It is a longstanding tradition for delegates with the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) to participate in a volunteer project during the conference. Last year in Belgrade, a team helped repaint a local refugee centre. Volunteers also planted trees during WYSTC 2015 in Cape Town.
This year WYSTC delegates can roll up their sleeves for a local food bank, Moisson Montreal. The non-profit organisation helps feed more than 137,000 people each month. One-third of those recipients are children. WYSTC 2017 volunteers will spend about three hours helping sort and label food at their warehouse. According to the project organiser, WYSTC volunteer projects are about giving back to WYSTC host cities.
“We organise these projects each year because we want to make a positive contribution to the local community, and especially help youth. Attending WYSTC is a great way to make an impact on young people on a global level through travel and cultural exchange, but volunteering with Moisson Montreal also gives the opportunity to benefit youth right in our conference host city,” said Polina Jones, Cultural Exchange and Study Abroad Sector Manager for WYSE Travel Confederation.
Kim Burdett, a consultant for student mobility programs, and one of the WYSTC 2016 volunteers in Belgrade, said she wanted to participate directly after a 32 hour flight because, “I encourage our students to participate in local volunteer projects like this, so I need to walk the talk.”
WYSTC 2017 delegates who wish to participate in the Moisson Montreal project on Tuesday, September 26 can find additional information and a registration form on our website. Take a look at our photo gallery of WYSTC 2016 volunteers in Belgrade.
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