Laurier’s Community Service-Learning partnership shapes future educator

March 31, 2026

When Wilfrid Laurier University International Education Studies (IES) student Malcolm Almeida first walked into Wilson Avenue Public School in Kitchener during his second-year Community Service-Learning (CSL) placement, he expected a meaningful 10-week experience. What he didn’t expect was that the school community – and the students he met – would shape his future for years to come.

Community Service-Learning (CSL) at Wilfrid Laurier University is an experiential learning model that integrates hands‑on service in the community with academic coursework. Through weekly placements or community‑engaged projects, students apply what they learn in class to real community settings while developing practical skills, awareness, and empathy. CSL partners with non‑profit and social‑profit organizations, schools, community centres, and social agencies, giving students opportunities to contribute meaningfully while reflecting on their experiences to deepen their learning.

Almeida’s placement began in a Grade 4 classroom and he later moved to a Grade 4/5 class, where he supported students in literacy, math and classroom activities. In September 2025, Almeida began working in an Accelerated Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) classroom. He quickly discovered a new depth of purpose in his teaching journey.

A partnership built on purpose

Wilson Avenue Public School is a vibrant and diverse learning community within the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and has a long-standing partnership with Laurier’s CSL program. Since 2019, Laurier students have completed 1,409 CSL placements at WRDSB schools, including 98 placements at Wilson Avenue Public School, contributing more than 27,000 hours of service.

The school’s ABLE classroom supports newcomer students who may speak another language fluently but cannot yet read or write in their first language due to disrupted schooling or prolonged displacement.

Working one-on-one and in small groups, Almeida supported students with early literacy, vocabulary development and foundational math. Some practiced reading simple words, while others worked through junior reading passages with his guidance.

“Watching their confidence grow, even one word at a time, reminded me why I want to be in the classroom,” says Almeida.

ABLE teacher Valerie Riegle says that what stood out most wasn’t just the instruction; it was the connection. Each Monday, one student in the ABLE classroom inevitably asks, “Is it Friday tomorrow? Is Mr. A coming?” says Riegle. “His whole demeanor changes when Malcolm walks in.”

Many ABLE students have experienced instability, family separation, or trauma. Having a consistent, trusted role model carries tremendous impact.

“Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” says Riegle. “Malcolm creates that environment – safe, kind, steady. He anticipates what students need. He doesn’t wait for direction – he just knows. That’s the teacher in him.”

For Almeida, helping newcomer students grow in confidence became deeply meaningful, and he continued to volunteer at Wilson Avenue Public School for three years after his CSL term ended.

CSL coordinator Shannon Pennington notes that long-term relationships like this represent the program at its best.

“The best-case scenario is when students stay on,” says Pennington. “It means the relationship is real.”

A future teacher begins his path

As a student in Laurier’s International Education Studies (IES) program, Almeida is uniquely prepared to navigate multilingual, multicultural and globally connected classrooms.

The first of its kind in Canada, Laurier’s IES program blends pedagogy, global studies and experiential learning, placing intercultural understanding at the centre of its mission.

“Intercultural understanding is the heart – the crux – of the program,” says Avis Beek, Laurier’s IES program chair.

After three years of volunteering, hundreds of hours in classrooms, and a CSL placement in the ABLE program, Almeida will begin a Bachelor of Education degree program in September 2026.

He credits Laurier’s IES and CSL programs with helping him find his passion and purpose.

“Working with the students at Wilson Avenue completely reshaped my understanding of what it means to teach,” says Almeida. “Every week, I saw their confidence grow a little more – and that’s what made me want to keep showing up. They’ve had a bigger impact on me than they’ll ever know.”

Almeida’s story is one example, but it captures the heart of what makes Laurier’s approach to community-engaged education so impactful. When students show up, stay committed, and care deeply, they don’t just support learning. They help change lives – including their own.