CHST Practicum
Table of Contents
The Childhood and Youth Studies (CHST) practicum is your opportunity to move beyond the classroom and engage directly with children, youth, and communities. Through hands-on placements, you’ll apply your knowledge in meaningful ways while building skills that prepare you for your future career.
Why the Practicum Matters
The practicum is more than a course—it’s a bridge between your academic learning and real-world experience.
Through your placement, you will:
- Gain hands-on experience in professional settings
- Build meaningful connections with community organizations
- Explore potential career paths
- Develop confidence working with children and youth
- Make a tangible difference in your community
Alumni Spotlight: Glenisha Austin-Clarke
A Childhood and Youth Studies student, Glenisha completed her practicum at her former school, applying her learning in a deeply personal and impactful way.
How the Practicum Works
- Apply for the practicum course (CHST 3905)
Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements. - Explore your interests
Identify the types of organizations or roles that align with your goals. - Secure a placement
Work with the practicum coordinator or apply to partner organizations. - Complete your placement hours
Gain hands-on experience in a professional setting. - Reflect and integrate your learning
Connect your practical experience with academic coursework.
Where You Can Work
CHST students complete placements across a wide range of organizations, including:
Schools & Education
- School boards
- Private and independent schools
- After-school programs
Health & Community Services
- Youth support organizations
- Mental health services
- Community health centres
Nonprofits & Advocacy
- Child and youth advocacy organizations
- Settlement and newcomer services
- Community outreach programs
Research & Policy
- Government agencies
- Research centres
- Policy organizations
Students are encouraged to explore placements that align with their interests and career goals. A partial list of host institutions and organizations where our practicum students have volunteered can be viewed here –
Kendal Wells – Testimonial
“Going into my fourth and final year, I opted to partake in the HUMR Practicum Placement option and was placed with Amnesty International’s Canadian National Office in Ottawa – There, I worked in advocacy and fundraising. The ability to fulfill a degree requirement and gain experience with a notable organization in the field of Human Rights was an opportunity I could not pass up. I gained valuable knowledge on the inner workings of non-governmental actors in the field while also bolstering my resume – the experience certainly playing a part in my success applying to Grad School as well. Now, I’m studying my Master in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at the Paris School of International Affairs and my practicum has proven to be invaluable in advancing my knowledge and studies since completing it. I have nothing but praise for Carleton’s Human Rights program and highly suggest any student take the opportunity to pursue the Practicum option.”
What You’ll Gain
- Practical, resume-building experience
- Professional skills in communication and collaboration
- Insight into careers working with children and youth
- Expanded professional network
- Greater confidence in real-world settings
Get Started
Ready to take your learning into the community?
- Apply to the Practicum CHST 3905 “Service-Learning in Community Settings”
- Begin exploring placement opportunities
Organizations
Some organizations where Human Rights & Social Justice students have secured a Practicum Placement in past years:
- Amnesty (https://www.amnesty.ca/)
- Aids Committee of Ottawa (http://aco-cso.ca/)
- Rideau Institute (https://rideauinstitute.ca/
- Carleton Climate Commons Working Group (https://www.climatecommons.ca/)
- OCISO (Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization OCISO – Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization)
- CUSO International (https://cusointernational.org/)
- ACORN (https://acorncanada.org/)
- Kind Space (https://kindspace.ca/)
- Canada Without Poverty (https://cwp-csp.ca/)
- Youth Ottawa (https://www.youthottawa.ca/)
- Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (https://www.criaw-icref.ca/)
- Friends of the Earth (https://foecanada.org/)
- Mines Action Canada campaign titled “Stop Killer Robots” (https://www.minesactioncanada.org/)
- Habitat for Humanity (https://habitat.ca/)
- International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (https://iclmg.ca/)
- Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (https://www.actioncanadashr.org/)
Laura Sauro – Testimonial
“The Human Rights & Social Justice Practicum helped me better understand how social justice practices translate into global actions, that in turn combat against violence and injustice within our society. I was lucky enough to be paired up with an amazing organization that fought social justice issues on an international level. In my short time with the organization, I learned the different avenues within a social justice framework that all come together to makeup an organization that fights violence and injustice on a large scale. This opportunity helped solidify my choice in the avenue of human rights that I wanted to pursue”-Laura Sarro
Practicum Experience Stories
Colonel By Goes to the Library
Read about a community-based storytelling project is one of the experiential learning activities offered to undergrads enrolled in CHST 2001, Experiential Learning in Childhood and Youth Studies.
Students Making A Difference
Read about students Faten al-Athari and Calla Tait practicum experience with Sophia House.
“My name is Sabrin, and during the last year of my undergraduate degree, I decided to join the practicum program which offered me an experience of learning beyond the classroom. I was privileged to join at Youth Ottawa Community Immigration Services Organization (YOCISO) as a placement student. This practicum gave me the opportunity to meet new people and develop professional relationships with those working hard to help new comers. As an immigrant myself, I understand that the challenges and experiences of new comers are not always the same. YOCISO provided the safe space for new comers to learn and expand their creativity whilst also tackling any individual as well as collective challenges that come up. Overall, it was absolutely different than learning in a classroom in the sense that I was able to interact with different age groups of people and I had the opportunity to learn different ways of addressing certain challenges that immigrant families and kids face.” – Sabrin Said Osman
“During my time in my undergraduate degree in Human Rights and Social Justice I had the pleasure of working with the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group. The group is the a part of a coalition with over 40 other Canadian Human Rights organization. The focus of the practicum followed two national security human rights violation cases in which I helped to bring awareness to with events with the public. One of these events included a collaboration with the club CU Global Promise where we brought forward the issues of political violence and state sanctioned violence in the examples of police brutality, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and violence against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirit individuals. Halfway through my time with ICLMG we shifted our work online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were still able to work on facilitating online documentary screenings and discussions on the cases we were working on. I enjoyed working with the team and had a valuable experience in learning more about the human rights violations concerning national security and civil liberties.” – Saivani Sanassy