Say Ça: A Case Study of Experiential Learning by Volunteers through a Tutoring and Mentoring Program for Adolescent Syrian Refugee Students in Montreal

This thesis presents a case study of the volunteers working at Say Ça to contribute to the literature on volunteering as community-based experiential-learning. Say Ça was established and funded through a grant obtained by a small group of Fulbright scholarship holders studying at Montreal universities. It is a non-profit organisation offering weekly free language tutoring and mentoring sessions and monthly cultural outings for Syrian refugee youth ages 12-18. It is at present in its third phase. This thesis project focused on the lessons learnt by five out of 13 volunteers of the first phase including the author’s personal insights as a volunteer and participant observer. The two main research questions were: What lessons did the volunteers learn and how did this experiential-learning impact their previous knowledge in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or French as a Second Language (FSL) and other areas of their life. The data were collected as narratives from the five participant volunteers derived from one-on-one audio-taped interviews and the autoethnographic narrative of the author. The lessons learnt in response to the research questions were many and they resonate through these stories and are grouped under these three headings: Understanding the general needs of refugee youth; the image of the ideal volunteer for similar programs and the importance of effective communication and continuous feedback with volunteers. Further research directions emerge for a deeper examination of ethical mentoring as well as the importance of helping volunteers by developing their skills for empathy and cultural sensitivity