CFICE in the News
Check out some of the stories that have been written about CFICE and our partners!
Creating Accessible Workplaces
By Matt Gergyek
“The job opportunities for persons with disabilities are very, very limited,” says Kawsar Mohamed, a Human Rights and Social Justice student at Carleton in the CUAEL program. This is where the CUAEL project comes in. The CUAEL project was launched in May 2018 as an initiative that helps students with disabilities excel in their careers and build on the monumental contributions people with disabilities make to society. The program aims to bridge the gap between education and the workforce, transforming skillsets developed at Carleton into employment opportunities. Through the CUAEL program, Mohamed is working with Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) as an administrative research assistant on campus. CFICE is a research project studying how community and campus players can work together to positively impact their communities. Read the full article.
Photo by Chris Roussakis
Carleton Hosts Launch of Community-Campus Engage Canada
By Tyrone Burke
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 Carleton 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. Read the full article.
Living SJ and CFICE: A Case Study on Improving Evaluative and Communicative Practices
by Chelsea Nash, with contributions from Cathy Wright and Tracey Chiasson
Living SJ is network of community leaders from business, three levels of government, non-profits and low income neighbourhoods committed to ending generational poverty in Saint John, New Brunswick. Using a collective impact approach, Living SJ works collaboratively with community stakeholders to achieve its goals. Living SJ worked closely with Community-First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) within our poverty reduction hub, with a focus on effective evaluation and knowledge mobilization. Read the full case study!
The promise of a national food policy for Canada
by Charles Levkoe and Amanda Wilson
In late May, Canada’s agriculture minister launched consultations to inform a national food policy for Canada. This initiative built on a mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “develop a food policy that promotes healthy living and safe food by putting more healthy, high-quality food, produced by Canadian ranchers and farmers, on the tables of families across the country.” While a national food policy has immense potential to address some of the long-standing challenges in the Canadian food system, evidence demonstrates that to be effective, it must approach food issues as interconnected and be rooted in health, equity and sustainability. Read the full article.
John and Thea Patterson’s Inspirational Gift to Support Trent Graduate Research at Abbey Gardens in Haliburton
Trent University
Trent University has received a $150,000 funding infusion thanks to the generosity of two change-leaders, John and Thea Patterson, who have created a new endowment fund to support Trent graduate research at Abbey Gardens. With a long-standing reputation as a pioneer and innovator in the field of environmental science and sustainability studies. Trent is known for its partnerships and accreditations and ability to respond to emerging opportunities in the environmental sector. Trent has collaborated with organizations and citizens of the Haliburton Highlands since 1989. More recently, Abbey Gardens has become a central focus for student research and engagement through the SSHRC-funded “Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement” (CFICE) grant. This grant has provided Abbey Gardens with a Trent graduate student research assistant and has been extremely beneficial for both the student and Abbey Gardens. Read the full article.
How universities are working to shatter the ivory tower
By Jennifer Lewington
Universities have not always been the best of neighbours. Community members squabble with the schools over irritants like development plans, rowdy student parties and self-centred research practices. That’s beginning to change as universities increasingly turn to local residents and non-profit organizations as allies, not adversaries. “There is a fundamental shift in universities across North America from the ivory tower to the public square,” says Diane Kenyon, vice-president of university relations for the University of Calgary, which added community engagement to its strategic plan in 2011. “There are no walls and no barriers between the university and its community.” Read the full article.
Conversation with Ted Jackson, Carleton University
by Edward Jackson, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen
In the Exchanges, we present conversations with scholars and practitioners of community engagement, responses to previously published material, and other reflections on various aspects of community-engaged scholarship meant to provoke further dialogue and discussion. In this article, Natalia Khanenko-Friesen talks to Edward “Ted” Jackson about his work and his views on engaged scholarship in Canada. Read the full article.
Photo by Mike Pinder
Connected Community Engagement
By Elizabeth Murphy
Faculty, staff and community members gathered at Carleton University on Dec. 15, 2016 to celebrate and enhance community engagement during a half-day conference focused on sharing experiences in research and teaching. A key focus of the conference was to gather input on the development of Carleton Connected, a website that will support community engagement efforts by providing a unique platform to co-ordinate academic and classroom resources with community partnership opportunities. “For many years, Carleton’s Community Engaged Pedagogy Committee has been working to promote and facilitate a wide range of community engaged projects and research, and this event is important in bringing everyone together to help build the Carleton Connected portal,” said Brian Burns, a committee member and community projects consultant working with the library’s Discovery Centre. Read the full article.
Making Community Connections: Carleton Hosting Feb. 24 Event
By Susan Hickman
When entrepreneur Jason Garlough recognized a disturbing discrepancy between the liability of apples and nuts falling onto city streets and an unprecedented demand at local food banks, he co-founded a group called Hidden Harvest to help Ottawa become a food tree-friendly city by picking and sharing fruits and nuts that would otherwise go to waste. The former software consultant was eventually approached by Carleton faculty members to see how they could help with research or project evaluation. The Hidden Harvest–Carleton connection is an example of what can result from putting Carleton University researchers and students in touch with community organizations. Read the full article.
Career Paths: An Interview with Natasha Pei
Faculty of Public Affairs Review sits down to chat with CFICE Poverty Reduction Co-lead, Natasha Pei. Read the full article.
Tessa Nasca records focus group feedback as part of her work with ANC.
Graduate Student Contributes to Groundbreaking Local Research through Community Research Project
Trent University
Tessa Nasca, a graduate student in the Masters of Sustainability Studies program, is participating in groundbreaking local research that is bringing together a number of organizations under the umbrella of Active Neighbourhood Canada (ANC). Read the full article.
Community Connections
By Dan Rubinstein
Governments and non-profit community agencies often speak of their plans to eradicate poverty, yet the problem is extremely complex. Rooted in multiple overlapping causes, with unique manifestations across a wide range of demographic and cultural groups, poverty can be difficult to quantify. Everything from stress and social isolation to poor housing and health is part of the picture, and perceptions vary greatly. The multi-generational cycle of restricted opportunity is hard to break. Read the full article.
New student-developed board game bridging academia with practical world
By Susan Hickman
A game developed in a knowledge mobilization (KMb) class could become a real tool for bridging discussions and building partnerships with the next generation of knowledge brokers. The students who developed the game were aiming to better inform themselves about the growing field of KMb when they took on the project for Geri Briggs, co-manager of Carleton’s Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) initiative. Read the full article.
So What the Heck is Knowledge Mobilization and Why Should I Care?
By Geri Briggs
Almost every research funding grant asks for a knowledge mobilization strategy. In general, researchers want to do research that has value and impact. KMb, in essence, consists of all the activities and outputs that builds awareness, and enables use of the research. Read the full article.
GottaGo! campaign highlights need for more public toilets
By Kristy Wallace
CFICE Community Environmental Sustainability research assistant Rachel Canham spent her summer pursuing this area of research and included her findings in a report used by the GottaGo! campaign – which hopes to create a network of safe, free, clean and environmentally responsible public toilets and water fountains in parks, major transit stops and key public places. Read the full article.
Food Security in Canada: Toward a National Food Policy for All
by Chris Yordy
Here’s a conundrum: Producers in the Canadian agri-food system are supplying more food than ever before to international markets, but a greater number of our citizens are becoming food insecure or going hungry inside Canada’s borders. Read the full article.
Documentary to give voice to key players in violence against women movement
by Maria McClintock
Eileen Morrow, Gloria Harris, Andree Cote – and the list goes on. These women may not be household names, but when it comes to violence against women, they’re a few of the stalwarts who have worked tirelessly in communities across Ontario, making a difference within the shelter movement and battling policy-makers and governments, one issue at a time. Read the full article.
CFICE Violence Against Women Hub Co-Lead Receives Honourary Degree from Carleton
Carleton University News Release
Carleton University has recognized Kim Pate with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa in recognition of her tireless efforts and outstanding leadership in promoting human rights for women within the justice system. Pate is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), a federation of autonomous societies which work with marginalized, victimized, criminalized and institutionalized women and girls in Canada. Read the full article.
Kim Pate, Community Co-lead of CFICE’s Violence Against Women Hub
DGES faculty member Patricia Ballamingie receives Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Research Achievement Award
Carleton University Department of Geography and Environment Studies
CFICE’s Community Environmental Sustainability academic co-lead, Patricia Ballamingie, discusses how she will use the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Research Achievement Award to help with her CFICE work. Read the full article.
Carleton Prof. Ted Jackson Receives Community Development Society Research Award
Carleton University News Release
Public Policy Prof. Ted Jackson received the 2013 Current Research Award of the Community Development Society at their annual conference in Charleston, S.C., in July. This award is presented to a Community Development Society member in recognition of a current research project or product that represents an important contribution to the field of community development. Read the full article.
Feds must fund national food policy to address national hunger issues: Expert
By Jessica Salmon
Canada needs a national food policy and the federal government should put the money for it in the upcoming federal budget, say a group of experts. Read the full article.
Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Are: The Federal Budget and Food Insecurity
Carleton University News Release
To officially launch Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE), an initiative that aims to strengthen Canadian communities through action and research on the best practices of community-campus partnerships, an expert panel gathered at Carleton University today to examine the roots of Canadian food challenges. Read the full article.
An Action Project that Matters
by Susan Hickman
Carleton researchers, in partnership with other post-secondary institutions and a host of community-based organizations across the country, are looking for real solutions to poverty, violence against women and other consequential issues of economic hardship and shrinking social services that marginalize people in our communities. Read the full article.
Work begins on groundbreaking community engagement project
by Maria McClintock
Carleton researchers and their community partners start working this month on Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE), which lays the critical groundwork for the $2.5 million, seven-year project. The end game is to provide governments at all levels, community organizations, post-secondary institutions and funding agencies with policies and frameworks that will improve how they can work together for better social outcomes for households and individuals. Read the full article.
Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement Program Receives SSHRC Partnership Grant
Carleton University News Release
Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear announced a SSHRC Partnership Grant today for the Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) program. CFICE is an action research project that aims to strengthen Canadian non-profits, universities, colleges and funding agencies to build more successful, innovative, resilient and prosperous communities. The program will receive $2.5 million over seven years and will launch in fall 2012. Read the full article.