Volunteer Profile – Stephanie King

“It’s important for me to remain active in the Jewish community while focusing on hands-on activities where I can see concrete results,” says Stephanie King, who teaches English conversation classes to recently arrived immigrants at Jewish Employment Montreal (JEM). Her feelings reflect the sentiments of many young Jewish Montrealers who are driven to make a difference in their community.

King, 28, a PhD student in English literature at McGill University, began teaching the class alongside her mother, Marlene, an active volunteer who instilled a sense of community in her daughter from a young age. Stephanie now teaches the class on her own, adopting innovative approaches to teaching conversational English to students from Argentina, France and Russia who lack the verbal skills needed to secure employment.

Discussions are centered around newspaper articles, literature and general social conversations. “We recently began using karaoke as a teaching tool,” says King, “We go through the vocabulary of popular songs and then practice their use by singing all together – everyone has a lot of fun.”

With a firm base of Barry Manilow, the karaoke curriculum will soon expand into Beatles lyrics, which explore more intricate uses of language.

King puts her natural talents and interests to work for the community, having also taught English to foreign students at Hillel Montreal.

“I love to teach – these classes are a unique experience where all the students are engaging and are enthusiastic to learn – it provides a great setting to practice my teaching skills on top of the reward of knowing you’re helping people adjust to their new homes and improve their lives,” says King.

JEM English classes provide students with the tools to conduct a more successful job search and approach interviews with more confidence.

King is also helping organize Federation CJA's Mitzvah Madness, a program developed by Promontreal’s Young Adult Division (YAD) to encourage young volunteers to perform various charitable acts throughout the city. In November, the group helped stock shelves at Le Mercaz food bank. This March they held a Purim Toy Drive for underprivileged children.

King is attracted to projects that foster social interaction and that drive young people to get actively involved in community work.

“I have a strong sense of responsibility towards this community,” she says, “I was brought up in Jewish schools, and I eventually hope to make a life here in Montreal. I’ve definitely found my niche when it comes to giving back.”

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