by Mitchell White-Richard, CFICE Volunteer
Since the initial phase of the Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement project (CFICE), Edward Jackson has played a crucial role in its launch. Known to many as Ted, Professor Jackson has helped to make CFICE what it is today, and continues to pioneer a future focused on community and university collaboration.
Before working with CFICE Ted Jackson spent more than two decades as a faculty member for Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, co-editing books and authoring articles on campus-community engagement. In 2011, Jackson worked with Cathy Edwards and Geri Briggs and submitted a proposal resulting in a $2.5 million partnership grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
For the launch of the first phase of CFICE Ted Jackson took on the role of Principal Investigator. The core partnerships of the project were sector-specific, focused on poverty reduction, food security, environmental sustainability, and violence against women. These partnerships still exist within CFICE today and continue to evolve.
Reflecting upon his time with CFICE, Ted noted many great memories. However, there is one memory in particular that stood out: he recalls the first off-site meeting of CFICE, held in a non-profit housing project, Beaver Barracks, downtown. That moment for Ted was a special one, being with non-profit leaders, professionals, and students all working towards a common goal: maximizing the benefits of collaboration. From the very beginning of the project, Ted recognized the potential CFICE had in bridging the gap between universities and communities. For Ted, CFICE has been an opportunity for the project to demonstrate leadership and innovation and help others understand how to fulfill the needs of both universities and communities through strong partnerships.
As his mentor, Paulo Freire, has said, “People must be the authors of their own history.” Thats been the inspiration behind Ted’s work with CFICE, as well as various other projects. And continuous learning is key, too. His dedication to ongoing learning is a factor in his own achievements, he says.
Today, Ted Jackson keeps busy while focusing on his many new projects. Working internationally, Ted has travelled recently to Rwanda and Kenya in support of sustaining youth employment as well as to South Africa and Ghana for impact investing to help involve the national private sector. Ted currently serves as the president of E.T. Jackson & Associates Ltd and advises many high-profile organizations and companies on their development. Ted Jackson’s work has also earned him several awards such the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship as well as Carleton University’s Teaching Excellence Award.
If you are interested in reading about Professor Jackson’s writing on community and education collaborations, you can find them here.