly an amazing volunteer, and the Immigrant Centre and our clients are grateful for having you on our team!