Volunteer Openings

A great way to contribute to the Centre for Inquiry Ontario and the freethought movement is by volunteering at the Centre.  Volunteers are expected to contribute an average of 2 hours/week at the minimum

We are in need of the folllowing volunteers:

Administrative Support/Receptionist (filling one of our weekly 1-5pm or 5-9pm shifts, which are available each day)

Position Description:* The Centre for Inquiry Ontario is a community meeting and event space, open 1-9pm daily. Our drop in area includes a library, media centre and lounge, and is frequently utilized by discussion and activity groups. We require administrative support and receptionists to keep the Centre open 1-9pm daily into the future. Shifts of 1-5pm and 5-9pm are available 7 days a week. During these 4 hour sessions, other administrative tasks will be assigned (data entry, help with promotional work, help with mailings, etc).
Training Provided: The house manager will meet with candidates to review Centre protocols, to describe our mandate, and to review details regarding specific administrative projects.

Promotion Chair: 

Position Description:* The Centre for Inquiry Ontario requires an individual to serve as chair of our promotions committee, which currently includes ~ 8 people. This individual would be assigned tasks, such as creating banners or posters, postering in the community and campus, using online promotional strategies, and strategizing long term promotional campaigns. The chair would network among the various people in the promotions committee (which include graphic designers and printing specialists), while corresponding with other committees at CFI Ontario (social services, community outreach, programming, etc). This individual must be willing to do the work (ex: physical postering) should a member of the committee be unavailable or unwilling.
Training Provided: You will be introduced to the rest of the committee, and a discussion as to project priorities will be given. Much of these priorities will be decided between the executive director and the individual who fills this position
Skills And Experience Required: Graphic design, basic computer skills and basic management skills are all ideal, but not a must.

Fundraising/Development Committee Members:

Position Description:* The Centre for Inquiry Ontario requires volunteers for its fundraising/ development committee. The first of its kind in Canada, CFI Ontario promotes and defends reason, science and free inquiry in every area of human endeavour. We are still just getting off the ground and require volunteers to create fundraising material (brochures, DVDs, displays, etc), participate in presentations, and meet with individual donors.
Training Provided: Professional development/fundraising training sessions will be given, free of charge, by experts from the Center for Inquiry, to candidates.

Programming Chair:

Position Description:* The Freethought Association of Canada serves as a community and a voice for secular freethinkers (humanists, atheists, scientific naturalists, skeptics, etc) while promoting freedom of thought, evidence-based inquiry and secularism. We are looking for a Vice President programming to assist the President with overseeing and coordinating events, through delegating to event leaders, and supervision of logistical and promotional aspects of program planning. Events take place across Ontario university campuses.
Training Provided: You will meet with the organization's executive to be brought up to date on past events and the group's resources. Also visit http://www.secularalliance.ca and http://www.cfiontario.org for more details.

Seniors' Hobby Group Coordinator:

Position Description:* Thursday Seniors' Activity Group is a warm, welcoming, friendly neighborhood and secular (non-faith based) drop-in center where people can enjoy fellowship with like minded people, check us out if they aren't sure yet and engage in diverse activities and share hobby interests - photography, birding, drawing, board games, knitting, origami, or whatever interests you. Drop in have tea or coffee and just browse the 2000 volume library if you like. Thursdays from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Volunteers: For this group, we need volunteers to help us connect to seniors centers, residences and groups to put up posters and deliver brochures(ready soon), or join the group to share your favorite activity with other seniors. Hosted by the Centre for Inquiry Ontario http://www.centerforinquiry.net/toronto
Training Provided: You will be introduced to the staff at the Centre for Inquiry involved in this and similar social activities, and provided with promotional and other resources. You will work closed with our Community Outreach Director and the current leader of the Senior's Hobby & Activity Group

English as a Second Language Teachers:

Position Description:* Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Centre for Inquiry We are seeking volunteers to work with a secular (non-faith based), humanitarian community center to help new Canadians to acquire basic English language skills. What we need from you is an excellent command of the English language, time and patience (recent TESL / TESOL graduates, enrolled in TESL looking to gain some practical volunteer experience welcome). This is an unpaid position, teaching English to new Canadians in small groups either in scheduled classes or as one-on-one "hosts" (at the Center For Inquiry) to a new Canadian. The one-on-one ESL model has a high degree of flexibility in terms of matching ESL volunteers with an ESL student at mutually agreeable times at the Center for Inquiry. The "host" model allows the teacher and student to walk through typical real world situations like shopping or banking, for example, to learn the language skills to become self-sufficient with everyday tasks.
Training Provided: You will train with our ESL expert and Ryerson English Professor.
Skills And Experience Required: What we need from you is an excellent command of the English language, time and patience (recent TESL / TESOL graduates, enrolled in TESL looking to gain some practical volunteer experience welcome).

English as a Second Language Students:

Minimum Age:* 12
Position Description:* Centre for Inquiry Ontario is looking for students for our two free English as a Second Language streams. The first stream is geared towards helping you acquire basic conversational language skills to become self sufficient in your day-to-day life. This program is a one-on-one pairing of an ESL teacher with a student. We will help you develop independence, make decisions and properly assess the bewildering array of information that confronts us every day. The second stream will consist of a group setting for practicing critical thinking, rational discourse, the skills of argumentation and the expression of opinions in the English language, through the exploration and discussion of contemporary issues. Canada is primarily a nation of immigrants. Most of us can identify with being new at something - a new job, a new school - and the bewildering flood of things to learn even before one can become productive. Especially for those new to Canada, where language, customs, traditions and values can be so different from elsewhere, our aim is to enable you to share and experience the opportunities, freedoms and joys that so many of us take for granted but know in our hearts makes Canada special. The Centre for Inquiry Ontario is a secular community centre that offers a welcoming environment. It is largely staffed by dedicated volunteers who give their time freely because they care deeply about their community and the challenges we all face on a daily basis.