Blue Crew
Notice: The UTSU office and our in person programs are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. We will be reopening the Blue Crew program as soon as possible.
The Blue Crew is our amazing squad of student volunteers. By signing up you’ll get training and lots of on and off-campus volunteer opportunities to choose from.
From volunteering at the Food Bank or Vegan Breakfast program to Orientation and Winter Week of Welcome programming, it is a social and interesting way to add to your U of T Co-Curricular Record and make a difference in your community.
Rojda Arslan
Blue Crew Winter 2020
3rd-year student
Double major in criminology and french
“Being a Blue Crew member was a meaningful and purposeful role that I had within the University of Toronto. I had the opportunity to build social connections within the various volunteer organizations and with the other Blue Crew volunteers. The Blue Crew membership provides U of T students with a valuable and enriching experience as members within the community.”
Fiona Cui
Blue Crew Winter 2020
2nd-year student
Laboratory medicine and pathobiology
“Being part of the Blue Crew allowed me to get more involved in the U of T community and provided me so much opportunities to connect students from all faculties and fields. Not only did I gain experience by volunteering and participating in different activities, but also I was able to find a sense of community during my very first year of university.”
Charu Tyagi
Blue Crew Winter 2020
2nd-year student
Civil engineering
“My Blew crew experience opened a whole new set of opportunities for me! Not only did I get to contribute to our community and bring a positive change but also had the opportunity to interact with numerous people, with immensely different experiences, backgrounds, cultures etc. Just participating and stepping out of academics, I was able to connect with new people and learn from them.”
Hui Jie (Cathy) Feng
Blue Crew Fall 2019
2nd-year student
Bachelor of commerce
“I joined Blue Crew when I was new to the campus and looking for ways to create a meaningful impact on our school community while getting to know some great people. I was able to meet such a diverse group of students from all over campus and participate in volunteer work that was not only meaningful but also fun! We shared hot chocolate while hosting craft sessions on Skate Night, learned from athletes volunteering at KPE events, and even got to meet amazing musicians at the Music Festival.”
Patricia Singson
(BA Arch ‘20)
Blue Crew Fall 2019
“Being a part of the Blue Crew allowed me to represent the University of Toronto through volunteer opportunities that really interested me. Some of these activities were for events that I may not have been aware of without the UTSU. What I really liked about being part of this team was that it provided us s a diverse range of opportunities and we got to choose our own activities. I definitely enjoyed my time with the Blue Crew and would recommend it for students looking to be a part of the UofT community!”
FAQ
The Blue Crew is a group of students who actively participate in their community by volunteering in the activities of your students’ union and participating in making your campus community a better place. By joining Blue Crew you can develop vital skills that will help you grow as an individual, make connections with others and engage in meaningful ways.
You can join for a term (either fall or winter) and the minimum time commitment is 20 hours.
Once you join the program you will be sent regular updates on what is happening and you have an opportunity to pick and choose volunteer opportunities that work for you within your schedule.
UTSU runs services and events, does outreach and provides advocacy for students. We always need assistance in these initiatives. From our Vegan Breakfast program to our Winter Week of Welcome programming, were always working to serve and engage with students. We have many community partners and various opportunities to participate.
When sign-ups reopen you can register online with Blue Crew, attach a resume and provide a short covering letter that explains why you want to join a volunteer program and what you hope to get out of it. Space is limited.
Training for the fall term takes place in August and training for the winter term takes place in November. Limited spots are available in each term and you will be contacted to discuss your application with Blue Crew. Those who enter the program will be emailed information on the training schedule which is mandatory for participation in the program. Through the training, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of our partners in terms of Blue Crew volunteer opportunities for this upcoming school year.
A number of volunteer opportunities require additional training, such as:
- When you participate in food programming
- When you get involved with an external organization
- When there is a large scale event (such as Orientation)
And, we’ll offer some social programming along the way so that you can meet other Blue Crew participants and start networking.
Upon completion of the program, you will receive a Blue Crew certificate and your experience will be noted on your Co-curricular Record.