Above: From left, front row, ACT for Youth Project research interns Stephanie Lucas, Stephanie Henry, Aziz Mohammed, Muzna Rehman, Enoruwa Osagie, with youth co-chair Alex Lovell, a 91亚色 grad, in the back

Dozens of students from area high schools joined the participants on April 14 to celebrate the Youth research interns and youth-led committee leaders, who worked on the project in 2010.

The ACT for Youth Project, which began in 2009 and is funded through 2014, brings together an alliance of stakeholders and interdisciplinary researchers from 91亚色 in a program of applied research, capacity building, knowledge transfer and evaluation that is focused on youth in urban communities.

The project hopes to develop a comprehensive youth strategy that articulates how places like the Jane-Finch community can energize local assets that support positive youth development.

One of the goals of the project is to build the research capacity of youth in the Jane/Finch area so they can participate in asking and answering questions about issues of importance to their community.聽 The project created its Youth Research Internship to facilitate this goal.聽 ACT also has a youth-led committee to ensure that youth have a space to contribute to their research.

Youth-led committee co-chairs Antonius Clarke, executive director of the youth-led community agency Friends in Trouble, and 91亚色 grad Alex Lovell [BA Spec. Hons. 鈥�02, MA 鈥�06], now a doctoral student at Queen鈥檚 University, introduced each award recipient and outlined their research contributions, volunteer activities and future study plans.

Above: From left, front row, youth-led committee leaders Abubakar Sultan, Edwin Chacon; middle row, Alexander Toolsie, Erica Holness, Taneese Jones, Olivia Agyemang, Tara Sherif, Suhentha Suthaharan; back row, co-chairs Lovell and Antonias Clarke

The youth-led committee leaders recognized at the event were:

• Olivia Agyemang, Westview Centennial Secondary School
• Edwin Francis White Chacon, Emery Collegiate Institute
• Ann Duong, Earl Haig Secondary School
• Nicola Holness, University of Windsor
• Taneese Jones, Westview Centennial Secondary School
• Suhentha Suthaharan, C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute
• Alexander Toolsie, 91亚色 co-op student
• Tara Sherif, Westview Centennial Secondary School
• Abubakar Sultan, Emery Collegiate Institute

The youth research interns recognized at the event were:

• Ryan Edwards, 91亚色
• Stephanie Henry, Seneca College
• Femi Lawson, Ryerson University
• Funmilola Lawson, 91亚色
• Stephanie Lucas, Westview Centennial Secondary School
• Aziz Mohammed, Northview High School
• Enoruwa Osagie, William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute
• Muzna Rehman, Westview Centennial Secondary School
• Judy Truong, Weston Collegiate Institute

Uzo Anucha, professor in 91亚色鈥檚 School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, co-chairs the ACT for Youth Project with Sue Wilkinson, executive director of the .

ACT is funded through a $1M grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. For more information on the Act for Youth Project, visit their website.

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post ACT for Youth Project brings interdisciplinary researchers together, discussing youth in urban communities appeared first on Research & Innovation.

, Ontario鈥檚 largest public science festival, returns to Markham Village next Saturday, with the goal of making science more accessible.

鈥淭his is bringing science to the community as opposed to having the community come to a hospital or university site,鈥� said Corinne Sperling, outreach manager for the Faculty of Science & Engineering at 91亚色.

The Markham Village BIA co-organizes the event and pays for the bulk of the cost, but the University and the Town of Markham鈥檚 economic development department contribute as well.

For some people, science is intimidating, Ms Sperling said. 鈥淲e want to be engaging, interactive." The event caters to all ages.

. . .

Science Rendezvous will share space with the official grand opening of Main Street Markham Farmers Market. You聽can聽do your Saturday local produce and prepared foods market shopping while enjoying the science entertainment. The opening begins at 11 a.m. The event will also feature live entertainment and a barbecue.

Science Rendezvous runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 132 Robinson St. at Main Street North, two lights north of Hwy. 7. The Photovore Maze Race is 1 to 3 p.m. at Markham Sylvan Learning Centre at 96 Main Street N. (Lower Level).

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post 91亚色 participating in Science Rendezvous festival in Markham May 6-8 appeared first on Research & Innovation.

A聽catalyst for dialogue and healing is 91亚色 film Professor Colleen Wagner鈥檚 Governor General鈥檚 Award-winning play . This electrifying drama was the inaugural production of Rwanda鈥檚 IS脭KO Theatre in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide (see YFile, June 27, 2008).

Left: 础肠迟谤别蝉蝉听Jacqueline Umubyeyi, as Mejra in Colleen Wagner's The Monument. Photo by Nick Zajicek.

Translated into the local Kinyarwanda dialect and directed by , a former student in 91亚色鈥檚 Graduate Program in Theatre and the founding artistic director of IS脭KO, the play premiered in Kigali and toured throughout Rwanda. Harbourfront Centre鈥檚 presents the North American premiere of IS脭KO鈥檚 production (with English surtitles) at 91亚色 Quay Centre in Toronto April 27 to May 1.

Intimately staged and accompanied by song and African drumming, The Monument tells the story of a young soldier who has been convicted of war crimes committed during a genocide. Just as he is about to be executed, a mysterious woman who is both his saviour and tormentor offers him freedom 鈭� at a price. Billed as a 鈥減rofound excavation into the nature of forgiveness鈥�, this highly physical and imagistic production paints a contemporary portrait of a country whose resilient voice continues to be a beacon of hope and reconciliation.

Shortly before The Monument opens at Harbourfront, a second play penned by Wagner 鈥� this one a very topical, made-in-the-moment riff on Canadian politics 鈥� hits another Toronto stage. Wrecking Ball 12: Are You Dying to Vote? swings into the electoral debate tonight聽at Toronto鈥檚 Theatre Centre 鈥� exactly one week before Canadians head to the polls.

is a fast and furious compendium of short works of political theatre. Playwrights hand over scripts to the directors and performers for rehearsal a mere week before the show, which is performed for one night only 鈥� usually to a fully-packed house. Founded in Toronto in 2004, The Wrecking Ball went national in 2008 when it was adopted in cities coast to coast.

Wagner is one of six writers contributing works 鈥渂oth strategically and from their hearts鈥� to the current Toronto edition. The details of her piece have not yet been announced, but if The Wrecking Ball鈥檚 track record is any indication, it will be a part of a theatrical romp long remembered.

Showtime is 8pm. The Theatre Centre is located at 1087 Queen St. West at Dovercourt. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door.

Another catalyst for political dialogue is the聽latest聽work by 91亚色 theatre professor and playwright Judith Rudakoff, which opened in Whitehorse on April 21. The River offers a vivid, poetic and unflinching glimpse into the intersecting lives of marginalized people in the community where it was created. Directed by Rudakoff鈥檚 colleague, Professor Michael Greyeyes, the production runs to May 1 at the Yukon Arts Centre Studio theatre.

Above: A map of Whitehorse drawn by Joseph Fish Tisiga, for the "Ashley Cycle" that inspired The River

The River was born out of Rudakoff鈥檚 ongoing -supported project Common Plants: Cross Pollinations in Hybrid Reality. In 2008, Rudakoff visited Whitehorse twice to lead her "Ashley Plays" workshop, in which participants collectively devise a cycle of short, site-specific performances that share a character named Ashley and聽a common theme 鈥� in this case, the theme of "home".

The material developed in those workshops was so compelling that the collaboration continued into subsequent years. Rudakoff worked with local artist Joseph Tisiga and David Skelton, artistic director of Whitehorse鈥檚 , a professional company dedicated to the development of live theatre relevant to northern audience聽to write the play. Nakai is producing it in partnership with the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition (YAPC).

The three artists drew inspiration for The River from both the extreme natural beauty of the Yukon and the ugliness that beauty can mask. Episodic and non-linear, the narrative is told by members of the largely untraceable "ghost population" of Whitehorse: a derelict vagrant, a missing high-school girl, a Tilley hat-wearing tourist, a transient worker and even an alien abductee.聽These disparate voices take the audience on an unbridled journey through a world of longing and belonging that is both real and imagined.

The production aims to promote conversation and action in the community. YAPC is actively inviting and offering free tickets to individuals who might never otherwise attend a production at the Yukon Arts Centre, as well as arranging a special invitational matinee performance at the local Salvation Army shelter. At the end of the run, YAPC and Nakai are co-hosting a community conversation to discuss the issues brought up in the play.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Fine arts professors' plays pack a political punch appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Youth at risk fail at school, have mental health issues and get in trouble with the law. Would they be better served if all three systems 鈥� education, mental health and justice 鈥� worked together?

That question animated discussion at a recent forum organized by the 91亚色 Centre for Education and Community (YCEC). Sponsored by 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education and the Department of Justice, the March 18 forum, called "Youth, Mental Health, and the Justice System: An Educational Concern", brought together academics and practitioners from universities, community-based organizations, school boards, the health sector, the justice system and government agencies.

Participants talked about the challenges of helping wayward youth and recommended ways to integrate systems. The recommendations will be featured in a report to be shared with the Department of Justice and are expected to form the basis of future changes.

, director of the Community Health Systems Resource Group, , acted as forum facilitator. In his opening remarks, he said young people can experience one or all of three factors 鈥� school failure, poor mental health and trouble with the law. 鈥淲e know that certain groups are more likely to be in conflict with the law, and that there are risk factors,鈥� he said, and encouraged participants to 鈥渄ig into your experiences today and help us to understand how we can address issues of equity, so that we have not only equal access but also equal outcomes for all our youth.鈥�

The forum began with a panel featuring , lawyer and education professor at 91亚色; , director of the Centre for Children Committing Offences & Program Development, Child Development Institute; , Distinguished Research Fellow in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education; and Llewellyn Joseph, medical director of the Regional Outpatient Disruptive Behaviors Program at , and YCEC Advisory Council member.

Shanahan opened by exploring the question: 鈥淐an we keep disruptive youth in the education system?鈥� She offered a legal perspective on the discipline of wayward youth in schools, acknowledging the limitations of the law and education legislation that emphasizes safety in schools. She called for alternative approaches to dealing with wayward behavior in youth.

Augimeri described her work with 鈥渢he forgotten kids鈥� (aged six to 12 years) and 鈥渙vershadowed girls鈥� within this demographic, using the model, an internationally acclaimed, evidence-based program that identifies and works with children under 12 at risk of becoming involved (or already involved) with the law. She said 鈥渢here is hope鈥� because early intervention strategies tend to have the biggest impact on the younger age group.

Britzman discussed the fragile interaction of youth, law, desire and mental health. She offered philosophical and psychoanalytical views of adolescence and education, drawing from the work of Helene Deutsch, Fran莽ois Roustang, Anna Freud and Julia Kristeva.

Joseph, an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist, provided an historical overview of the Canadian policy landscape vis-脿-vis mental health, education and the law. Through case study examples, he explained the challenges of intervening with youth in conflict with the law. 鈥淥ne of the dilemmas is trying to determine whether that acting out behaviour presented in adolescence, or even early adolescence, is early bipolar disorder and should be labeled as mental health, or should be considered criminal behaviour.鈥�

During ensuing round-table discussions, participants suggested improvements to all three systems 鈥� education, mental health and justice 鈥� and agreed that the greatest need for change exists where these systems intersect. They stressed repeatedly that the needs of youth can be met only if the three systems work together. 聽When that happens, said one participant, 鈥渨e can create an environment where youth feel that people care about them.鈥�

Participants deplored the punitive approach and incarceration for young people favoured by the government and in social discourse. Those working in medical and justice systems noted the increase in mentally ill individuals in prisons and detention facilities, and the limited capacity of the youth criminal justice system to meet the needs of youth, particularly those facing mental health challenges.

Lack of trust between youth and police is a significant factor in setting youth on life trajectories that involve repeated conflict with the law, said participants. 鈥淵outh from certain communities are being over-policed,鈥� said one participant. Those communities tend to be where there are large concentrations of people of colour or Aboriginal populations. Participants stressed the need for all three systems to identify and address systemic racism as it affects young people.

To be successful, programs need to be multidimensional, target kids in elementary school, be consistent and sustainable, and engage community, youth and families, said participants. Programs need to foster strong, trusting relationships between youth and adults, and offer a variety of supports, including academic, health, social, recreational and cultural, they said.

Legislation must not punish but help and support young people who get in trouble, insisted participants. Youth must be encouraged to stay in school to improve their chances of success and avoid conflict with the law. Teachers must be trained and schools given resources to address mental health issues of children and youth at risk, they concluded.

The forum was organized by Carl James, YCEC director, and , dean of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education.

Facilitating discussions were 91亚色 education Professors Susan Dion, Nombuso Dlamini, John Ippolito, James and Shanahan; and geography Professor Ranu Basu.

Round-table discussions featured members of the YCEC advisory council: Mary Anne Chambers, Cheryl Jackson, Llewellyn Joseph, Amos Key Jr., Cheryl Prescod and Chandra Turner.

Taking notes were graduate students Melanie Bourke, Selom Chapman-Nyaho, Rebeca Gutierrez Estrada, Danielle Kwan-Lafond, Krysta Pandolfi and Samuel Tecle.

With files from Louise Gormley, research assistant, 91亚色 Centre for Education & Community

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Forum brings academics, hospital researchers, government and community groups together seeking better systems to help youth at risk appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Expand the definition of art as a health tool, and consider it as an essential link, as a bridge between those who heal and those who need healing. The art becomes a shared language, and if culture gets involved the artistic process becomes symbolic. It builds trust, which fosters communication, which lays the foundation for a discussion about, for example, preventing HIV

That's how art is used by Sarah Flicker, a professor in [the Faculty of Environmental Studies] at 91亚色, who studies HIV prevention in aboriginal communities across Canada and uses art to get the interest of young natives.

Flicker is one of three professors who will be a part of "Caf茅 Scientifique," a public roundtable of sorts that will consider how the arts are being used in health programs these days [organized by the ].

. . .

Flicker starts by telling me that aboriginals represent three per cent of Canada's population, but have nine per cent of HIV infections 鈥� and at a younger age. Flicker's project is to find ways of having a meaningful conversation about HIV with young natives. Problem is, some native communities are not interested in "traditional research methods." Enter art.

鈥淔rom theatre to photography to carving to hip-hop,鈥� she says, when I ask her what types of arts her project has employed. She adds throat singing to the list, and graffiti at the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve near Montreal.

鈥淯sing the arts in our particular project has been tremendously successful,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun, it鈥檚 participatory, it helps build pride and self-esteem. . . It really helps them relate to culture and tradition, in a way that鈥檚 non-threatening.鈥�

Using contemporary or traditional art forms 鈥� created by the young natives, with the guidance of artists brought in by the project 鈥� enhances recall of the health information, she says. It also builds skills, as the artists pass on their own knowledge and inspirations, and many young natives have their first opportunity to handle photographic equipment or real artist鈥檚 brushes.

鈥淲e were just astonished with the creativity we had unleashed,鈥� Flicker says, as the research visited reserves from B. C. to Atlantic Canada. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 incredible is how the themes have resonated from community to another.鈥�

They resonated so well that the art of some communities is used in others to get the health message across 鈥� such as a hip hop song composed by young natives in Kettle Creak, near Sarnia. Another group made a stop-motion film, using photography to show how HIV was affecting their community. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in their words that art is healing,鈥� Flicker says.

You can see the art of her project at takingaction4youth.org. The Caf茅 Scientifique will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at Mambo Nuevo Latino, 77 Clarence St. in the Byward Market. 鈥淭he idea is to make health research accessible to the public,鈥� Flicker says.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Professor Sarah Flicker to participate in Ottawa Caf茅 Scientifique on HIV and Aboriginal Youth appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The PRE-PAID project, funded by the and , targets groups at high risk for diabetes and uses a community-based approach to engage them in the physical activities they enjoy. The 91亚色 study has been operational since November 2009, and several diverse ethnic neighbourhoods in the Toronto area have participated. The Sault College project will involve individuals of First Nations descent.

"The PRE-PAID team is very excited to partner with Sault College for this important initiative,鈥� states Chip Rowan, Researcher and Certified Exercise Physiologist at 91亚色. 鈥淭hrough this partnership, we hope to extend our program to a community that has a well documented risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Through the provision of free screening and targeting individuals with pre-diabetes, we hope that our physical activity intervention program will prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes for as many people as possible."

Canadian Diabetes Association Regional Branch Co-ordinator, Janie Bringleson, says the statistics involving those with diabetes are alarming. Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians either has diabetes or pre-diabetes and more than 20 people are diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day. The Health Council of Canada states that diabetes is much more common, and growing more quickly, among First Nations adults, who are two to eight times more likely to have diabetes than the overall Canadian population, depending on age group. Researchers hope to show participants the benefits of engaging in no cost, enjoyable physical activities. Second, it is hoped that the project will demonstrate the importance of investing in exercise to prevent diabetes. Through these interventions they expect to reduce diabetes by 60%.

The complete article is available on . More information about the is available through the Research website archives.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post 91亚色 partners with the Sault College in diabetes prevention program appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Nazilla Khanlou knows. An immigrant herself, she's been studying the mental health of new arrivals聽鈥� mainly聽women and youth 鈥� for a decade. But her community-based research goes well beyond gathering information. Whatever she learns about the mental wellbeing of newcomers and the services they need to adjust and integrate she shares with community agencies, health and social service providers and policy makers.

Right: Nazilla Khanlou

In fact, check out her new website and see that since 2008, when she joined 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health as the first Echo Ontario Women鈥檚 Health Council Chair in Women鈥檚 Mental Health Research, she has shared her research on immigration and mental health at dozens of conferences and with government ministries. The nursing professor never turns down invitations to speak to local community groups, has started a newsletter and has聽launched a speaker series at 91亚色 鈥� anything to help improve the transition of immigrant women, youth and their families聽into Canadian society.

In her office suite in 91亚色 Lanes, one room serves as a meeting room, resource library and workspace for her community-based partners, visiting scholars, graduate students and her research team. 鈥淚 like the connection between academia and community,鈥� says Khanlou, who has put up pictures on the wall and tried to make the room a welcoming, comfortable space.

Khanlou聽practised as a psychiatric nurse and spent seven years as health domain leader of the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement in Toronto.

She believes in caring for the individual as well as providing systemic support to promote the mental wellbeing of immigrant women.

鈥淲hen we talk about women, we鈥檙e not talking about a homogeneous group,鈥� says Khanlou. Immigrant women come from varying cultures, religions, regions and educational backgrounds. They聽juggle many of the same day-to-day responsibilities and face the same pressures and multiple-role expectations as their Canadian-born peers.

Newcomers also face barriers 鈥� linguistic, social, cultural and gender-based 鈥� and discrimination. Isolation, family pressures and fear of stigma can prevent many from seeking help. To flourish, immigrant women, like everybody else, need fulfilling relationships, self-confidence and a sense of security. They need support systems that provide access to employment and good housing, health and social services, and equitable聽treatment.

鈥淕ood mental health doesn鈥檛 happen on its own,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need a way to focus on society and systemic issues but not to lose sight of聽each person's resilience and challenges because at the end of the day, you need to attend to the individual.鈥�

Most recently, Khanlou has collaborated with community partners on a variety of studies. One looked at how newcomer teenagers from Afghan, Colombian, Sudanese and Tamil communities understand mental health and seek help. Another compared the perceptions of newcomer immigrant and Canadian-born residents of Toronto鈥檚 St. James Town of their neighbourhood, social relations and access to health and social services and the effect on their wellbeing.聽With faculty in 91亚色's School of Nursing, a聽third聽explores the connection between immigrant women鈥檚 participation in their community and their success at settling in a community, and a fourth aims to improve the measurement of child and youth resilience.

Khanlou has also reviewed policies on immigrant health and mental health for federal and provincial agencies.

All Khanlou鈥檚 studies come with recommendations on how to remove barriers and improve services to promote mental health.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting time to be in the mental health field because more people are talking about the relevance of mental health to all of us,鈥� says Khanlou. 鈥淗opefully our efforts come together to take away the fear of stigma so when families experience mental illness they are able to access good services and are able to talk about it. We all need good mental health.鈥�

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

The post Professor Nazilla Khanlou's research advocates for immigrants and mental health appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Stages of Change training will involve the participation of some 21 community agencies Jan. 24, 27 and 28 at 91亚色 as part of the Toronto Youth Outreach Worker (YOW) program, which is based on a positive youth development perspective. The training will be held at 91亚色鈥檚 LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence & Conflict Resolution.

Right: Gregory Knoll

Trainees will explore the connection between theory and current best practices supported by an integration of developmental and contextual theories 鈥� the stages of change and encounter. Outreach workers will explore how to apply these models of change in their work with marginalized youth, while the supervisors will incorporate stage-based theories into a model of supervision.

The goal is to incorporate theory and evaluation components into the YOW program design to increase the effectiveness of the intervention, while generating a standardized reporting protocol to guide outreach activities.

鈥淔eedback from youth outreach workers and supervisors in past training sessions has highlighted the relevance and effectiveness of the training. Youth outreach represents a contemporary, proactive approach to working with marginalized youth, one which LaMarsh Centre and the YOW program are now pioneering,鈥� says Knoll. 鈥淵ouths are made aware of positive opportunities, alternatives and choices through the YOW program. This can only result in more positives for society.鈥�

Left: Debra Pepler

The YOW program is one of several place-based interventions supported by the in Ontario. It was created to prevent and intervene in anti-social or violent behaviour among youth and to promote the development of skills, engagement and civic participation, including that of community/peer leadership.

The Stages of Change training will be a replication of the pilot project that was conducted in East Toronto through east Metro Youth Services in 2010. Through the processes of knowledge translation between researchers and community practitioners, the Stages of Change training and accompanying reporting protocol emerged based on the particular needs of the YOW program.

The research evaluation component will examine the data collected by YOW participants for one year following the training. If it supports the effectiveness of integrating a theoretical framework into the YOW program design, the model could be introduced in other high-needs communities and over time could become a model approach to engaging marginalized youth.

Widespread adoption of an evidence-based approach to training outreach workers and engaging marginalized youth would ensure that young people receive the necessary supports and services, reducing their risk for later criminal and/or mental health difficulties.

For more information, contact Gregory Knoll at gknoll@yorku.ca or 416-526-6522.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Psychology researchers to train youth outreach workers appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Using peer-reviewed 91亚色 research, students working within the KMb Unit developed 28 new summaries over the summer. This brings the existing searchable of ResearchSnapshots to over 120 summaries.

The KMb Unit focused on three priorities identified by one of 91亚色鈥檚 leading partners, the United Way of 91亚色 Region (UWYR).

The are:

• Helping youth grow up strong.
• Enabling individuals and families to achieve economic independence.
• Improving the well-being of individuals and communities.

These research summaries provide the United Way and its network of member agencies with an important foundation for decision making and policy setting.

鈥淗aving access to relevant research strengthens UWYR鈥檚 capacity to make evidence-based decisions, and informs the planning and delivery of our strategic investments in communities of rapid growth,鈥� says Daniele Zanotti, CEO of the UWYR.

This is the third year that the KMb Unit has developed ResearchSnapshots based on 91亚色 research, and the project has attracted notice and enthusiasm among the wider community.

鈥淚 was able to include the research summary of the 91亚色 Region Infrastructure project in my PowerPoint presentation,鈥� says Joanna French, a researcher for the . 鈥淚t provided a succinct, pertinent and accessible way to introduce academic research into my presentation.鈥�

Visit Knowledge Mobilization鈥檚 website for more information about how the unit works with 91亚色 researchers, community agencies, government and the private sector.

Submitted by Michael Johnny, manager of 91亚色鈥檚 Knowledge Mobilization Unit

The post Knowledge Mobilization launches 28 new ResearchSnapshots; part of United Way of 91亚色 Region partnership appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Recently, the school celebrated its public service partners and alumni at its second annual Meet and Greet Breakfast聽in the Grosvenor Room of聽at Toronto's聽Metro Central YMCA. The school聽took time to honour聽the Ontario Public Service (OPS) for its continued involvement with the practicum and internship programs.

Left: Shelly Jamieson, secretary to the Ontario Cabinet and head of the OPS

Three聽members of the OPS who had taken 91亚色 students year after year were聽f锚ted at the celebration. They were Orna Salamon, director of the聽Drinking Water Programs Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment; George Mandrapilias, team leader for聽Materials Industries in the聽Ministry of Economic Development聽& Trade; and Dave Cook, manager of strategic projects for the Ministry of the Environment.

More than 50 people attended the Sept. 14 celebration, including 91亚色 student association representatives, faculty, alumni and OPS staff.聽Shelly Jamieson, secretary to the Ontario Cabinet and the head of the OPS, delivered the keynote speech and also聽presented awards.

鈥淥ur organizations have helped hundreds of students gain valuable experience and a competitive edge in the job market," said Jamieson about the聽importance of the partnership between the OPS and 91亚色. "Together, we鈥檙e also infusing the Ontario Public Service with a new generation of dedicated and skilled professionals.鈥�

Each year 鈥� in conjunction with their fourth-year courses in program evaluation and public policy research 鈥� a number of students take a practicum course in which they volunteer to work in a government or other public agency for one day a week.

Most of the placements involve recurrent partnerships,聽says Peter Constantinou (BA '89), the school鈥檚 internship and practicum coordinator.聽This, he adds,聽is due to the high calibre of students coming in the program and their commitment to top-notch work.

Left: Peter Constantinou

鈥淪ince graduation last June, over half聽the students who did not go on to graduate studies have been hired by the public sector, and all attribute it to the experience that they received in this program," says Constantinou. "These practicums and internships have provided students with an invaluable opportunity to apply their formal education and training in real public service situations, and have helped them make decisions about a career in the public sector.鈥�

鈥淚t is a testimony to the quality of the careful match we make between work and student, that聽each year many students end up being hired as interns by their placement organization,鈥� says Professor Joanne Magee, director of the school.

For more information, visit the聽School of Public Policy聽& Administration website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

The post The School of Public Policy & Administration celebrates its public service partners appeared first on Research & Innovation.