Student Ambassador Program

Applications through CLNX beginning April 2nd!

About the Student Ambassador Program

Student Ambassadors assist with providing information to interested candidates to FIFSW programs. Through various events and FIFSW Peerpal, a networking site that connects prospective U of T students to current students, faculty and alumni, you will engage with prospective candidates. Student Ambassadors are those who have a positive attitude, enjoy helping others, sharing information about FIFSW and UofT, and passionately discussing their own experiences. Student Ambassadors in the 2YR MSW program  will also be automatically enrolled in the Buddy Program as well. Ambassador roles are paid positions, recruited as part of the University of Toronto’s Work Study Program.

What kinds of questions will I be asked?

We do not place any limits on what prospective students can ask about, but when filling out your PeerPal profile, we do encourage you to note specific areas that you are particularly knowledgeable about or open to discussing. For example, if you specialized in Mental Health and Health, you may feel more knowledgeable about that field of study over another one.

What information is needed for my profile?

The profiles include information such as your name, program of study, field of study, and affiliation. There is also a bio section where you are free to include any information that you think might be relevant.

What is my time commitment?

Good question! Although we anticipate the time commitment to be 1-2 hours per week, the Work Study program will allow you to engage up to 15 hours/week for a total of 200 hours in the Fall/Winter session. For the Summer session, the total of hours allowable in the Work Study program is 100 hours.

While this position begins in the Summer Session, there is potential to continue as an Ambassador in the Work Study program into the following Fall/Winter session (re-application for the Fall/Winter term will be required). There will also be mandatory paid training to attend after being hired.

How often do I have to respond on PeerPal?

The way the service works is that you will receive an email notifying you when you have a new message from a prospective student. When you receive that message, you can click the link in the email to go back to the page and respond to the message. We generally ask that you respond within 24-48 hours to new messages. This helps to ensure that the prospective student stays engaged and has a good first impression of the FIFSW community. You also may be asked to proactively send short messages to interested students or welcome messages to accepted students, depending on the time of year.

Should you need to be away, or need a break, you are welcome to turn on your vacation mode. Once a conversation on the platform is finished, Ambassadors must close the conversation. Conversation limits are implemented into the program as to not overwhelm any individual Ambassador. Closing conversations will help to ensure that you are up-to-date and can continue receiving messages. Prospective students will have the ability to reopen a conversation to send you a message if they wished to in the future.

Is my information private?

We mask your email address, so prospective students will only have access to chat with you through the FIFSW PeerPal platform.  To guard your privacy, we ask you to refrain from sharing personal information to prospects. You are also not obligated to connect with prospects through your personal accounts and we highly encourage that you keep your Ambassador conversations to PeerPal. We do not run any SEO on our landing pages, so the site is only visible where the school chooses to show it or share the URL. If you ever receive a suspicious message, you can block the sender via the platform or send an email to: support@graduway.com. Messages may be monitored by the FIFSW site admins to ensure the safety of both the Ambassadors and the prospects.

About the Work Study Program

The Student Ambassadors are hired as part of the work-study job opportunities at the University of Toronto. This is a paid opportunity with a pay rate of $16.55/hour (matching the provincial minimum wage rate). The duration of the work-study program is from September-March, with a maximum of 15 hours per week or 200 hours total. For the Summer session, the work-study program runs from May-August, with a maximum of 15 hours per week or 100 hours total.

In order to be eligible, you must:

• Be a current registered FIFSW student (i.e. registered in courses/academic activity)
• Has completed at least one year of study in an FIFSW program (MSW or PhD)
• Students are permitted to accept only ONE Work Study position per program period
• International students are subject to additional eligibility criteria and are strongly encouraged to refer to the Centre for International Experience to confirm they meet all of the Government of Canada regulations regarding on-campus work

While the Student Ambassador role is a mostly remote work, it will also require in-person attendance at various times throughout the term. You must have a reliable internet connection when working remotely.

As a second-year student at FIFSW, I had knowledge and experience navigating the social work program’s admission process and curriculum. Eager to serve as a voice for the program, I joined the MSW Ambassador team to share my insights and experience with prospective students. I wanted to encourage students to embark on their educational paths with confidence by helping them navigate the application process, answering questions/concerns and sharing a holistic understanding of the academic, practical and experiential aspects of being an MSW student at the faculty. I had the pleasure of connecting with several prospective students and helping them make informed decisions about their education and career in social work. Overall, this has been an incredibly pleasant and rewarding experience!

— Varruna, 2023-2024 FIFSW Ambassador (Human Service Management & Leadership)

 

As an international student arriving in Toronto last year, the transition was daunting, yet made remarkably smoother thanks to the support from the student ambassador program. Moreover, the program informed me about the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, where I enrolled in a preparatory course. This course not only sharpened my academic skills but also connected me with a peer, who has since become a close friend. Moved by the warmth and assistance I received, I am eager to give back in the same way. Becoming a student ambassador allows me to extend this same kindness and offer assistance to new students, helping them adapt and thrive in their new environment at the FIFSW. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute positively to their first experiences, ensuring they feel as welcomed and supported as I was.

— Noah, 2023-2024 FIFSW Ambassador (Children & Their Families)

How to Apply:

Applications are done through University of Toronto Career & co-Curricular Network (CLNX) site, beginning April 2, 2024. Login to CLNx.

There are many FIFSW Student Ambassador positions available, you can search by Title, or Job Id.  While they may have a different title, their duties are the same. Choose only ONE to submit an application, and we will consider you for all which you are eligible.

Although the application period officially closes on May 1st, 2024, we encourage you to apply early as we will review and hire on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Questions? Please email the FIFSW Recruitment & Student Life Officer, Kim Duong, in the SSR.