“I can't imagine doing my placement anywhere else.”
Every year, in partnership with RBC, The Mustard Seed is able offer various placements for students looking to fulfill their practicum credits for school. Just this past year the RBC Practicum Program has taken on students studying occupational therapy, addictions and community support, social work, counselling, cybersecurity, speech language pathology and criminal justice. Students from various studies are able to work with The Mustard Seed, taker their knowledge out of the classroom and apply it in real life scenarios every day.
Anastasia was a social work student working at our Foothills Shelter in Calgary for her practicum and completed her placement in June 2024.
“This practicum has been an amazing first step in developing my professional identity and giving me the tools I need to eventually be the best social worker I can be,” says Anastasia.
“I genuinely believe that this opportunity at TMS will be an instrumental part of my practice going forward.”
Anastasia has now applied to work at the shelter in a relief position since finishing her placement.
“This practicum with The Mustard Seed has proved to me that I was correct in choosing this program and this career path,” says Anastasia.
From July 31, 2023, to October 31, 2024, The Mustard Seed has taken on 68 practicum students and 24 post-secondary students across Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Kamloops and Medicine Hat. This has resulted in 15,000 hours of student learning at our facilities.
“There is truly no better way to confront the reality of homelessness then to work here,” says Anastasia.
Students completing their practicums see the reality of homelessness firsthand and learn practical skills regarding boundaries, empathy, palliative care and grief, ethics, de-escalation and much more. It is an amazing opportunity for students to take the knowledge they have learned in their classrooms and apply it in real life scenarios.
Kristen was a practicum student studying to be a community support worker, she finished her practicum in November 2023 and was hired on by the Foothills Shelter where she is currently working.
“Having the opportunity to work at the homeless shelter with such a diverse group of people gave me the firsthand experience of serving people who are dealing with all kinds of obstacles,” says Kristen.
While some of our students reapply to work at our facilities after they graduate, the skills they learn with The Mustard Seed bleed over into different aspects of their lives.
“I think in some ways the new knowledge has been greater confidence in myself,” says Anastasia.
“But I find that skills I've learned here, like how to speak to people, and how to function within a team have overflowed into other aspects of my life.”
A practicum with The Mustard Seed doesn’t just set students up for working with those experiencing homelessness, it teaches students practical skills that can be taken into any workplace.
Thank you, RBC for your continued support of our practicum program! It is because of you that we can keep preparing students for their future careers.
