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�Ӱ�ԭ�� Hosts Launch of Community-Campus Engage Canada

nicolebedford — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:00:38 +0000

By Tyrone Burke
Photos by Chris Roussakis

The ivory tower’s walls are getting a little more permeable.

For the past six years, the SSHRC-funded action research project Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) has studied how players on campus and in the community can partner to co-create knowledge and positively impact communities. As the project enters its final year, it’s looking to leave a legacy.

On June 20, academics joined civil society and funding organizations from across Canada at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University to launch Community-Campus Engage Canada, a network that will strengthen connections between participating institutions and co-create socially innovative research that’s equitable, ethical and respectful.

“This is a powerful moment,” says Peter Andrée, associate professor of Political Science and principal investigator for CFICE.

“We have an opportunity to bring people together – an opportunity to model civil society in a new way. Today, we bring many people together, including community organizations that know the value of this work, have learned how to do it well, and in some cases have had to push back against universities and colleges. This is what we need. These voices will help set the direction forward.”

Academia hasn’t always had the best track record when it comes to creating research for and about marginalized communities. Too often, research done without collaboration has had little impact – or worse, actually harmed those it sought to help.

“Our goal as engaged campuses should be to lift up community,” says Catherine Graham of the National Association of Friendship Centres, which represents the urban centres that are the primary providers of programs and services for urban Indigenous people.

“To that end, I’m asking that people consider who the experts are in any given research project. If academics were the experts, we wouldn’t be out there asking the questions. It’s the community that are the experts, and they conduct research every day. Life is about doing research. That’s how we navigate the world. We have questions. We experience challenges, and we have to look at the world around us, or on the Internet, to find out how we can overcome and address those challenges to improve our lives, and the lives of those who come after us.”

Meaningful Community Engagement

Andrée agrees that meaningful community engagement is critical. It’s the driving force behind the creation of Community-Campus Engage Canada.

“Knowledge is not just coming from the professor,” he says. “Community-based research is maybe best thought of as being co-created with partners. In the fourth year of CFICE, we brought all of the evaluation data together and said collectively, where do we go from here?

CFICE created the Aligning Institutions for Community Impact working group to co-ordinate the efforts of universities, colleges, funders, and community organizations to ensure community engagement is productive. That working group is morphing into Community-Campus Engage Canada and bringing new partners to the table to create a national network that shares knowledge and advocates with provincial governments and federal agencies.

It will seek to address specific challenges community organizations face, such as under-representation in internships funded by Mitacs, a non-profit, national research organization that receives public funds to support research partnerships between universities and industry. Mitacs-funded internships require that funds be matched, and Community-Campus Engage Canada is looking at ways to better make that happen.

“We’re talking about creating an innovation fund that would pull together some money from the philanthropic sector that supports education, community development and social innovation,” Andrée says.

“(We’re) saying to the sector, you support all this stuff, why don’t you put your money with a fund that can be used to create matching money for Mitacs grants for community organizations who want graduate and postdoctoral interns to further their work.”

Enhancing Educational Experience for Students

And while Community-Campus Engage Canada’s primary goal is to co-create research that positively impacts communities, it also promises an enhanced educational experience for students.

“Students want to feel connected,” Andrée says, “to work on aspirational types of projects, to feel hope. Community-engaged experiential learning projects really give them something to get excited about. Different types of learners thrive in community projects. They give students a sense of purpose they never had before.

“It’s also important for research — outcomes are better when research is co-created with its users, when they help design questions and are part of data analysis. They’re the ones who can directly implement the results. Knowledge mobilization is a big buzzword in universities, but a lot of research doesn’t translate quickly. In partnerships, research translates very quickly.

“Then there’s a third side of this: the reputation of the post-secondary sector. There are many questions being asked about universities – are they worth the public money we invest in them? This type of work shows the benefits of research to the public, and that has a reputational benefit. The legitimacy of the post-secondary sector is enhanced when community engagement is done well.”

Video: Co-Creating the Future of Community-Campus Engagement in Canada

nicolebedford — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 20:32:04 +0000

On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 CFICE celebrated the launch of a new national network and community of practice called ‘Community-Campus Engage Canada’. As part of this launch, CFICE convened a panel and webinar titled Co-Creating the Future of Community-Campus Engagement in Canada. Moderated by Peter Andree, the webinar had presenters thinking through how to create and support the community-campus engagement (CCE) movement in ways that remain truly rooted in community needs and priorities, and which maximize the value for all partners.

If you missed out on the day-of presentation, not to worry. We’ve made it accessible below!

Presenters:

Possédant une maîtrise en droit international, Josée-Anne Riverin agit à titre d’agente de développement au domaine communautaire du Service aux collectivités depuis 2011. S’intéressant particulièrement aux enjeux de promotion et de défense des droits humains ainsi qu’aux problématiques relatives aux peuples et femmes autochtones, Josée-Anne a cumulé plusieurs expériences liées aux luttes des femmes autochtones au Québec mais également dans les Amériques ainsi qu’en Asie. Elle accompagne aujourd’hui différents projets partenariaux de recherche, de formation et de diffusion touchant ces enjeux ainsi que ceux relatifs à la participation citoyenne, à la lutte à l’exclusion, etc. | Masters in International Law graduate Josée-Anne Riverin has been employed as a community development officer within Community Services since 2011. She is especially interested in the challenges of both promoting and defending human rights in addition to those affecting First Nations peoples and Aboriginal women in particular. Josée-Anne’s career includes numerous experiences associated with the struggles of Aboriginal women in Quebec, Asia and the Americas. She is currently involved in several research, training and outreach partnership projects that address these issues as well as those related to citizen participation, to social exclusion, etc.

Jill Wyatt is a former educator and high school principal, CEO of the YWCA of Calgary and VP, Community Investments and Collaborations with United Way of Calgary and Area. She has served two terms as a senator of the University of Calgary. She is currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary. Jill’s passion for community building has been a driving force in changing social conditions and creating opportunities for individuals, families and communities. She is a proven leader during times of complex change, working to innovate for greater impact, and helping people develop to reach their potential. | Jill Wyatt est ancienne éducatrice et directrice d’école secondaire en plus d’avoir siégé en tant que PDG du YWCA de Calgary et vice-directrice du projet de Collaboration et engagement communautaire de la région de Calgary, un programme mené par United Way. Jill, qui est motivée par sa passion pour le renforcement communautaire, a pour objectif d’aborder les conditions sociales changeantes et de créer des occasions pour non seulement les individus, mais aussi les familles et les communautés en entier. Grâce à ses compétences et expériences professionnelles en gestion, Jill a su faire preuve de qualités de leadership pendant les périodes difficiles à changements imprévisibles. À ces moments, elle n’a jamais perdu de vue son but ultime d’aider les individus à réaliser pleinement leur potentiel et d’intégrer d’importantes innovations ayant des impacts à grande échelle.

Liz Weaver is the Co-CEO of Tamarack Institute where she is leading the Tamarack Learning Centre. The Tamarack Learning Centre has a focus on advancing community change efforts and does this by focusing on five strategic areas including collective impact, collaborative leadership, community engagement, community innovation and evaluating community impact. Liz is well-known for her thought leadership on collective impact and is the author of several popular and academic papers on the topic. She is a co-catalyst partner with the Collective Impact Forum and leads a collective impact capacity building strategy with the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Liz is passionate about the power and potential of communities getting to impact on complex issues. Prior to her current role at Tamarack, Liz led the Vibrant Communities Canada team and assisted place-based collaborative tables develop their frameworks of change, and supported and guided their projects from idea to impact. From 2006 – 2009, Liz was the Director for the Hamilton Roundtable on Poverty Reduction, which was recognized with the Canadian Urban Institute’s David Crombie Leadership Award. In her career, Liz has held leadership positions with YWCA Hamilton, Volunteer Hamilton and Volunteer Canada. In 2002, Liz completed a Masters of Management, McGill University. Liz received Queen’s Jubilee Medals in 2002 and 2012 for her contributions to volunteerism in Canada and in 2004 was awarded the Women in the Workplace award from the City of Hamilton. | Liz Weaver occupe actuellement la poste de co-PDG à l’Institut Tamarack où elle dirige le Centre d’apprentissage de Tamarack. Le Centre d’apprentissage de Tamarack se donne pour objectif l’intégration des innovations avantageuses dans les communautés. Pour ce faire, l’administration s’appuie sur cinq principes stratégiques: l’impact collectif, le leadership en collaboration, l’engagement communautaire, l’innovation communautaire et l’évaluation de l’impact sur les communautés. Liz est connue pour ses idées concernant le leadership et l’impact collectif et a rédigé plusieurs dissertations scolaires de renommée à ce sujet. Liz s’implique aussi en tant que partenaire au sein du Forum sur l’impact collectif. En plus, elle dirige le projet portant sur les stratégies d’amélioration des compétences en impact collectif au sein de la Fondation Trillium de l’Ontario. Liz s’intéresse à la capacité qu’éprouvent les membres de différentes communautés d’influer les problématiques complexes. Avant d’être engagée au sein de l’Institut Tamarack, Liz a dirigé l’équipe de communautés vibrantes du Canada. En outre, elle a donné un coup de main aux panels de collaboration adaptés au milieu à élaborer leurs cadres de changement, et elle a incarné le rôle de guide et d’appui du début à la fin de la réalisation de leur projet. De 2006 à 2009, Liz était directrice de la Table ronde de Hamilton pour la réduction de la pauvreté: le Prix de leadership David Crombie lui a été conféré par l’Institut urbain canadien. Pendant sa carrière, Liz a occupé des postes de direction au sein du YWCA de Hamilton, de Bénévoles Hamilton et de Bénévoles Canada. En 2002, Liz détient une Maîtrise en gestion de l’Université de McGill. En 2002 et en 2012, Liz s’est mérité la Médaille du jubilé d’or pour ses contributions à l’engagement communautaire au Canada, et en 2004 elle a obtenu le Prix des femmes en milieu de travail de la Ville de Hamilton.

Chad Lubelsky works at the McConnell Foundation where he is the program lead for public interest journalism and RECODE – a pan-Canadian initiative to provide Social Innovation tools and opportunities for College and Universities to become drivers of progress and community change. Prior to joining the Foundation, Chad was the Executive Director of Santropol Roulant; developed leadership and community engagement programs for the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation; worked as an Assignment Editor for NBC news in San Francisco; managed global Internet Rights advocacy for the South African based Association for Progressive Communications; and was a Founding Trustee of the Montreal Awesome Foundation. Chad holds a BA in Communications & Master Degrees in Communications and Leadership. | Chad Lubelsky travaille au sein de la Fondation McConnell où il est directeur de programmation pour le journalisme d’intérêt public et pour RECODE. RECODE est une initiative pancanadienne qui cherche à approvisionner les collèges et les universités en matière d’outils et d’occasions en innovation sociale afin que ces deux acteurs puissent solliciter de vrais changements et avancements dans la communauté. Avant, Chad était chef de la direction au sein de Santropol Roulant. De plus, il a créé des projets d’engagement communautaire et de leadership au sein de la Fondation canadienne des bourses d’études du millénaire. À San Francisco, il était éditeur de projets pour le réseau de télévision NBC. Au sein de l’Association pour la communication progressive stationnée en Afrique du Sud, Chad a géré le mouvement de revendication pour l’accès à internet comme droit de la personne. Finalement, il était administrateur au moment de la mise sur pied de la Fondation formidable Montréal. Chad détient un baccalauréat ès arts en communication, une Maîtrise en communication et une deuxième Maîtrise en leadership.

Crystal Tremblay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Special Advisor on Community Engaged Scholarship at the University of Victoria. She is a social geographer and community-based scholar activist with over a decade of international experience supporting resource co-governance and livelihood enhancement. She specializes in using participatory video and arts-based methods for community engagement, capacity building and program evaluation working across sectors with higher education institutions, government, and civil society organizations. She is passionate about cultivating new spaces for creative citizen engagement and the co-creation of knowledge leading to environmental and social equity. Crystal has done extensive research and projects on CCE funding, impact and policy in Canada and is eager to support building a long-term movement and infrastructure for lasting change, which benefits communities and incentivizes academia. For more information, please visit her website: . | Crystal Tremblay est professeure adjointe du département de géographie et conseillère spécialisée en engagement communautaire de l’Université de Victoria. Elle est géographe sociale et militante érudite adaptée aux milieux communautaires. Elle détient plus d’une décennie d’expérience internationale en soutien de la gestion collaborative des ressources et en amélioration des moyens de subsistance. Elle se spécialise dans l’emploi de l’enregistrement vidéo participatif, dans l’évaluation des programmes et dans le développement des compétences à travers les organisations issues de la vie civile et des secteurs gouvernementaux et d’études postsecondaires. Elle s’appuie sur des méthodes inspirées des sciences humaines pour promouvoir l’engagement communautaire. Elle est passionnée par les initiatives d’aménagement de nouveaux espaces qui sont dévoués aux projets d’engagement communautaire dynamique et par la découverte collaborative des connaissances qui abordent l’amélioration de l’équité environnementale et sociale. Crystal a effectué des études approfondies sur le financement, l’impact et la politique du CCE au Canada. Elle désire s’engager pleinement dans la construction de l’infrastructure à changement durable et dans le développement d’un mouvement à long terme qui bénéficient aux communautés et qui encouragent la recherche académique. Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter sa page web:

Isabelle Kim is the director of the Centre for Community Partnerships at the University of Toronto. She also teaches graduate courses in the department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning. Isabelle is passionate about the possibilities for learning and social change when connecting students, faculty and community partners. She is glad to be part of the CCEC working group which can play a role in fostering cultures of community-engaged learning and research across Canadian colleges and universities. | Isabelle Kim est directrice du Centre pour partenariats communautaires à l’Université de Toronto. Elle donne aussi des cours d’études supérieures appartenant au Département du curriculum, de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage. Isabelle s’intéresse aux opportunités d’apprentissage et de changement social qui existent lorsque l’on établit des liens avec des étudiants, des membres facultaires et des partenaires communautaires. Elle est fière de faire partie de l’équipe de travail du CCEC. Cette équipe joue un rôle en promotion de la culture et de la recherche en apprentissage par engagement communautaire à travers les institutions d’études postsecondaires au Canada.

Catherine Graham, is currently working with the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) as Director of Research and Policy. She has worked with Aboriginal organizations at the national and provincial, community levels for more than 15 years on issues related to organizational development, the social determinants of health including social inclusion, and health equity. Most notably she served for four years as Director of the Métis Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization. Her research interests include Indigenous research methodologies and ethics, the social determinants of health, culturally relevant gender- based analysis, mental wellness, Indigenous identity, and Indigenous governance and policy. Catherine holds a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from �Ӱ�ԭ�� University and she hopes to return to �Ӱ�ԭ�� to continue her PhD work in Anthropology where her research will utilize a settler colonial lens to examine the ways in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers navigate the Indigenous health research industrial complex in order to establish and maintain ethical space. | Catherine Graham travaille présentement avec l’Association nationale des centres d’amitié (ANCA) comme Directrice de la recherche et de la politique. Depuis plus que quinze ans, Catherine travaille en collaboration avec des organisations autochtones aux niveaux nationaux, provinciaux et régionaux sur des problématiques liées au développement organisationnel; aux déterminants sociaux de la santé, tels que l’inclusion sociale; et à l’équité dans le domaine de la santé. Elle était notamment Directrice du Centre des Métis de l’Organisation nationale de la santé autochtone pendant quatre ans. Ses intérêts de recherche comprennent les méthodologies et l’éthique de recherche autochtones, les déterminants sociaux de la santé, l’analyse culturelle liée au genre, la santé mentale, l’identité autochtone, et la gouvernance et la politique autochtones. Catherine est détentrice d’une Maîtrise ès arts en études juridiques de l’Université �Ӱ�ԭ��. Elle compte faire un retour aux études pour continuer sa recherche doctorale en anthropologie, où, en utilisant une perspective postcoloniale, elle examinera les façons à travers lesquelles les chercheuses et chercheurs autochtones et non autochtones abordent le complexe de recherche en santé autochtone afin d’établir et de maintenir une dimension éthique.

Chaired by: Peter Andrée, PhD, is Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Political Science at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University. Prof Andrée’s research focuses on the politics of food and the environment. He practices, and teaches, community-based participatory research methods. | Événement présidé par: Peter Andrée, détenteur d’un doctorat, est professeur et président associé du département des sciences politiques de l’Université de �Ӱ�ԭ��. Sa recherche porte principalement sur les politiques agroalimentaires et sur l’environnement. Il pratique et il enseigne les méthodes de recherche participatives au niveau communautaire.