Humber College’s social innovation projects with community partners Reflections on the CARA National Conference 2023 Latest news from the BroadcastBroadband Convergence B2C Lab And more!
Contents
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Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic The Voices of SPARK
Defining Social Innovation
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Editor’s Note
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Dean’s Note
Humber CSI’s Social Innovation Journey: A Q&A with Interim Director, Joanna Amirault, PhD.
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What Does Social Innovation Mean to You?
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Humber’s Social Innovation Projects’ Timelines
Special Contribution 12
Exploring the Culture of Innovation at the Canadian Conference on Research Administration 2023
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Interview with Sarah Lampson, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA)
Social Innovation Projects
Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A CommunityEngaged Approach
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Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke
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Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic
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Engaging and Educating YoungAdult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers
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Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach
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Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution
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Indsights: A Window Into the Indigenous Economy
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Social Innovation Around the World
B2C Lab 75
Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab Celebrates Latest Advancements in Broadcast Technology at their Open House
Events 82
Innovation Workshop Buffet 2.0
Extras
Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution
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Develop Your Spark
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Quips and Quotes
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Article References
Humber Press, Office of Research & Innovation (ORI) Editorial Team Anju Kakkar, Managing Editor, Humber Press, Research & Innovation Saran Davaajargal, Editor, Humber Press, Research & Innovation Editorial Assistants Esha Rana Janice Saji Design Team Andrea Chan, Graphic Technologist, Research & Innovation Elisabeth Springate, Graphic Technologist, Research & Innovation Marlee Greig, Project Coordinator, Research & Innovation Video Credits Felipe Narcizo
Did You know ORI stands for Office of Research & Innovation?
Published by Humber Press 205 Humber College Blvd. Toronto, ON M9W 5L7 Email Humber Press at humberpress@humber.ca Connect with us online:
@Humber_Research @Humber_Research linkedin.com/showcase/ humber-research/ humberresearch @Humber_Research humberpress.com jipe.ca With thanks for the support of our Leadership Team Ginger Grant, PhD. Dean, Research & Innovation Tania Massa, PhD. Associate Dean, Applied Research & Innovation
SPARK is a quarterly magazine published by Humber Press, Office of Research & Innovation. The opinions and views expressed in SPARK are those solely of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views of Humber Press. On request, this document is available in alternate e-formats.
Land Acknowledgement Humber College is located within the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit. Known as Adoobiigok [A-doebee-goke], the “Place of the Alders” in Michi Saagiig [Mi-Chee Saw-Geeg] language, the region is uniquely situated along Humber River watershed, which historically provided an integral connection for Anishinaabe [Ah-nish-nah-bay], Haudenosaunee [Hoeden-no-shownee], and Wendat [Wine-Dot] peoples between the Ontario Lakeshore and the Lake Simcoe/Georgian Bay regions. Now home to people of numerous nations, Adoobiigok continues to provide a vital source of interconnection for all.
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THE VOICES OF SPARK
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Dear Readers, WELCOME TO THE LATEST EDITION OF OUR AWARD-WINNING DIGITAL MAGAZINE SPARK! As the Managing Editor, it gives me great pleasure to once again share with you a collection of stories showcasing the breadth and depth of research and innovation across our college and community. In this issue, we delve into the realms of discovery and exploration, shedding light on the endeavours of our talented community. From creative solutions for societal challenges to applied solutions for our industry partners, we aim to captivate and inspire you with the power of knowledge and innovation. Our researchers tirelessly strive to make a positive impact on the world. Their contributions are supporting industries, fostering economic growth, and improving lives.
I extend my deepest gratitude to our talented team who continue to work behind the scenes to bring SPARK to fruition. Their dedication has made this publication a benchmark of excellence. Lastly, as we immerse ourselves in these stories, let’s also take a moment to embrace the summer season. Like the warmth of the sun, it invites us to bask in the beauty of the world around us and reflect on the wonders of life. May this magazine ignite a spark of curiosity within you and inspire you to embrace the transformative power of knowledge. With warm and sunny regards,
Anju Kakkar, IMBB™ Managing Editor, Humber Press, Research & Innovation Specialist
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DEAN’S NOTE
Welcome to SPARK—kicking off the Summer: ANOTHER BUSY YEAR—I THINK WE HAVE NOW ACCEPTED THAT BUSY IS OUR NORMAL STATE HERE AT HUMBER. Many new projects are underway that will hopefully increase your participation in research in September. This was a great year for conference submissions for Humber’s Office of Research & Innovation (ORI)! We were successful in our submission to CARA (see report inside), STHLE/SoTL (coming in September) and the Academy of Management (AoM)—also reported in September. We were successful in our professional development workshop where we are presenting the work of our Global Polytechnic Alliance (Steve Henry and Henk Root from Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand and Thomas Iskov and Niels Bjerre Tange from VIA in Denmark). All of our colleagues will be joining us in Boston in August. We were also successful in our submission to the Teaching and Learning conference on our “Butterfly Effect” project done last summer. Results will be available in the September issue of SPARK.
International Research Bootcamp We are hard at work at developing our first International Research Bootcamp scheduled following the Global Summer School—July 24 to 28. We have almost 50 participants from a variety of countries, including the UK, Spain, Kenya, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Bhutan. Our colleagues from Otago Polytechnic will be joining Lisa Anketell, Sharon McIntyre, Anju Kakkar and myself to deliver our pilot Research Bootcamp.
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SEDA Accreditation Our new SEDA certificates will also be ready in September. SEDA is an accrediting body from the UK, and it stands for Staff and Educational Development Association. Certificate 1—Foundations of Applied Research Design
The focus of this certificate is to introduce professional learners to the qualities and elements of applied research design in a higher education setting—including (but not limited to) applied research paradigms, methodologies, methods, ethics, and impact assessment. Learners will be exposed to a variety of knowledge dissemination channels relevant to applied research and will have the opportunity to locate their research interests within a wider knowledge context. Self-reflection and confidence building are key elements of this certificate, to support the
learner in finding their voice as a researcher and connecting with a professional community of applied researchers. Contemporary topics on equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB); Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing (IWKBD); and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) will be considered as they relate to applied research. Learners who successfully complete this certificate will identify a personal topic of interest in applied research, create a concise summary of current research in their chosen area of focus, and present a thematic review to a group of peers. This certificate is for faculty and staff in a college, polytechnic, or technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institute, as well as industry and community professionals. Continued on next page…
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Certificate 2—Enhancing Applied Research Practice
The focus of this certificate is for professional learners to explore historical foundations of higher education applied research and learning theories, analyze contemporary issues, and contribute their own perspective to the body of knowledge. Learners will have the opportunity to situate their research interests within a wider context, produce new knowledge, and disseminate through a variety of channels suitable to applied research. Learners will explore elements of research supervision in a higher education setting – including (but not limited to) effective research mentorship, expectations, graduate-level research, and peer-supervision. Advanced issues related to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB); Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing (IWKBD); and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) will be explored as they relate to applied research opportunities and constraints. Learners who successfully complete this certificate will produce a conceptual framework and literature review for their applied research topic and will prepare a review article for dissemination. This certificate is for faculty and staff in a college, polytechnic, or technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institute, as well as industry and community professionals. Learners must have completed “Certificate 1 - Foundations of Applied Research Design” or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HUMBER’S OFFICE OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION 10 JUNE 2023
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These certificates map to SEDA’s Underpinning Values, Core Development Outcomes, and the Enhancing Research Practice Award Specialist Outcomes:
Underpinning Values
Core Development Outcomes
Enhancing Research Practice Specialist Outcomes
Develop an understanding of how people learn
Identify their own professional development goals, directions, or priorities
Locate their research activities within wider contexts
Practise in ways that are scholarly, professional, and ethical
Plan for initial and/or continuous professional development
Utilize a range of specialist knowledge/skills related to their research practice
Work with and develop learning communities
Undertake appropriate development activities
Demonstrate how their research is informed by relevant legal and ethical considerations
Value diversity and promote inclusivity
Review their development and practice and the relations between them
Undertake selfmanagement and/ or leadership activities appropriate to their research role
Continuously reflect on practice to develop oneself, others and processes
N/A
N/A
So if you are interested in participating in an introductory pilot, please let me know. I would be pleased to discuss these certificates with you. These certificates are open to any Humber faculty (FT, sessional, part-time), administrators or other staff interested in research. I hope you have a restful summer that rejuvenates you and yours. I hope to see you in September!
Ginger Grant, PhD. Dean, Office of Research & Innovation
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SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION
Exploring the Culture of Innovation at the Canadian Conference on Research Administration 2023 Reflections on the CARA National Conference BY TANIA MASSA, PHD.
ON THE RUGGED AND ROCKY SHORES OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC, EMERGING AND SEASONED PROFESSIONALS FROM HUMBER’S OFFICE OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART AT THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION 2023 LED BY THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORS (CARA).
The 2023 National Conference, which took place on May 14-17 in St. John’s, NL, was organized under the theme of “Charting Successful Pathways in Research.” While I attended the CARA regional conferences in the past, this was my first CARA National Conference with Humber College. I was impressed by the number and quality of the concurrent sessions. There was such a great blend of sessions on topics ranging from research administration, research finance, and EDI to commercialization, knowledge mobilization and leadership that it was often difficult to choose a session. The workshops on inclusive research, supporting Indigenous research and engagement and accessibility factors in research were particularly beneficial for my personal and professional development. The networking during and after the conference was also valuable. I connected with new and old colleagues from across Canada and internationally including a delegate from Malaysia. In addition to attending the sessions and networking, Namrata Barai, PhD., Director, Applied Research, Seneca College; Tanya Perdikoulias, BA, Associate Director of Operations, Humber College and I led a panel presentation and discussion on the topic of “Colleges Building a Culture of Innovation.” We shared best practices for building a culture ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF TANIA MASSA
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c LEFT TO RIGHT: MANIVANNAN KANNAN, J. FELIPE GARCIA, TANIA MASSA, JAQUELINE NICOL, TANYA PERDIKOULIAS AT CARA
“I just wish people would realize that anything is possible if you try, dreams are made if people try.” —TERRY FOX
of innovation within the college environment and increasing research capacity. The panel provided examples from each of our institutions that include social innovation, sustainability, student training, and employee-driven innovation. We also described the co-creation of a series of research training modules and the joint implementation of Gender-Smart Entrepreneurship Education Training Plus in our entrepreneurship centres. I was happy that some delegates from other institutions wanted to discuss how they could implement these practices at their colleges.
c LEFT TO RIGHT: TANYA, TANIA, AND NAMRATA BARAI, PHD., AT THEIR PANEL PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC OF “COLLEGES BUILDING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION”
As the conference came to a close, I had some time for reflection as I was surrounded by the fresh ocean wind and the welcoming people of St. John’s, NL. I visited the Terry Fox Monument since Terry Fox started his cross-Canada fundraising journey here. It is inscribed with a quote that aligns with the core principles of research and innovation: “I just wish people would realize that anything is possible if you try, dreams are made if people try.” I feel incredibly lucky that the work that we do at Humber College in collaboration with our industry and community partners, faculty members, students and departments is all about dreaming and trying new things to solve the toughest real-world challenges. Interested in learning more about the world of research administration? Read on for the interview of Sarah Lampson, Executive Director of CARA!
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Interview with Sarah Lampson, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) In this interview by Tania Massa, PhD., Associate Dean of Applied Research & Innovation, Humber College, Sarah Lampson discusses the CARA National Conference, the distinct role of colleges and what lies ahead for the world of research administration.
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TM: For people who are new to the world of research administration, can you share how CARA started? SL: CARA started over 50 years ago and was founded by a small group of research administrators at universities. The association continues to grow and now includes members from colleges, polytechnics, academic hospitals, institutes, government and other stakeholders in research administration. Several years ago CARA changed its name to reflect the variety of institutions that make up the current membership. TM: In a world that is co-existing with COVID-19, what does new world of work look like for research administrators? SL: Many research administrators now have hybrid work arrangements and/or are transitioning back to their offices full time. CARA offers a lot of online professional development opportunities throughout the year but many were very happy to get back to some in-person events. TM: How do you think the sector has evolved in response to sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion? SL: In the past decade there has been an increasing interest and recognition of the value of sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion. It is a wonderful time to be working in the higher education and research sector as there is a passion for and commitment to sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion which benefit everyone. There is a tremendous engagement on these opportunities from funding and investment to individuals actively seeking information and ways to improve their practice in their careers.
“Research and innovation are hope, creativity and active commitment to advancing knowledge, understanding and solving challenges and problems locally, nationally and globally. Research presents endless opportunities to help society and collaborate.” —SARAH LAMPSON
TM: When did colleges start taking part in CARA events and networking? SL: I have been with CARA for 10 years and there were collegebased research administrators before that so many years ago. TM: What unique contributions do colleges bring to the network? SL: Colleges have been conducting applied research for many years and are seeing increased investment from government programs. Colleges have distinct cultures and expertise in the higher education environment that bring different perspectives and experiences that enrich and enhance research in Canada. TM: Are you considering additional college- and institutespecific program going forward? If no, are there any potential opportunities for co-creation and collaboration? SL: We do have college-specific content at conferences and in our webinar program. Our association is volunteer-led and we are fortunate to have many very active college research administrators creating professional development opportunities for their peers. CARA has a partnership with Mohawk College to offer fully online certificates in Research Administration and, as of last year, Research Management and Coordination. These certificates have welcomed students from across Canada and internationally from colleges, universities and other settings.
Article continued on next page…
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TM: SPARK is an online publication that goes out to many stakeholders. What would you like them to know about the Canadian college system? SL: College research continues to grow1 and so does the need for skilled research administrators. I love learning about the important research done at colleges across Canada and the involvement of students. I encourage everyone to explore their local college programs and research. As a college instructor and former continuing education student I have seen firsthand the benefits and impact of colleges—in research, in the community and beyond. As mentioned above, CARA partners with a college to offer continuing education and this partnership was attractive to the association as it offers flexible, accessible learning opportunities. TM: Can you share more about this year’s National Conference theme “Charting Successful Pathways in Research” and how it was selected? What does it mean to you personally? SL: The conference theme was chosen by members leading the creation of the conference program. It speaks to the changes since the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing to move forward and innovate in what was already a highly complex and evolving environment which was then compounded by a global pandemic. 1
https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/news-release/canadian-appliedresearch-continues-to-grow-at-colleges-and-institutes-despitepandemic-according-to-latest-survey-results/
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TM: What do you hope are the key take-aways from this year’s national conference?
TM: Can you share with us a little more about your career path in the world of research?
SL: The conference is a very energizing and collaborative event with the content created and curated by CARA members. It will lead to new networks, collaborations and new ideas, all of which advance research administration. I hope it leads to all attendees feeling even more engaged with the association and the community that is there to support them.
SL: I was appointed Executive Director of CARA in 2013 after more than a decade as a research administrator in various progressive roles at a leading comprehensive university, a funding agency, one of the largest academic hospitals in Canada and at the largest health research organization in North America. I co-authored the reference book The A-Z Guide to Research Contract Review, its companion study guide and Steer Your Career: A Research Administrator’s Manual for Mapping Success which are in use at more than 500 institutions globally. I am grateful to have received national and international recognition for my contributions to research administration. I am also a faculty member in the Research Administration Certificate program at Mohawk College.
TM: Can you give us a sneak peek for the next year’s national conference or other programming? SL: Our next national conference is in Calgary in 2024 but before that we have a regional conference coming up in London, November 15-17; an online CARA West Conference, November 29 to December 1; and, in honour of Research Administrators Day, an online event on September 25 with speakers from around the world. We also offer webinars every week throughout the academic year. TM: How can the college system support you and the CARA network going forward? SL: Many colleges have invested in CARA membership for their research administration experts. Members from colleges have been very generous in getting involved in board leadership, recruiting colleagues to share expertise at the conferences and webinars and volunteering in other roles.
TM: What does research and innovation mean to you? SL: Research and innovation are hope, creativity and active commitment to advancing knowledge, understanding and solving challenges and problems locally, nationally and globally. Research presents endless opportunities to help society and collaborate.
ABOUT SARAH LAMPSON Sarah Lampson, CAE is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators where she has provided organizational leadership for 5 years. Her key achievements include: significantly increasing services to members, which resulted in a 25% increase in membership and a 400% increase in volunteerism in 3 years; turning an operating deficit into a surplus in first 12 months; increasing revenue 43% and stewarding the international partnership that resulted in development of Canada’s first professional qualifications in the profession.
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Humber CSI’s Social Innovation Journey: A Q&A with Interim Director, Joanna Amirault, PhD. Humber College’s Centres of Innovation play an integral role in the research and innovation ecosystem at Humber and beyond. For this issue of SPARK, we interviewed Joanna Amirault, PhD., Interim Director of Humber’s Centre for Social Innovation (CSI). Read on to learn more about the CSI and Joanna’s views on social innovation.
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What are the key priorities of the Centre for Social Innovation? While social innovation has been occurring at Humber for many years, the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) launched in September 2022. The CSI is fully integrated into the Faculty of Social & Community Services, and a key focus of the Centre’s initial work has been cultivating experiential learning opportunities for students via work-integrated learning opportunities and social innovation funded research projects. The CSI has also been engaged in ongoing stakeholder consultations and has been working closely with faculty to identify the best ways to translate ideas and questions into social innovation outputs.
Can you share a little about the CSI’s work with the other four Centres of Innovations (COIs)? As the CSI is in its first year of operation, the exploration of collaboration with the other COIs is ongoing. We are excited about the possibilities to come.
How would you describe social innovation and what about social innovation inspires you? Social innovation is a construct that has been in use for many years, and it has a multitude of definitions. What excites me most about the approach to social innovation that the CSI is taking is the goal of co-creating sustainable solutions alongside community partners and the foundational role that students will have in developing these outputs.
Can you tell us about a social innovation project that you were involved in? In December 2022, Humber signed an MOU with Othram Inc., which is the leading forensic sequencing laboratory for law enforcement and the first purpose built private DNA laboratory intended to specifically apply modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. One of the key goals of the partnership is the development of tools to measure the social and criminal justice impact of the application of forensic genetic genealogy on families and criminal justice professionals. I am thrilled to be leading many of the initiatives connected to this partnership, and I am excited to see how the work generated from this collaboration will cultivate social impact opportunities.
Would you like to share with us the recent updates from the CSI? On March 1st, the CSI hosted an inaugural Social Innovation Workshop, with two subsequent workshops on March 22nd and April 1st. These sessions provided students, faculty and community members with the opportunity to network and discuss obstacles to social innovation, but more significantly, strategies and projects that have led to success. The ideation that emerged from these workshops will help to establish the work ahead.
How does the CSI measure the impact of a social innovation project? What are the metrics? While challenging, identifying methods and metrics for measuring innovation impact is a key priority for the CSI. The work is ongoing and will continue to evolve.
ABOUT JOANNA Joanna Amirault is the Interim Director of the Centre for Social Innovation and an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Social & Community Services at Humber College. With almost a decade of experience in the Ontario college sector, Joanna has extensive experience in fostering innovative solutions to multifaceted challenges and brings a wealth of experience in supporting faculty and students to engage in meaningful applied research projects. Joanna completed her PhD. at Simon Fraser University and has engaged in a wide range of scholarly activity investigating the impact of criminalizing terrorism specific offenses on sentencing outcomes, risk assessment for unique offending populations, and desistence from crime.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOANNA AMIRAULT SPARK 19
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WHAT DOES SOCIAL INNOVATION MEAN TO YOU?
“It is a way we can creatively problemsolve challenges. It allows for different ways of collaborating to create something new, to solve problems and fill gaps.” —AUDREY WUBBENHORST, PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF MEDIA & CREATIVE ARTS
“Social innovation means investigating and developing new and innovative ways to meet community needs.” —POLLY FORD-JONES, PHD., PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES & WELLNESS
“Looking at a problem or an issue and trying to solve that in a new and creative way with intended impact.” —HEIDI SIU, PHD., AND FRANKIE BURG-FERET, PROFESSORS IN FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES & WELLNESS
WHAT DOES
“…Thinking beyond current limitations is really the basis of social innovation. We need to be fully cognizant of any real or imaginary walls we perceive and go to the answers that lie beyond them.” DANIEL BEAR, PHD., PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES
MEAN TO YOU? What Humber’s researchers had to say about what social innovation means to them.
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“[…] Social innovation should be fluid, adaptable and creative. It should not be dictated by one lens or one way of being, because if only a few people can access it, it’s not going to be innovative.” —SALOMEH AHMADI, PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES
SOCIAL INNOVATION “Social innovation means implementing ways of knowing, being and doing that are grounded in practices that work, are inclusive and are meaningful to the people most impacted by them…”
“Social innovation means finding new ways to address the community needs that may be nontraditional and encompasses worldviews that foster new ways of thinking and being…”
—DANIELLE POMEROY, PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES
—SHERYL THOMPSON, PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES & WELLNESS
“…A large part of social innovation is not only teaching them how to develop new skills but also openly listening to their needs and their problem-solving abilities.” –MARIA JACOME, PHD., PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY
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HUMBER’S SOCIAL INNOVATION PROJECT PROJECTS’ TIMELINES
Project Name Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke
Highlights of Humber’s social innovation projects. Read on in the following pages to learn more about these projects.
Project Name Indsights: A Window Into the Indigenous Economy » Principal Investigator Audrey Wubbenhorst Start Year: 2021 End Year: 2024
» Principal Investigator Salomeh Ahmadi Start Year: 2020 End Year: 2023
Project Name Engaging and Educating YoungAdult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers » Principal Investigator Daniel Bear, PhD. » Co-Investigator Ashley Hosker-Field, PhD., Marilyn Cresswell Start Year: 2020 End Year: 2023
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Project Name Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach » Principal Investigator Polly Ford-Jones, PhD. » Co-Investigator Sheryl Thompson, Danielle Pomeroy Start Year: 2021 End Year: 2024
Project Name Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution » Principal Investigator Maria Jacome, PhD. » Collaborators Cristina Amon, PhD., Daniela Galatro, PhD., Melanie Jeffrey, PhD., Jason Bazylak Start Year: 2022
Project Name Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic
End Year: 2025
» Principal Investigator Heidi Siu, PhD. » Co-Investigator Frankie Burg-Feret Start Year: 2022 End Year: 2025
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Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke BY ESHA RANA
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PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke » Principal Investigator Salomeh Ahmadi Community Partner Organization LAMP Community Health Centre
c CONDOS IN SOUTH ETOBICOKE
FOR SALOMEH AHMADI, THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF PRICE, BUT OF IDEOLOGY AND IMAGINATION. She likens the crisis to that of a revolving door. Every so often, the door opens and a new demographic—students, seniors, the homeless, couch surfers—becomes visible for the population to see. The government then reacts—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly—with a new policy that does not effectively address the core of the housing problem. And so, the door keeps spinning and people keep suffering.
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Research Assistants Vanessa Keall-Vejar (data collection), Charlotte Larisey (student placement), Tasfia Naoshin (data collection), Jonathan Palmer (data collection), Natalie Pilla, Daniel Plant (data collection) Start Year: 2020 End Year: 2023 Funding College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PHOTO BY JUSTIN ZIADEH ON UNSPLASH
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d SALOMEH AHMADI HOLDING ‘HOUSING IS FOR EVERYBODY’ SIGN SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Salomeh knows that building more units or condos is not the answer, that the communities being affected need to be pulled in when envisioning solutions and that ultimately, housing needs to be viewed as a social good for long-term change to occur. Her community-driven approach and nuanced understanding of the housing crisis led to her research project, Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke, receiving the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project For Salomeh, the project is inspired by her research and academic background, as well as her community and practical experience. She has a background in community development and an MBA in Community Economic Development and has been a part of the South Etobicoke community since she was very young. She was also involved in the LAMP Community Health Centre’s group, Lakeshore Affordable Housing Advocacy & Action Group (LAHAAG), where she learned more about the housing issues, attended meetings and strategic sessions and provided her skills and insights to the group. When Salomeh came across the CCSIF-NSERC grant via email, she teamed up with LAMP Community Health Centre as her partner and applied for it. She shares, “The inspiration is, without a doubt, the opportunity to work with community—not for them or above them. What’s great about community based participatory research is that we’re able to level that playing field and be genuine listeners, authentic collaborators, build trust in relationships and not be working in silos, which is always a challenge. So, my passion is working with communities to inspire change and give them a voice, a platform and power.”
Project goals The objectives of the project are: 1. To uncover the cost-of-living issues through Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in South Etobicoke 2. To gather input from community members most marginalized 3. To inform decision-making on issues across the entire ‘cost of living’ spectrum 4. To allow for collaboration and information sharing between community, practitioners and students 5. To contribute to the fight against displacement, homelessness and tenant evictions 6. To create inclusive and accessible communities 7. To advocate for the building of affordable housing through social policy change 8. To use the research gathered to develop a strategy to co-develop and disseminate possible solutions
Article continued on next page… PHOTO COURTESY OF SALOMEH AHMADI
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_ SALOMEH AHMADI AT EVENTS AROUND TORONTO
Research team As the Principal Investigator for this project, Salomeh is responsible for project and research coordination, mentoring students and outreach workers where needed, ensuring the proper management of the budget and working with LAMP CHC to ensure that the project is meeting community needs and building relationships with locals and agencies. Salomeh is interested in areas related to equity-seeking groups and the interrelations across community, justice, and socioeconomics. She teaches in fields of social services, child and youth care, police foundations and community development. She has also served as a previous Board Member with Lakeshore Arts and Rotary Toronto West. She has spoken at conferences and panels on various topics concerning community development, mental health, and is open to partnerships and creative collaborations that aim to make this world a better and more just place.
Community partner organizations Strongly driven by the value of community participation, the project has found an aligned partner in LAMP Community Health Centre.
“…What’s great about community based participatory research is that we’re able to level that playing field and be genuine listeners, authentic collaborators, build trust in relationships and not be working in silos, which is always a challenge. So, my passion is working with communities to inspire change and give them a voice, a platform and power.” —SALOMEH AHMADI
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The centre is a full-spectrum family practice where family physicians and nurse practitioners work in a team setting. They place a strong emphasis on health education and prevention and provide a broad spectrum of services including well and sick childcare, prenatal care, minor office procedures, gynecologic care, adult health maintenance and management of chronic disease conditions. The centre is also involved in advocacy efforts involving a wide range of areas like food security and nutrition, affordable and decent housing, community planning, poverty reduction, environmental issues, civic engagement, accessible recreation, community economic development and lifestyle and behavior change. Their overall vision is to achieve community health and well-being together through inclusive, integrated community programs and healthcare services.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SALOMEH AHMADI
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Salomeh has been assisted in the project by seven research assistants who were students from different programs at Humber College.
“My biggest learning was around the power of this combined approach—using primary data, secondary data and CBPR—to understand an issue and advocate for solutions. CBPR was a research method I first became interested in during my time as a student in the Research Analyst program at Humber. I’m grateful to have taken part in a real-world application of this method and hope to incorporate it into future research projects.”
Natalie Pilla, a student in the Research Analyst postgraduate certificate program, was responsible for identifying and analyzing secondary data from Statistics Canada about the affordability of housing. This data, combined with what the team collected with the community, was used to mobilize knowledge and action around housing affordability. Reflecting on her experience, she says:
—NATALIE PILLA
Vanessa Keall-Vejar was initially hired as a research assistant during her Bachelor of Community Development (Honours) program. She was then subsequently contracted as an outreach worker. Out of the 3-year span of the project, she has been involved in it for 2 years and 3 months. She shares the behindthe-scenes of the project:
“This is truly a community-driven participatory research study and not a one-person driven project. All input has been considered from all community members and advisory members. Some individuals I personally outreached to have formed meaningful and lasting connections from being interviewed and will be valued members of the Humber community long after this study has been completed. The research outcomes will influence and help form policy that will directly impact lives. It is not the report that people were interested in, but in the impact that this vital data will have on influencing policy makers to include their voices as valued stakeholders. They already knew how serious their precarious housing situation was. It was well past time to recognize housing as a human right, and I am grateful to Humber and NERSC for funding this research to further highlight this fact.” —VANESSA KEALL-VEJAR
Vanessa looks forward to carrying on with advocacy/policy reform and spearheading other community projects and creative social enterprises that will directly benefit all members in the community. Article continued on next page…
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Participation of students
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Milestones For the research team, this project is not just about producing an academic report in the end. The team has been in conversation with South Etobicoke community members, agencies, the municipal councillors, provincial members of Parliament and city staff to tackle the issue of affordability in the Lakeshore area from the ground up. They have facilitated capacity-building workshops with a few housing rights organizations in Toronto to help build and elevate the skills, knowledge and tools that community members have. In an inspired move, churches have created their own capacity-building workshops around homelessness since plenty of people reach out to them regarding housing issues. The team also organized a housing conference in March as the headline event of the project. The three days of the conference included community talks, interactive activities, keynote workshops, music and a hackathon. They also hosted the National Housing Day events which have acted as a meeting point for sharing stories, having conversations and connecting with relevant stakeholders. As a result of Salomeh’s direct network and previous work with Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN), a South Etobicoke chapter for community benefit agreements (CBAs)—led by Vanessa—has been established in order to pursue social procurement, including affordable housing, through community development charges. There are over 17,000 units currently slated, and over 36,000 more projected in South Etobicoke alone.
Challenges No matter how rewarding or impactful a project is, the journey to its end is always challenging. For a project that staunchly advocates an affordable world for all and whose core value and approach are grounded in community participation, the challenges arise from multiple fronts. Salomeh explains: “The issues are complex when we’re talking about the housing crisis. It is a crisis but for whom? That is where we can start in defining the solutions. Right now, the solutions are very sporadic and sparse. They are not actually addressing the root issue which requires policy change. 28 JUNE 2023
“At the end of our surveys, we asked them if they had any additional comments. A lot of them said that they really hoped something would happen with this research and the solutions would be implemented.” —SALOMEH AHMADI
For example, building more homes is not going to increase affordability. It might, but it depends on what units are being built. So, the cost of building might be brought down, but the rent is still going to be the same because we don’t have any rent policies, no vacancy control policies and there’s no rent cap. This is not only a supply issue as it is being defined in the news.” Recognizing the discrepancy was what led Salomeh and her team to their first step—defining affordability. But the definition of affordability was completely unclear from the municipal to the provincial to the federal level. Developers had their own concept of it and as did the tenants. The final definitions, though, were most often dictated top-down, but that was not working for anybody. The team realized that the root of the conflict was how these groups viewed housing. Salomeh highlights the difference: “One of the issues that our respondents, surveys and focus groups brought up numerous times was corporate greed, financialization of housing and corporations and landlords doing whatever they want to maximize their profits and maintain their profit margins. This is not in alignment with viewing housing as a social good. Consequently, different interests lead to different outcomes.” The implementation of the project had its own set of challenges that reflected the real-time and strenuous effects that housing and living conditions have had on people. Salomeh shares, “Like many people who’ve done primary research or any type of community work, outreach has been a challenge for us. During COVID-19, we went outside in-person to collect primary data. People followed masking regulations and were kind. But now, the people we outreach to are tired, overworked and beaten down by issues. They feel powerless or even hopeless. So, it’s hard to get them to be inspired and motivated. At the end of our surveys, we asked them if they had any additional comments. A lot of them said that they really hoped something would happen with this research and the solutions would be implemented.”
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Potential impact
SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Grounded in the methods of Community Based Participatory Research, this social innovation project focuses on the development of affordable housing solutions after gathering input from the marginalized groups of Etobicoke-Lakeshore area, namely seniors, students, those on the brink of homelessness and those with a low income. By sharing resources locally, publicly and academically, the project aims to advance a Community of Practice (CoP) on housing affordability and housing as a human right. Partners will connect leaders with other community leaders to spread the mission and objectives of a just and equitable society. The end goal is to protect affordability, improve housing conditions for tenants and advance social policy changes.
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SALOMEH
What are your favourite books?
Salomeh: I love poetry, so Rumi is someone I love to read. I also love Janet Rogers and Warsan Shire. Bell Hooks and Jorge Luis Borges are my other go-to authors. What do you do outside of work?
Salomeh: I love helping my friends and creating spaces. So, sometimes I’ve done smaller events and women’s events. I also like sports, so I fence and try to stay physically active. Is there anything that keeps you up at night?
Salomeh: I have moments where I overthink. I also wonder a lot about how we can create non-profits and community spaces that are more loving and caring to one another. Don’t get me wrong, I have tremendously kind and loving individuals around me, but within institutions there is an individualist, survival mentality. We don’t always have the best role models, as many are under resourced and overworked and many
PHOTO COURTESY OF SALOMEH AHMADI
of us are learning and creating as we go—reimagining and disrupting the status quo, so I want to work on this vision of how I can be that role model with what I say and do, and what that might look like in community spaces. I’m very interested in radical liberation and what it could mean and look like. What does social innovation mean to you?
Salomeh: Social innovation means to (re) imagine with people what it is we want to address, resolve, treat, create or reconcile. Perhaps it’s a new solution to an old problem, or maybe a simple solution to an old problem. To be innovative is to really get into the root of things and do things differently in a way that hasn’t been done before. We have to rupture our reality. There are many realities and we’re often living in one predetermined silo. Sometimes that means going against the grain. Not everyone’s going to agree with that.
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Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic BY SARAN DAVAAJARGAL
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PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic » Principal Investigator Heidi Siu, RN, BScN, MScN, PhD. » Co-Investigator Frankie Burg-Feret, RN, BScN, MN Community Partner Organizations Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin (CMHA Peel Dufferin), Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto, and St. Francis Table c STUDENTS PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE TO LOCALS FROM A PREVIOUS MISSION TRIP TO GUATEMALA
INSPIRATION FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE. For Heidi Siu and Frankie Burg-Feret, professors in Humber’s Nursing program in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness (FHSW), inspiration for a research project came from a medical service trip to Guatemala. In 2020, Heidi and Frankie took a group of Humber’s finalyear nursing students to Guatemala during the reading week to conduct health assessments for people living in under-resourced communities. It was Humber FHSW’s sixth medical mission trip to Guatemala and one that sparked the inspiration for their research project, “Partnering for health access: Developing an innovative health clinic.”
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Research Administrator Rebecca Pereira, MA, MPH Research Assistants Riana Alli, Edward (Wei) Li and Memory Xaverio Start Year: 2022 End Year: 2025 Funding $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMBER COLLEGE
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c STUDENT AND STAFF GROUP AT ONE OF THE MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS TO GUATEMALA
As the COVID-19 pandemic put new strains on healthcare resources, the research team was motivated to help communities whose limited access to healthcare put them at greater risk of many challenges, including increased poverty, food insecurity and social isolation. Inspired by the impact students had on the community in Guatemala, the research team decided to apply a similar approach back home in Toronto. After discussion with community partners and assessment of the community needs, the team decided to develop a studentnurse-led, faculty-supervised health clinic in collaboration with local partner organizations that serve under-resourced populations. In 2022, the research team received the highly competitive College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project Heidi and Frankie state that they conduct social innovation project because they are passionate about the impact it creates on the wider community. Frankie says, “Social innovation projects bring to the forefront the whole purpose of our profession—helping people.” Heidi notes, “From a social innovation standpoint, if we can anchor our common vision to something as simple as helping people, I think that’s what will sustain the innovation process in and of itself.” PHOTO CREDIT: RYAN PATTERSON
Project goals and timeline The research project aims to provide integrated health services for communities facing health inequities and barriers to care through the delivery of a nurse-led health clinic with community partners; otherwise known as the Health for All Partnership. The objectives are to: x co-create the Health for All Partnership clinic with our partners to enhance their communities’ access to health care x build an infrastructure to sustainably integrate the Health for All Partnership clinic with our partners’ existing services x pilot and assess the Health for All Partnership clinic’s impact on clients and their health outcomes, service providers, and how care is delivered to inform the model’s refinement x share lessons learned with academic and community organizations to explore the feasibility of adapting the Health for All Partnership model in other communities. The project is expected to last for three years—from 2022 to 2025—with each year covering a different phase of designing, implementing and evaluating the health clinic.
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Research team
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The research project is co-led by Heidi as the Principal Investigator and Frankie as the Co-Investigator.
work collaboratively to provide care to over 450 children. Humber students return from this immersion experience with an increased awareness of the health disparities in the global world.
Heidi Siu, RN, BScN, MScN, PhD., is a registered nurse and professor in the Bachelor of Nursing Science program at Humber College, with focused research in nursing education, leadership and health services delivery. She has over 20 years of nursing experience in various roles that span clinical practice (in acute cardiovascular care), education, research, administration, policy and regulation. Inspired by her work observations, experiences and relationships with nursing peers, Heidi is committed to identifying innovative strategies that foster empowering environments for work and learning, nursing leadership development and successful health services delivery outcomes.
Asked about what they are most excited about undertaking the project, Heidi responds, “I’m excited about how the project will help expand students’ leadership capacity and understanding of their potential as future nurses, influencers and advocates in the health care system. The health clinic is intended to be sustainable and long-term, and it’s something we can collaboratively evaluate and work on. Ultimately, I’m most excited about the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the community.”
Frankie Burg-Feret, RN, BScN, MN is a registered nurse and professor in the Humber Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. She has 35 years of nursing experience working in both the clinical (mother and child) and academic settings. She is also the executive director of a small NGO; a charity committed to assisting vulnerable children in under-resourced countries. At Humber, she leads an annual interprofessional clinical practicum in Guatemala where students and health care professionals
Frankie states, “Doing something that is different in order to meet the needs of vulnerable communities. Student learning is an important part of the whole process, but what is driving the project are the people with limited access to health care and how we want to help them.” d STUDENT AND STAFF GROUP AT ONE OF THE MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS TO GUATEMALA
“Social innovation projects bring to the forefront the whole purpose of our profession—helping people.” —FRANKIE BURG-FERET
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PHOTO CREDIT: RYAN PATTERSON
PARTNERING FOR HEALTH ACCESS
Here is a sneak peek of the community needs assessment that was completed in late 2022 as part of the first phase of the research project. SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Partnering Health Access: Developing and Innovative Health Clinic (https://youtu.be/wsxdRqO6_wc) Video credit: Julian Klimczyk and Ryan Patterson
Interview with Brother John Frampton of St. Francis Table
Humber Press team sat down with Brother John Frampton, Director of St. Francis Table, to learn more about the project from his perspective as a leader of the project’s community partner organization. (https://youtu.be/hi_PsFAwx2A)
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Interview with Tracy Docheff of Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto
Interested in learning about what the project means to its community partner Mennonite New Life Centre (MNLCT)? Watch our interview with Tracy Docheff, Communications Manager of MNLCT, who shares her views on social innovation and what she is looking forward to from the project. (https://youtu.be/84vs0TdwV00)
Community partner organizations
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Using integrated knowledge translation strategies, the clinic will be co-created, implemented, and evaluated with three partner organizations: the Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin (CMHA Peel Dufferin), Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto, and St. Francis Table.
The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto is a communitybased settlement agency with a mission to facilitate newcomer settlement and integration through holistic services and community engagement, carried out within a gender justice and anti-oppression framework.
CMHA Peel Dufferin provides services for people with mental illness and educates Canadians about mental health issues. In addition to providing different mental health services, CMHA Peel Dufferin is committed to community development, mental health awareness and addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness.
St. Francis Table is the primary expression of Capuchin Outreach, a ministry of the Capuchin-Franciscan Friars and friends. St. Francis Table serves on average 250 meals per day, six days a week, in Toronto’s Parkdale community.
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While the three partner organizations provide different services, all of them serve vulnerable populations who have inadequate access to the resources they need.
PARTNERING FOR HEALTH ACCESS
The research team includes three Humber Bachelor of Nursing students as research assistants, Riana Alli, Edward (Wei) Li and Memory Xaverio. The research assistants will be actively involved in different phases of the project—from helping design the clinic model to participating in its evaluation. In addition to the research assistants, the research project also involves students in various aspects of the project. More recently, the community needs assessment for the research project was conducted by nursing students as part of their community nursing coursework. We asked the research assistants why they decided to work on the project. Here is what they had to say:
SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Participation of students
“I’m interested in this social innovation project because I am passionate about its primary goal, which is to bridge the gap caused by the social determinants of health for those who experience barriers to accessing health care through the use of a nurse-led health clinic. I believe this project will help address the specific health needs of individuals in the GTA and build a sustainable method of delivering health promotion and prevention services. Being part of the research team would allow me to advocate for health equity and make a real impact towards changing and improving healthcare access.” —RIANA ALLI
“I think the project addresses an important need among vulnerable groups who face added complexities when it comes to accessing health care. As a nursing student, I have learned to see health from a holistic perspective, and this project makes me appreciate some really unique ways in which a nurse-led clinic with integrated community partnerships might benefit clients. By assisting with evaluating the clinic as it unfolds, I get to consider how things like education and social support might be complementary or even necessary for other aspects of care, like taking medications consistently, to come to fruition.“ —EDWARD LI
“Being a nurse, I have compassion to help people. By working with people who experience barriers to care access and those with complex health needs, I feel strongly compelled to facilitate that connection between healthcare and social services for these people. Given that every human being has a social life and that they belong to a community I believe it is important that people live healthy lifestyle within their community with no barriers and that they receive person specific healthcare that addresses their unique needs. The Health Clinic fulfills this need and my involvement in this project will help to fulfil my desire to help people live healthy lifestyles.” —MEMORY XAVERIO
PHOTO COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE STUDENTS
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PARTNERING FOR HEALTH ACCESS
WHEN ASKED WHAT THEY HOPE TO GAIN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING AS RESEARCH ASSISTANTS, THE STUDENTS RESPONDED:
“From this experience, I hope to gain a better understanding of the key health issues and healthcare barriers faced among those who are unhoused, experiencing poverty or mental health challenges and addictions. I want to understand what gaps currently exist in the Canadian healthcare system, viewing available resources in contrast to the needs of the population and specific demographics, to ultimately help find possible solutions that would address such needs and problems. Lastly, I am hoping to further develop my research skills, theoretical knowledge, advance my critical thinking and enhance interprofessional collaboration.”
“Although I have assisted with lab- and surveybased research in the past, I have always been curious about clinical research that is a bit closer to bedside because of its direct applicability to my future nursing practice. I have learned how to appraise nursing research in school, but through working as a research assistant, I get to learn experientially about how it is produced as well, which kickstarts the development of my capacity for contributing to evidence-based practice. More than anything, it’s a privilege to see this one-of-akind project come together to help people at risk for poorer health.”
—RIANA ALLI
—EDWARD LI
“I hope to gain more understanding of social aspects of populations, enhance my research skills and in the process strengthen my analytical skills. This experience will also help me to problem-solve and to develop and manage projects. Since the project involves partnership with other organizations, I will gain competencies on working with other disciplines. I am also eager to learn new skills that come with participating in this project and this will improve my operational ability to use research skills for my nursing career.” —MEMORY XAVERIO
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Potential impact Travelling to communities to provide health services that might otherwise be out of reach for the population is a key objective of this project. Ultimately, the research team plans to develop a health partnership model that can be adopted by interested academic and community organizations across Canada. Such a model is an innovative approach to effectively bridge the gap between health care and social services and provide better care for people with complex health and social needs.
` STUDENTS ENGAGING WITH LOCALS FROM A PREVIOUS MISSION TRIP TO GUATEMALA
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HEIDI AND FRANKIE
What do you like to read or watch?
Heidi’s favourite genres: Documentaries, movies and TV shows with strong storytelling elements. Frankie’s favourite books: Books on spirituality and biographies. What do you do when you are not at work?
Heidi: Travelling, hiking in nature, and playing ultimate frisbee. Frankie: Leading a charity, spending time with her grandsons, travelling.
What does “social innovation” mean to you?
Heidi and Frankie: Looking at a problem or an issue and trying to solve that in a new and creative way with intended impact. What inspires you?
Heidi: What inspires me is seeing what other people are doing with the hope of making things better or trying things in a creative way. Frankie: I am inspired by my colleagues who are driven to help others through research.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMBER COLLEGE
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Engaging and Educating Young-Adult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers BY ESHA RANA
DANIEL BEAR, PH.D., GREW UP IN THE ERA OF DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS DARE. The program focused on spreading drug education by bringing police officers to deliver anti-drug messages to kids in schools. After a serious assault left Daniel with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD and a host of other physical injuries, he began using medical cannabis at 16. It was the only thing that helped, but Daniel felt that his knowledge on how to safely consume cannabis and reduce its risks was lacking. This was 1998 during the infancy of medical cannabis legislation, and he didn’t have any guidance.
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Twenty years later, Daniel has discovered a lot about the realities of drug consumption. To reduce the amount of misinformation floating around and inform people about benefit-maximization and harm-reduction methods of cannabis consumption, Daniel decided to conduct research into and create public education about how young adults, aged 18-30, could consume cannabis from a place of awareness and empowerment, instead of myths and fear. The idea resonated with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the research team at Humber College received the highly competitive College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding.
PHOTO BY CRYSTALWEED CANNABIS ON UNSPLASH
ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
—DANIEL BEAR, PHD.
Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project The project is inspired by Daniel’s personal experience with drug education, or more accurately—the lack of it. He shares, “I saw the shortcomings of my own experience, and I wanted to make sure that other people did not suffer from misinformation in the same way that I did.” He further elaborates, “Only about 8% of Canadians who consume cannabis have indicated viewing public health information about it in the last year, but about 77% of people feel that they have reliable information about cannabis. So, there is a huge gap between 8% seeing public health information and 77% saying they have reliable information. This means that what they call reliable information about cannabis is not public health information. It is not public education. It is great that people are feeling that they have good information about cannabis, but my hope is that this project can begin to bring some more scientific rigor and benefit maximization plus harm reduction information into the discussions that people are having.”
PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Engaging and Educating Young-Adult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers » Principal Investigator Daniel Bear, PhD. » Co-Investigator Ashley Hosker-Field, PhD., Marilyn Cresswell Community Partner Organizations Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Canadian Public Health Association Research Assistants Annemarie Antunes, Hailey Appel, Alexandra Crocker, Bakary Diarra, Melanie Ebach, Vee Gandhi, Grace Glynn, Elke Hearson, Jennifer Hoogwerf, Kulwinder Kaur, Juliette Leanza, Victoria Lorenco, Meaghan Mallett, Marta Minto, Carter Mooney, Amanda Nascimento, Laure Perry, Stefania Piedimonte, Madison Rogers, Adura Segun-Akintayo, Virginia Weese, Kelsey Westall, Holly Wihnon, Hilary Wilbur Start Year: 2020 End Year: 2023 Funding College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $343,823 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Project goals The objectives of the project are: 1. Find out what young-adult cannabis users (aged 18-30) know about cannabis 2.0 products; where they get this information from; and the methods, institutions or individuals they would trust to deliver harm-reduction information about cannabis 2.0 products. 2. Develop an evidence-informed campaign to share how young adults can most safely consume cannabis— particularly cannabis 2.0—products.
3. Develop training material for retailers that are in alignment with the consumer-focused public education materials along with a delivery system to ensure uptake of these materials by the cannabis retail store clerks. 4. Distribute the materials to retail outlets, post-secondary institutions, a website and other cannabis-related touchpoints for consumers. 5. Gauge the impact and efficiency of the developed materials and revise them as necessary.
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“I saw the shortcomings of my own experience, and I wanted to make sure that other people did not suffer from misinformation in the same way that I did.”
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ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
Research team Daniel Bear, PhD., Principal Investigator for this project, has been working in drugs policy since 2003 when he launched a chapter of Students of Sensible Drugs Policy while an undergraduate at The University of California Santa Cruz. After graduating, Daniel worked with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Drug Law Reform Project where he worked on public education and outreach initiatives across the United States. Daniel’s doctoral work focused on the implementation of cannabis policy by police in the UK for which he used qualitative methodology including ethnography and interviews. Daniel has consulted for institutions such as the BBC, UK Ministry of Justice, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Public Health Association and non-profit groups. He is also the Canadian team lead for the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium (GCCRC). Daniel teaches for the Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree program at Humber College. Ashley Hosker-Field, PhD., professor in the Bachelor of Social Science—Criminal Justice program at the Faculty of Social & Community Services and Marilyn Cresswell, program coordinator and professor in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts (FMCA), co-lead the project with Daniel as Co-Investigators. Marilyn brings a strong set of communication, project management and research skills to the team. As an industry judge, she is a recognized expert in strategic branding, marketing and advertising. She is a champion of experiential student learning and has facilitated many projects internally and externally. She has also previously worked on harm reduction messaging and programs through the Ontario Chiefs of Police initiative on a fentanyl campaign as well as many NFP campaigns.
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For this research project, along with supporting the focus groups and initial recruitment, Marilyn guides the final creative elements of brochures, the website and social media accounts that students from the FMCA program at Humber design. Ashley received her PhD. in Psychology from Brock University, where her work focused on examining psychopathic personality traits in relation to various external correlates. Since joining the Humber faculty team, she has been a co-investigator on two CCSIF funded projects, one aimed at providing evidence-based recommendations for improving interagency collaboration to provide optimal support for at-risk youth and the other focusing on educating and engaging cannabis consumers. For the latter one, Ashley’s primary role involves research design, questionnaire development, quantitative data analysis, content dissemination and supervision of research assistants. This is the first cannabis-focused research project she has been involved in and she welcomes the opportunity to gain greater exposure and enhanced knowledge of empirical literature in the field. She notes, “I think the project was quite timely and extremely important considering the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada (since the funding was awarded in March of 2020, just a year and a half after legalization). I am grateful to be part of such an incredible research team and to have been able to support and work with some truly impressive undergraduate research assistants. My experience on the EEYCC project has sparked a real interest in pursuing further work in the field.”
ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Community partner organizations Steered by a human-centered and participatory design approach, the project has benefited from the ongoing involvement of two community partners: Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) and the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). The CSSDP is a grassroots network of youth and students who consider drugs as a health and human-rights issue instead of a criminal-legal one. They are concerned about the negative impact of drug policies on individuals and communities and stand for evidence-based responses to reduce and prevent harm associated with drug use.
The CPHA is the only Canadian non-governmental organization that is focused on public health. As such, it advises decisionmakers about public health system reform and guides initiatives to ensure the personal and collective health of Canadians and non-Canadians alike. Health equity, social justice and evidenceinformed decision-making have been its core values since it was founded in 1910.
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ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
Participation of students In addition to the investigators, the research team also includes 25 research assistants from different programs at Humber. Vee Gandhi, who started working with the team in August 2022 while studying Addictions and Mental Health, is currently working on project evaluations and is looking forward to seeing the culmination of their efforts. She shares:
“The project can show how we as researchers and service providers can use people-centered, choiceempowering, non-judgmental harm reduction education materials and public messaging that is not driven by stigma, but by evidence-based research and compassion. My biggest learning from this project was the realization that researchers are quintessentially learners who make an active decision to use their curiosity to find answers and not leave things as a question.” —VEE GANDHI
Alexandra Crocker, student in the Mental Health and Addictions program, is responsible for assisting with paper write-ups, literature reviews, fact/resource checking, and creating deliverables such as presentation slides. She is particularly appreciative of the opportunities she has received to make significant contributions to the project output. She explains:
“Dr. Bear always provided opportunities for us RAs to enhance our research capabilities and learn new skills, such as completing funding applications while helping throughout to ensure we felt confident in the work we completed. Throughout the project, Dr. Bear asked for my input as to what skills I had and wanted to use, as well as which ones I was less confident with and wanted to learn. This allowed me to enhance my report writing skills and assist with applications. Overall, my time on this project has been both enjoyable and informative.” —ALEXANDRA CROCKER
“My biggest learning from this project was the realization that researchers are quintessentially learners who make an active decision to use their curiosity to find answers and not leave things as a question.” —VEE GANDHI
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“When my work is reviewed by team members, quality feedback is always given which has been helpful to my growth as a researcher and writer. The most important thing that I have learned from working on this project is that collaboration with like-minded people is beneficial to both your personal growth and the growth of the project. I will be able to carry forward the writing, research and collaboration skills I learned here in my career.” —MEAGHAN MALLETT
Alexandra’s appreciation is echoed by Grace Glynn, another research assistant who joined the project during the fourth and final year of her Bachelor of Science—Criminal Justice program. She worked on building educational content for the WeedOutMisinformation website, various literature reviews and the qualitative analysis of data collected from focus groups. The personal highlight for her was getting to see polished versions of their work in the form of brochures and pictures of posters displayed at conferences. Summing up her experience, she says: “It has been so interesting to learn about the different aspects of what goes into a research project like this, from filling out grant applications and REB applications, to preparing presentations for conferences. I have learned so much from Daniel, Ashley, Marilyn, and all the RAs I have gotten to work with.” —GRACE GLYNN
Challenges With a project of such scale and ambition, the team was bound to run into some challenges. The biggest one—COVD19—happened soon after the team received approval on March 3, 2020. Daniel recalls, “We were supposed to be traveling all around Canada doing focus groups. That was out of the question, so we had to start doing online focus groups. I have never done those before, so we had to change our methodology to be more virtual-friendly. We had to build team cohesiveness and work practices that did not involve us being in the same room.” Adapting to the digital way of things was not the last big challenge, though. Then came the task of making the findings
and materials tangible, engaging and easily comprehensible by people. Daniel explains, “Turning this entirely digital thing, that is ones and zeros in a certain order, and getting it into the real world is a conversion point that is trickier than you think because digital images do not just pop out of a printer. You must format them and set them up, and once that is done, you must handle them, move them, store them, fold them, and do all these other things. We had just gotten comfortable with the entirely virtual nature of the experience when suddenly we had to shift into trying to make these things physical and real. I found that a surprising and interesting experience.”
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Another research assistant, Meaghan Mallett, began working with the team in October 2022 and describes the work environment as being positive, engaging and instrumental in broadening her academic skills. She notes:
ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
Potential impact SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
This project is the first of its kind to develop a scientifically accurate, harm-reduction focused cannabis 2.0 public education campaign with synchronized materials for both consumers and retailers. Daniel and his team hope that the campaign can: 1. Help consumers switch to safer methods of consuming cannabis and decrease preference for smoked forms of cannabis 2. Help reduce potential overconsumption issues that lead to anxiety, hallucinations, other unwanted effects and ultimately, emergency room visits 3. Normalize safer consumption practices in Canada as new cannabis consumption norms are being built after a century of prohibition
Interview with Daniel Bear
Interested in learning more about the project? Watch the video of Daniel Bear talking about the project. (https://youtu.be/QZ2ooegxD64)
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PHOTO BY CHRISTIN HUME ON UNSPLASH
ENGAGING AND EDUCATING CANNABIS CONSUMERS
–ASHLEY HOSKER-FIELD, PHD.
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DANIEL
What are your favourite books?
Daniel: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and Bossypants by Tina Fey. What do you do outside of work?
Daniel: I have a four-year-old daughter and I love spending time with her. So, a lot of what I do is centered around her because we have a ton of fun together. I pick her up from school and then we go play. After she is asleep, I do my grading in the evening. If I am not spending time with her, then I prefer hiking, hunting and anything outdoors. What does social innovation mean to you?
Daniel: The things that denote social innovation for me are when we step away from the current paradigm, assume a blue-sky thinking mode and ask what we can do to fix things. Thinking beyond current limitations is really the basis of social
innovation. We need to be fully cognizant of any real or imaginary walls we perceive and go to the answers that lie beyond them. Are there any social innovators whose work you look up to or follow?
Daniel: There is a group of people on Twitter, particularly in Canada, who are doing great work in cataloging and enabling access to data around COVID-19. They moved beyond what the government was providing, did the actual calculations that you would see public health units doing and shared that public health data in an innovative manner on social media for critique and discussion. Right now, we talk about COVID as though it has passed, but the hospitalization numbers, the infection rates and the wastewater data tell a different story. These people are bringing the relevant data to the forefront so that people can understand the very real risks that they still face.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
PHOTO BY WESTEND61 ON ENVATO ELEMENTS
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“I think the project was quite timely and extremely important considering the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada […] I am grateful to be part of such an incredible research team and to have been able to support and work with some truly impressive undergraduate research assistants. My experience on the EEYCC project has sparked a real interest in pursuing further work in the field.”
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Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach BY SARAN DAVAAJARGAL
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PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A CommunityEngaged Approach » Principal Investigator Polly Ford-Jones, PhD. » Co-Investigator Sheryl Thompson, Danielle Pomeroy Community Partner Organizations Middlesex-London Paramedic Service; a community health centre
c FIRST RESPONDER MAKING RADIO CALL IN AMBULANCE
AS THE PANDEMIC UNRAVELED MANY ASPECTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE, IT BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT THE URGENCY OF MANY ISSUES. In particular, the importance of mental health and well-being came into sharpened focus as the healthcare system strained to meet the increasing demands for its services. A highlight of Humber’s research projects addressing mental health and well-being is Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach. Led by faculty members in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness and Faculty of Social & Community Services at Humber, the research team is collaborating with Middlesex-London Paramedic Service and a community health centre to develop a best practice model for response to mental health crisis care. 46
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Collaborators Dr. Simon Adam (YorkU) and Dr. Patrina Duhaney (University of Calgary) Research Assistants Petra Meijer, Chiemela Iheanacho, Maria Rahman Start Year: 2021 End Year: 2024 Funding College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PHOTO BY LOREANTO ON SHUTTERSTOCK
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Project goals and timeline
The research questions are two-fold: 1. Informed by acute care and community-based institutions, what practices and models of care can provide appropriate, high-quality support for individuals in distress in need of emergency mental health support? In particular, what nonmedicalized supports may improve comprehensive care in this area? 2. What training, resources and skills may be developed to best support practitioners providing care and support for emergency mental health needs?
Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project When experiencing a mental health crisis, many people rely on emergency services such as 9-1-1 dispatchers, paramedic services, police services and hospital emergency department services. Emergency response to mental health calls has recently gained significantly greater attention recognizing that these interactions may have potentially life and death consequences for those already in distress. Many of these first response services lack sufficient resources and training, which results in few options to offer when providing care. The focus of this project is to explore the ways in which models of community-based organizations and acute care institutions (e.g., paramedics, police, and emergency department services) can collaboratively inform the most promising practices for emergency mental health response. The project aims to develop practices to support community members in need of emergency mental health assistance, especially people of lower socioeconomic status, Black and Indigenous communities, racialized people, LGBT2SQ+ and immigrant communities. Of particular interest for this project are non-medicalized, nontraditional approaches to mental health support, including peer support and approaches that account for social determinants of health. Article continued on next page…
Phase 1: Community-based dimension
x Conduct interviews, focus groups, and surveys with participants from community-based institutions Phase 2: Acute care institution dimension
x Conduct interviews, focus groups, and surveys with participants from acute care institutions, e.g., paramedic, police, emergency department services x Conduct observation in an emergency department setting, examining the ways in which those with mental health needs are processed through the emergency department Phase 3: Customizing models of care to meet emergency mental health care needs in the community. This phase brings together findings from the first two phases and engages both community-based and acute care institutions in a collaborative discussion to inform enhanced emergency mental health response. The aim of phase three is to co-develop customized models of care based on the findings and input of partner organizations to inform promising practices in emergency mental health response. Based on the findings from phase one and phase two, the research team in phase three will aim to develop policy recommendations, workshops and training content for relevant professions both pre-entry to practice and for working professionals. The research team is currently in the data collection phase. The team is connecting with management and frontline workers from the following settings: paramedic services, police services, emergency telecommunications (dispatch), the emergency department, and a range of community-based mental health organizations and related social services supports. Additionally, the research team is connecting with participants with lived experience of urgent mental health needs. Data collection entails interviews, focus groups, surveys. The research team also plans to conduct some field observation in emergency departments. Geographically, these different organizations are from various regions throughout Ontario. SPARK 47
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This research project highlights and develops practices that appropriately support all members of the community requiring emergency mental health support. In addition to a best practice model, the project aims to co-develop workshops and training for practitioners working in these fields.
The project is composed of three phases, of which phases one and two will occur simultaneously.
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MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CARE
Research team The Humber research team is co-led by Polly Ford-Jones as Principal Investigator and Sheryl Thompson and Danielle Pomeroy as Co-Investigators. The research team is collaborating with Dr. Simon Adam, an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health at York University, and Dr. Patrina Duhaney, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Along with the partner organizations, this multi-disciplinary team of researchers brings extensive academic and frontline experience from across care sectors. Polly Ford-Jones, AEMCA, MA, PhD., is a Professor in Allied Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness at Humber College. She is a practicing Primary Care Paramedic in southern Ontario and a qualitative researcher. Her research focuses on issues of health equity, the social determinants of health, and emergency prehospital mental health and psychosocial care. Sheryl Thompson, H.BSW, MSW, RSW, PhD.(c), is a Professor and Program Coordinator in the Emergency Telecommunications Program in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness at Humber College. Sheryl has a passion for infusing decolonizing practices along with equity, diversity and inclusion into curriculum and teaching. Sheryl is a Registered Social Worker and is the founder and clinical practice leader of a private practice providing services to individuals, groups, families, and communities. Sheryl has taught across programs at Humber, including Social Service Worker, Massage Therapy, Fire Services, and Emergency Telecommunications, a program in which she is also an alumnus. Danielle Pomeroy, BSW, MSW, RSW, is a Professor in the Police Foundations Program in the Faculty of Social & Community Services at Humber College. She is a Registered Social worker who has spent the past 22 years working within the criminal justice and mental health sectors. Danielle has extensive experience and training in children’s mental health, youth justice, crisis intervention, trauma, restorative justice, mindfulness, and family relationships. In addition to teaching, Danielle has a small private clinical practice.
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As the research project moves into year two, we asked the Humber research team about the project’s notable milestones so far. The research team noted: “We are excited about the momentum of the interviews that we have been conducting and have had more than 30 interview participants to date, with more scheduled. Another highlight was sharing our methods and some preliminary findings at the Paramedicine Across Canada Expo Pre-Conference research day in Saskatoon, SK in September 2022. We were also recently invited to present on the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of our project at the McMaster University 19th Annual Innovations in Palliative Care conference in early February. We are pleased to also have a manuscript just about ready for submission. We have had ongoing team meetings, training, and have been pleased to have two additional RAs join our team in this second year. The most encouraging highlight to date has been the strong interest, support, and enthusiasm in the project from community members and stakeholders.” —THE HUMBER RESEARCH TEAM
When asked about the milestones the team is looking forward to in 2023, the team responded: “We look forward to continuing data collection which will wrap up over the next several months, diving further into data analysis, collaborative meetings with our team, and partners, and both continuing and beginning development of some of our planned outputs from this work. Our team is looking forward to leading a workshop at the Centre for Social Innovation Workshop in April at the LAMP Community Health Centre.” —THE HUMBER RESEARCH TEAM
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c THE RESEARCH PROJECT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN CANADA’S INNOVATION LEADERS (CIL) 2022, WHICH SHOWCASES CANADA’S LEADING RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES, COMPANIES, HOSPITALS AND COLLEGES
Community partner organizations The research team is collaborating with Middlesex-London Paramedic Service (MLPS) and a community health centre to develop a best practice model for response to mental health crisis care. The community health centre is a multi-disciplinary, non-profit, community-led organization that delivers health and social services to its surrounding neighbourhood in Toronto. The organization has identified a significant gap in appropriate emergency mental health response for the disenfranchised communities they serve and the life and death consequences that these inadequate services may have. Through the partnership, the community health centre brings a wealth of experience in meeting the needs of local communities and identifying gaps in existing mental health supports.
MLPS is a regional paramedic service serving rural and urban populations in southwestern Ontario that provides 9-1-1 emergency medical response as well as ongoing community paramedicine to meet the needs of their communities. MLPS is a leader in mental health response and has established programs within their paramedic service to address the mental health calls they receive and create multiple options for emergency mental health care through an alternate destination program (optional transport to a crisis centre rather than emergency department), on-scene crisis response teams and interdisciplinary crisis response teams.
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Participation of students The contribution of the student research assistants makes up an integral component of the research project. The students receive supportive mentorship through training in conducting literature reviews, data collection, analysis and developing outputs for knowledge mobilization and involvement in team meetings and project planning. While
developing research skills in the field and working in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, the students gain meaningful experience and learn from experts across various disciplines. The research assistants currently participating in the project are Petra Meijer, Chiemela Iheanacho, and Maria Rahman.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXPERIENCE, PETRA AND CHIEMELA RESPONDED:
“In my role as research assistant, I learned about paramedic research and interdisciplinary collaboration between police, social work and paramedics in emergency situations. As paramedic students, we gain a lot of valuable knowledge about medical conditions and the standards of care for our jobs as paramedics, but we have limited time to understand the nonmedicalized aspects of our profession. Being a research assistant helped me develop a deeper understanding of mental health emergency calls and how I can better work together with allied services as a paramedic in the field. Being a research assistant really gave me the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge on this topic.”
“As a research assistant, I learned how to conduct research project in accordance with Canada’s legal, ethical and professional codes, and I also enhanced my ability to respond to equity, diversity, and cultural sensitivity in diverse populations. The research project has also informed my knowledge on how to develop policies and interventions centering on countering the effects of racism and other forms of discrimination that hamper access to essential services in underserved or marginalized populations.” — CHIEMELA IHEANACHO
—PETRA MEIJER
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE STUDENTS
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CARE
“Being part of this research project has for me personally bridged the gap between my previous career as a conservation biology researcher and now as a paramedic. I am able to use my academic skills to contribute to understanding new and innovative approaches to paramedicine and paramedic practice. Although I’m bound by our current standards in my practice as a primary care paramedic, I know that these standards are constantly evolving, and through my role as research assistant for this project, I learned how I can contribute towards better patient care and the evolution of the profession.”
SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
REFLECTING ON HOW WORKING AS A RESEARCH ASSISTANT INFLUENCED THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PETRA AND CHIEMELA STATED:
“Working as a research assistant with Dr. Polly and the team has inspired me to expedite my learning on developing discrimination-free interventional approaches and challenged me to expand my understanding in developing actionable recommendations. Hands-on experience in data analytics is crucial in my career projection, and this position has underlined its significance as well as the necessity for more certification in data analytical methodologies.” — CHIEMELA IHEANACHO
— PETRA MEIJER
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` PROJECT LEADS POLLY FORD-JONES AND SHERYL THOMPSON PRESENTING THE RESEARCH’S PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AT THE PARAMEDICINE ACROSS CANADA EXPO PRECONFERENCE RESEARCH DAY IN SASKATOON, SK IN SEPTEMBER 2022
PHOTO COURTESY OF POLLY FORD-JONES
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c HUMBER RESEARCH TEAM PRESENTING AT THE MCMASTER UNIVERSITY 19TH ANNUAL INNOVATIONS IN PALLIATIVE CARE CONFERENCE
Potential impact The anticipated impact of the research project is an improvement to emergency mental health responses, including co-developed customized models of care based on research findings and input across sectors and the development of policy recommendations, both for community and acute care sectors. In addition to improved models of care, resulting workshops and training for professionals working in emergency response fields have the potential to improve the quality of care provision and build capacity in the ongoing development of this field. It is anticipated that pilot models of care developed from the project will lead to continued study and adaptation, which has the potential to have a provincial impact and potentially national relevance for model development.
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TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF POLLY FORD-JONES. BOTTOM PHOTO BY RAWPIXEL ON SHUTTERSTOCK
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CARE
“…When I think of innovators, I think of people who are open to challenging the status quo to implement solutions that enhance the wellbeing of a community.”
—POLLY FORD-JONES, PHD.
—SHERYL THOMPSON
“Social innovation means implementing ways of knowing, being and doing that are grounded in practices that work, are inclusive and are meaningful to the people most impacted by them.” —DANIELLE POMEROY
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT POLLY, SHERYL AND DANIELLE
Polly
Favourite book: Stories about people’s lives are my preferred. Favourite researcher/innovator or research project: The Psychiatrization of Poverty: Rethinking the Mental HealthPoverty Nexus by China Mills. What does social innovation mean to you? Social innovation means investigating and developing new and innovative ways to meet community needs. Sheryl
Favourite movie: The Color Purple. Favourite researcher/innovator or research project: The Stanford study conducted on children’s delay of gratification using marshmallows. What does social innovation mean to you? Social innovation means finding new ways to address the community needs that may be non-traditional and encompasses worldviews that foster new ways of thinking
and being. When I think of innovators, I think of people who are open to challenging the status quo to implement solutions that enhance the wellbeing of a community. Danielle
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Favourite researcher/innovator or research project: Gabor Maté for his work on Addiction and Trauma and Kevin Cameron (North American Centre for Threat Assessment & Trauma Response) What does social innovation mean to you? Social innovation means implementing ways of knowing, being and doing that are grounded in practices that work, are inclusive and are meaningful to the people most impacted by them. For example, in our research, we know that a lot of current practices are not working in mental health and we need to hear what is working and do more of that as we look to create a better model for mental health crisis care.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE FACULTY MEMBERS
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“Social innovation means investigating and developing new and innovative ways to meet community needs.”
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Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution BY ESHA RANA
ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION (FWFN) MADE A POST ON FACEBOOK ABOUT THE HIGH CLUSTERS OF LEUKEMIA IN THEIR COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY IN AN AREA SOUTH OF THUNDER BAY. The people living in that 2.5-kilometer stretch were experiencing 500 times more incidents of leukemia than the national average. What was most concerning was that kids between 0 and 15 years old were also plagued by the disease. This is not an age range when leukemia occurs often. The community got in touch with Melanie Jeffrey, professor at the University of Toronto, who teaches Indigenous studies and is involved with toxicology and pharmacology in the human biology department. Through her, Fort William First Nation got in 54
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touch with Maria Jacome, PhD, P.Geo, professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) at Humber College and with Cristina Amon ScD, P.Eng., professor at the University of Toronto and Head of the Advanced Thermal/Fluid Optimization, Modelling and Simulation (ATOMS) Lab (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering). The project started with a conversation about trying to figure out what happened and pinpointing the sources of contamination in the area. Four possible points were discovered from where the contaminants may be reaching the groundwater which could be affecting the community. The investigators wrote a proposal to the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and were granted $360,000 from the College and Community Social Innovation Fund. ALL PROJECT PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIA JACOME
CARING FOR THE THUNDERBIRD’S NEST
Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project Maria was looking for community partners or industry partners even before the possibility of the project opened. She explains:
“In collaboration with the University of Toronto, my students at Humber and I were implementing a geophysical technology in Simcoe County. Not only did we successfully map the contamination flow that was going through the aquifer, but we could also map other contaminant flows that were migrating in different directions. The community we were working with were excited about these results and so were we. We wanted to apply the methodology and technology to other communities, so when we got in touch with Fort William First Nation and Professors Cristina Amon and Melanie Jeffrey, both at the University of Toronto, we found the perfect match. We had the technology, the experience, the students, the equipment and finally, we had a community that needed support in figuring out what was happening in their area.” —MARIA JACOME, PHD.
PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution » Principal Investigator Maria Jacome, PhD. » Collaborators Cristina Amon, PhD., Daniela Galatro, PhD., Melanie Jeffrey, PhD., Jason Bazylak, Vincenzo Costanzo, PhD. Community Partner Organization Fort William First Nation Research Assistants Aksnoor Singh Kamboj, Burton Lovell, Laura Meneghetti, Kristine Mustachi, Heinz Sfalsini, Szilard Szadvari, Gabriel Torres Start Year: 2022 End Year: 2025 Funding College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Project goals The goals of this interdisciplinary collaboration are five-fold: 1. Work in an ethic of care and reciprocity with FWFN and the land 2. Fully assess the industrial area to characterize it and identify prevention, management and remediation methods of the polluted sites 3. Co-produce culturally appropriate and accessible information to enable informed local decision-making now and in the future
4. Create pathways of ethical engagement with Indigenous community-driven research agendas for engineering students, enabling FWFN to become a “go-to, go through” community for student training on complex environmental problem solving 5. Build a culturally safe nest to develop community capacity and mentor Indigenous students in environmental engineering and interdisciplinary studies in an Indigenous community setting
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CARING FOR THE THUNDERBIRD’S NEST
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` THUNDERBIRD RESEARCH TEAM DOING FIELD WORK IN THE AREA SOUTH OF THUNDER BAY
Research team Maria Jacome teaches in the programs of Civil Engineering Technology and Bachelor of Engineering—the Built Environment. She holds a PhD in Earth Sciences and a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sciences and Engineering. As a professor, she has supervised undergraduate and graduate students in applied geophysics and civil and environmental engineering. In the past few years, she has been using shallow geophysical techniques—in particular, the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Geoelectrical Profiling—for geotechnical and environmental applications. She has led a series of projects, involving the Department of Capital Development and Facilities Management at Humber College, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), an NSERC grant working with Simcoe County, and DGI Geoscience. Cristina Amon is Alumni Distinguished Professor, University Professor and Dean Emerita (2006-2019) of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto (UofT). She is the Scientific Director of the UofT’s Electrification Hub and Director of the ATOMS Laboratory. She has led the way in the field of computational fluid dynamics and the development of multidisciplinary multiscale hierarchical modelling, concurrent design and optimization methodologies for fluid and transport phenomena, with applications to biomedical devices, and thermal management of electronics, electric vehicles and renewable energy. She was also appointed to the Order of Canada and inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Canada, Hispanic Engineer Hall of Fame, Spanish Royal Academy and National Academy of Engineering. When she was Dean of the UofT’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, Cristina spearheaded the development of several innovative outreach programs to Indigenous communities. As such, it was almost natural for her to embark on a new project that would involve a First Nation’s public health and welfare. Speaking on the impact of the project, Cristina says, “Through this project, we have created interdisciplinary bridges with the community in a nest of cultural safety and care. Besides 56 JUNE 2023
“Through this project, we have created interdisciplinary bridges with the community in a nest of cultural safety and care […] the results of this kind of study are meant to build local and Indigenous capacity to monitor and remediate lands, enabling community leaders to develop a regulatory framework based on Indigenous values for land use and to make evidence-based decisions to protect the health of current and future generations.” —CRISTINA AMON
making pollutant profiles visible and manageable, the research has the added value of using a mixed methodology that goes beyond a pure engineering approach. It brings together people from different backgrounds (i.e., colleges, universities, and the FWFN Community) and disciplines (e.g., social science, civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering, geophysics, human biology, Indigenous populations, and public health) to work in a culturally grounded Integrated Translation Knowledge framework. In addition, the results of this kind of study are meant to build local and Indigenous capacity to monitor and remediate lands, enabling community leaders to develop a regulatory framework based on Indigenous values for land use and to make evidencebased decisions to protect the health of current and future generations.” Daniela Galatro is a chemical engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the design, optimization, start-up and operation of oil & gas, refining, petrochemical and chemical production plants, as well as flow assurance, data analysis and computer
CARING FOR THE THUNDERBIRD’S NEST
—DANIELA GALATRO
process modelling and simulation. A culture enthusiast, she has extensive experience abroad in Canada, Germany, Venezuela, China, Russia and other countries. In November 2020, Daniela joined the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream. She teaches heat and mass transfer, databased modelling for prediction and control, team strategies for engineering design, plant design and petroleum processing. She also conducts engineering education research and has recently developed hybrid approaches for modelling landfills and a novel model for predicting degradation in lithium-ion batteries. As the co-applicant for this project, Daniela will transfer her experience to assess remediation and post-remediation monitoring techniques in contaminated sites. She will also provide expertise in machine learning methods employed for prediction purposes. She is excited about engaging with fieldwork and acknowledges the quality of their experience till now, “This experience has been incredibly satisfying. I’m working with an extraordinary multidisciplinary team of researchers and students and with the community of Fort William First Nation. The community is the centre of this project. We are applying a hybrid technology that combines engineering, human biology, Indigenous populations and public health approaches in an integrated translation framework with the ultimate goal of caring about a sacred site, the Anemki Wajiiw, also known as Mount McKay.”
Melanie Jeffrey is a settler of English, Irish and Scottish descent from Parry Sound, on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg in the Williams Treaties area. Her more recent ancestors have roots across Ontario, from Red Lake to Oakville. She is an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies & Human Biology at the University of Toronto and has two postdoctoral fellowships to her name—one from Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health and the other from the University of Toronto in Fundamental Neurobiology. Her graduate degree is a PhD. in Pharmacology and Toxicology (University of Toronto, 2014). Working with Indigenous persons and their allies guides Melanie’s path in teaching and research. Elders have suggested that it is her role is to be a bridge between Indigenous and western ways of knowing in the academy. Melanie’s research interests include the health of peoples and lands, land-based healing, determinants of health, holistic health and the nexus between Indigenous Knowledge Systems and western health and ecological sciences. She is involved with Indigenous communities in northern Ontario investigating their cancer burden and environmental contaminants. Since the Fort William First Nation community reached out to her first about industrial carcinogens and the unusual leukaemia cluster, she is now the primary community contact for the project. Describing her role and experience on the project, Melanie says, “These conversations began to build our relationship and trust in 2019, years before the funded study began. I am a settler scientist (pharmacology & toxicology) with some training in Indigenous ways of knowing and being. So, I bring people from diverse disciplines together to answer the community’s questions about where it is safe to live, work and play. I am thrilled that we have the CCSIF grant together with Dr. Jacome to bring the students Article continued on next page… SPARK 57
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“This experience has been incredibly satisfying. I’m working with an extraordinary multidisciplinary team of researchers and students and with the community of Fort William First Nation (FWFN). The community is the centre of this project. We are applying a hybrid technology that combines engineering, human biology, Indigenous populations and public health approaches in an integrated translation framework with the ultimate goal of caring about a sacred site, the Anemki Wajiiw, also known as Mount McKay.”
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CARING FOR THE THUNDERBIRD’S NEST
to learn, in and with community, about complex environmental problems. A highlight of the project for me was our fieldwork trip in October when the local Council hosted a dinner for our team to thank us for our work in the community.”
Community partner organization
Jason Bazylak brings his engineering, education, and design experience to his role as a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. He currently coordinates an award winning first year design course (Engineering Strategies and Practice), conducts research into reducing the under-representation of women and Indigenous people in engineering, and is the Dean’s Advisor on Indigenous Initiatives. Professor Bazylak started his career as a manufacturing engineer in a new product introduction division of a large telecommunication manufacturer. He returned to academia joining the University of Victoria first as an engineering co-operative education coordinator and then as an engineer-in-residence. He joined the University of Toronto as a teaching stream professor where he is heavily involved in design education. He most recently won the Hart Teaching Innovative Professorship for his work to increase engineering engagement with Indigenous students and communities.
Thunderbirds (Anemkiig) are powerful and protective creators, helpers, messengers and healers, bringing rain, wind, thunder and lightning.
Fort William First Nation which is an Ojibwa First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada, is collaborating with Maria and her team on this project. Its administrative headquarters are in the south of Thunder Bay. Comprised of both Native and non-Native community members, the community has 2,798 registered Band members. The Fort William Reserve was created in 1853 under the conditions of the 1850 Robinson-Superior Treaty. Since then, Fort William has developed an excellent track record of its dealings with government and private industry in order to become self-sustaining and a hub of Northwestern Ontario aboriginal business and communities. It is dedicated to supporting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of its people for the overall wellbeing of the community. Cristina explains that all the research team’s projects with Fort William First Nation refer to ‘caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest’, a sacred site at the summit of Anemki Wajiiw (Mount McKay) overlooking Thunder Bay. According to Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) traditions, Thunderbirds (Anemkiig) are powerful and protective creators, helpers, messengers and healers, bringing rain, wind, thunder and lightning.
Participation of students In addition to the investigators, the research team also includes six research assistants from different programs at Humber. Heinz Sfalsini was responsible for collecting and analyzing the data collected in Thunder Bay with Maria and the other project members. He shares his experience as follows:
“Dr. Jacome has been extremely knowledgeable and has provided me with an immense amount of support throughout the entire process. Her expertise and guidance have been invaluable, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with her. This project has a deep impact on the community of Thunder Bay, and I’m excited to see what more can be done, including being part of it in the future.” —HEINZ SFALSINI
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Milestones Even though the project is in its early, data-collection stages, its impact has started to seep through. The students were fascinated because they had the opportunity to see how the community was suffering and how the First Nation has been historically affected by different sources of contamination. Maria states: “Most of my students came after the field work totally changed. Their perspective on the application of engineering to help society changed completely when they saw the challenges that this community has experienced for the past 200 years. They have been affected not only by environmental contamination, but by a series of social and economic problems.”
Challenges The remediation costs for this project are expensive, but the biggest challenge by far that Maria has encountered has been working with the environmental industry. She explains that it is challenging to obtain accurate and thorough information on what has been affecting (the soil and the water). The information is either redtaped, or when available, is not presented in an easily understandable format. As a result, the team must wade through thick hard copy documents and a mountain of data to understand what has been done to the toxic areas. Maria finds this akin to detective work.
—MARIA JACOME
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Potential impact The project aims to enable more informed decision-making amongst the Fort William First Nation community. The research team’s efforts will culminate with an integrated and complete map of the site along with the relevant chemical data, environmental data, geophysical data and geoelectrical data. The aim is to create an accurate picture of what is environmentally affecting the area. With a realistic view in hand, the community will be able to make an appropriate decision about what to do with the land – do they remediate, or do they move? The community can
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also arrive at alternate ways to use the land, since the current area could be unfit for residential purposes. The effects of the project will ripple out to other communities, as Cristina explains, “Evaluating our research with the future in mind and sharing the process and methods we are developing to respond to Fort William First Nation’s concerns will open new avenues of exploration with other Indigenous communities with complex mixtures of environmental pollutants and self-determination agendas.”
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“A large part of social innovation is not only teaching them how to develop new skills but also openly listening to their needs and their problem-solving abilities.” –MARIA JACOME, PHD. ` THE RESEARCH TEAM WITH THEIR GEOELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MARIA
What are your favourite books?
I am reading a book called The Biology of Belief which is written by Bruce Lipton who is a developmental biologist. The book talks about how whatever you have in your mind controls your biology as well, so your mind and your body are interconnected. He basically proved that your mindset affects the cells in your body. I found this interesting because all the diseases that you have might be also affected by your brain. The Little Prince is a book I still love. I read it when I was a kid, and it is so beautifully done. It is written for kids, but when you read it as an adult, there is still so much to learn. What do you do outside of work?
I really love dancing. For me, it is a way to express myself. As soon as I start to dance, all my problems go away, my endorphin levels are up, and I am like a new woman. So, I do Zumba for an hour daily. I also have a dog and I love walking him and spending time with him every day.
Is there anything that keeps you up at night?
As a single mom, I am a very busy person. My mother also lives with me, so I am a caregiver as well. I have a full-time job that I love, plus this research project that I am very passionate about. I have so many balls in the air, and this is what keeps me up at night. But I am happy with my life too. I feel blessed. What does social innovation mean to you?
I think it’s a way of helping either a community, a company, or a non-governmental organization in solving a problem in a way that is more effective—particularly cost-effective—than other ways. A large part of social innovation is not only teaching them how to develop new skills but also openly listening to their needs and their problemsolving abilities.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
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Indsights: A Window Into the Indigenous Economy BY SARAN DAVAAJARGAL
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PROJECT IN A SNAPSHOT
Project Name Indsights: A Window Into the Indigenous Economy » Principal Investigator Audrey Wubbenhorst
c SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH CUSTOMER
HUMBER COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION THROUGH THREE MAIN PILLARS DEFINED IN ITS 2018-2023 STRATEGIC PLAN— DEVELOPING CAREER-READY CITIZENS, PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION AND BUILDING A HEALTHY AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY. One of Humber’s key priorities in the pillar of accessible education is creating a culturally meaningful environment that recognizes the historical and current context of Indigenous peoples. As part of this commitment, Humber’s faculty members, researchers and scholars are continually engaging in research that seeks to integrate more Indigenous knowledge into the curriculum.
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Community Partner Organization Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Research Assistants James Henebry, Patrycja Szkudlarek, and Lisa Post Start Year: 2021 End Year: 2024 Funding College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) funding of $360,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
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INDSIGHTS
While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for more Indigenous content in Canadian classrooms, there is little available content for postsecondary professors to refer to and rely on. A prominent example of such a research project is Indsights: A Window into the Indigenous Economy led by Principal Investigator Audrey Wubbenhorst, professor in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts at Humber. The research project addresses questions such as: How does Indigenous economic development challenge Western assumptions and colonization? What can be learned through examples of Indigenous economic development? What content can be created to meaningfully engage with Indigenous knowledge in the classroom? The research team is writing a number of case studies from across Canada reflecting the diversity of Indigenous communities. The case studies feature Indigenous stories of entrepreneurs, partnerships and collaborations that have led to positive, meaningful outcomes to shine a light on barriers facing Indigenous Canadians while simultaneously demonstrating positive examples of economic leadership and innovation. As of January 2023, the research team has published three case studies on Pawgwasheeng Economic Development Corporation, Birch Bark Coffee Company, and Shades Of Gray Indigenous Pet Treats, along with their teaching notes. By the end of the project, the team expects to develop around 15 case studies. The project received a College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grant ($360,000) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in 2021.
Through collaboration with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, the research team aims to share many of the positive stories relating to Indigenous economic development, which exist but have been largely untold. Given the shortage of content in this area, the project will fill the current gap in business case literature for educators to use in their classrooms. The project also aims to inspire students and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions through positive, meaningful and engaging content.
Project goals and timeline This project will support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendation by: x Developing new curriculum content so that Indigenous and non-Indigenous students have access to engaging business cases exemplifying role models and best practices in Indigenous economic development x •Supporting teachers and professors with current, inclusive content that is free and accessible x Raising the profile of successful businesses representing the diverse Indigenous economy x Underscoring the power of economic development in contributing to wider issues such as poverty alleviation, self-esteem and social purpose The project is expected to last for three years, from 2021 to 2024.
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Inspiration for conducting social innovation research project
INDSIGHTS
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Research team The research project team is led by Audrey Wubbenhorst. Audrey is a professor teaching public relations and digital communications at Humber College where she has received a number of research grants to research and write case studies on the impact of social media on businesses. Audrey has had broad exposure to many community partners and partnership models that have led to innovative change at the grassroots level. Audrey has an MA in Communications and an MBA. When asked about the most valued benefit of conducting the research project, Audrey states, “Every research project provides great content material to discuss and further study in class due to its relatability with students. It is amazing, as a college, to be able to deliver such research opportunities to students, which is not very common, in addition to providing them with employment prospects.”
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Community partner organization The research team is led by Humber College with direct input from researchers at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). Founded in 1982, CCAB is committed to the full participation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s economy. As a national, nonpartisan business association with over 1200 members, CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to its members to foster economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples and businesses across Canada.
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Participation of students SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Research assistants who have been working on the project are James Henebry, Patrycja Szkudlarek, and Lisa Post.
HERE IS WHAT THE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE PROJECT:
“Working as a research assistant has taught me to be curious, to ask questions, and to immerse myself in something that I often know little about. In doing so, this experience has given me the opportunity to challenge old ideas and contribute new ideas and knowledge that hopefully can push society forward and lead to broader change.” —JAMES HENEBRY
“Working on the Indsights project has been a great hands-on experience! In the short amount of time I have been with the team, I have learned a lot about the inner workings of the research process and what it means to be part of collaborative change in this field. From the various stages involved in building partnerships with community members to the dissemination process of our work, I am discovering more every step of the way” —PATRYCJA SZKUDLAREK
REFLECTING ON HOW THE EXPERIENCE MADE AN IMPACT ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, JAMES AND PATRYCJA SAID:
“When I first began working on the Indsights research project as a research assistant, I was a student in the Humber Research Analyst post-graduate program. This role allowed me to use some of the skills that we learned in the program and apply them to a realworld research setting. This hands-on experience has allowed me to grow my research skills while simultaneously developing new skills that I can take with me as I continue in my research career.” —JAMES HENEBRY
“This position has challenged my knowledge and skills and is teaching me to think more critically and objectively when it comes to my work. Collaborating with my colleagues has been incredibly helpful in this and has given me a new perspective on working as part of a dynamic team. Being part of such meaningful work has also been a rewarding experience both personally and professionally, and I am excited to continue learning from Audrey, James, and members of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB).” — PATRYCJA SZKUDLAREK
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Interview with Andy Avgerinos, Project Manager, Research, at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)
Interested in learning more about the project from its community partner organization? Our Humber Press team sat down with Andy Avgerinos, Project Manager, Research, at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). Watch the video to learn more about the project from CCAB’s perspective. Interview with Andy Avgerinos (https://youtu.be/OCD0mrg74_o)
Read the Case study on Pawgwasheeng Economic Development Corporation
Case Study: Pawgwasheeng Economic Development Corporation https://youtu.be/gARnqdcT44A
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INDSIGHTS
Read the Case study on Birch Bark Coffee Company SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
Case Study—Birch Bark Coffee Company https://youtu.be/EFycaDe3jak
Read the Case study on Shades of Gray Indigenous Pet Treats
Case Study—Shades of Gray Indigenous Pet Treats https://youtu.be/VmlPgy2EnXw
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INDSIGHTS
“Every research project provides great content material to discuss and further study in class due to its relatability with students. It is amazing, as a college, to be able to deliver such research opportunities to students, which is not very common, in addition to providing them with employment prospects.” —AUDREY WUBBENHORST
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INDSIGHTS
Potential impact
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT AUDREY
SOCIAL INNOVATION: PROJECT OVERVEIW
The research project has the potential for innovative impact on several fronts. According to the Indigenous Economic Progress Report, “Indigenous economic development and participation […] if addressed would boost Canada’s economy by $27.7 billion annually” (The National Indigenous Economic Development Board, 2019). Not only does Indigenous economic development benefit local communities and Indigenous people, but it also has significant potential to make a substantial contribution to the Canadian economy. The National Indigenous Economic Development Board has been tracking a wide variety of economic measures such as employment rates, income, as well as high school, college and university completion. Through positive storytelling, this project aims to make an impact on these measures by showcasing role models and innovative business models. At the granular level, by providing Indigenous curriculum, the project team hopes to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and businesspeople who will, in turn, create jobs and employment opportunities in their communities.
What is your favourite books? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What do you do when you’re not working?
Spending time with my children, travelling. What does social innovation mean to you?
It is a way we can creatively problem-solve challenges. It allows for different ways of collaborating to create something new, to solve problems and fill gaps. What keeps you up at night?
Planning ahead and thinking of the next steps for the project.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
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SOCIAL INNOVATION
Participatory health research with migrants: Opportunities, challenges, and way forwards While migration is a politically pressing issue, migrant health is less talked about. This research focuses on addressing opportunities and challenges in relation to migrant health. It aims to contribute to a shift from a deficit model that sees migrants as passively affected by policies to their reconceptualization as citizens who are engaged in the co-creation of solutions. It was conducted by Maria Roura from the University College Cork, Ireland; Sonia Dias from Universidade NOVA de Lisboa & Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), Portugal; Joseph W. LeMaster from Kansas University Medical School, United States; and Anne MacFarlane from University of Limerick, Ireland.
The Influence of Marketing Capability in Mexican Social Enterprises
Social Innovation Around the World BY JANICE SAJI
In this issue of SPARK, we deep dive into social innovation projects happening in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, with a focus on projects led by Humber College faculty and researchers. But what’s happening around the world? To gauge the global progress in social innovation, we looked up social innovation projects taking place all around the world. Read along to see what each continent is doing in the field of social innovation—and you never know, this might just be the inspiration that could spark your next project!
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This project examines the effect of marketing capability on social innovation and its effect on social and economic value creation, while controlling for firm size among social enterprises in Mexico. It found that social innovation was a robust predictor of social value, with important implications for social and economic sustainability. The research was carried out by Judith Cavazos-Arroyo from Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, Mexico, and Rogelio Puente-Diaz from Universidad Anahuac, Mexico.
Design for social innovation between university and the broader society: A mutual learning process This project focuses on identifying how to encourage university-community engagement with local communities and disadvantaged groups. The study was developed using a research through design approach and includes considerations of the Brazilian policies (and their qualitative framework) regarding the relationship between university and the rest of society. It was conducted by Carla Cipolla and Rita Afonso from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Bibiana de Oliveira Serpa from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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South America
Relationship between innovation and sustainability in Latin American countries: Differences by perceptual characteristics of early-stage entrepreneurs This research by Gustavo Barrera Verdugo, from Universidad de Las Américas, Chile, evaluates the relationship between innovation and sustainability in Latin American early-stage entrepreneurship.
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Thinking Together Digitalization and Social Innovation in Rural Areas: An Exploration of Rural Digitalization Projects in Germany In this project, Ariane Sept, from the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space Erkner, Germany, seeks to systematically think together digitalization and social innovation in rural areas. This is done by exploring rural digitalization projects in Germany. The paper highlights the spectrum of these initiatives and provides a framework under which digitalization and social innovation can be analyzed and smart villages may be supported systematically.
Europe
Co-production and social innovation in street-level employability services: Lessons from services with lone parents in Scotland The United Kingdom has been characterized as in the vanguard of “work-first” activation—deploying high levels of compulsion and standardized employability services that seek to move people from welfare to work as quickly as possible. However, despite the extension of welfare conditionality to excluded groups such as lone parents, government-led, work-first employability programmes have often proved ineffective at assisting the most vulnerable to escape poverty or even just to progress in the labour market. In this paper, Colin Lindsay and Anne Marie Cullen from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom, and Will Eadson, Sarah Pearson and Elaine Batty from the Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom, argue that alternative approaches, defined by co-production and social innovation, have the potential to be more successful.
An exploratory study of local social innovation initiatives for sustainable poverty reduction in Nigeria The eradication of extreme poverty remains an intractable global challenge. This paper, by Olubunmi Ipinnaiye, from the University of Limerick, Ireland, and Femi Olaniyan from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, explores social innovation as a strategy for fostering sustainable poverty reduction in a developing country, Nigeria.
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Africa
Bridging the health inequality gap: an examination of South Africa’s social innovation in health landscape In this study, Katusha de Villiers, from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa, aims to demonstrate the capacity for social innovation in health with respect to South Africa and highlights some current innovations that respond to issues of health equity such as accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. The study highlights that interaction and collaboration between the government and non-state actors is critical for an integrated and effective delivery system for both health and social care.
SOCIAL INNOVATION
Future Research of the Housing Supply System in Iran’s Metropolises: A Case Study of Ahvaz Metropolis Masoud Safaeepour and Fahime Fadaei Jazi, from the Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran, aimed to identify the effective factors in the future state of housing planning in Ahvaz metropolis, Iran, through this research. The findings show that the seven factors of migration, marginalization, weakening of the value of national currency, low ability to pay loans, increase in land prices, insignificant credit facilities, and lack of an integrated and coordinated management system in the housing sector had the most impacts and key roles in the system.
Exploring social innovation through co-creation in rural India using action research
Asia
Social innovation (SI) has been promoted by policymakers to address various social issues in the context of diminishing government resources. It is, however, difficult to assess the efficiency of SI-based public policies, as the process of SI itself remains largely nebulous. This paper by Souresh Cornet and Saswat Barpandais, from the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India, aims to better understand this process with a focus on its early stage, until the point of identifying a socially innovative idea and in the context of disadvantaged rural communities in India.
Assembling an innovative social housing project in Melbourne: mapping the potential for social innovation This research by Katrina Raynor, from the University of Melbourne, Australia, highlights the role of community housing providers as ‘pivot points’ in the social housing sector and acknowledges the importance of credibility, funding, legislative change and construction innovation in scaling housing social innovations. Oceania Towards understanding social innovation in multicultural societies: Implications of Māori cultural values for social innovation in New Zealand Anne de Bruin and Christine Read, from Massey University, New Zealand, argue through this paper that heterogeneous societies with diverse cultures have an expanded space of possibilities for developing social innovations. They do this by highlighting the capacity of Māori values, encompassed in an ecosystem of Māori social institutions, to catalyse social innovation in New Zealand.
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` DAY 2 OF THE OPEN HOUSE. PRESENTING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANTHONY SAMMARCO, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY FOR DEVICE SOLUTIONS INC. CHRIS LAMB,CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, DEVICE SOLUTIONS, CTO, PBS NORTH CAROLINA, RED GRASSO, DIRECTOR, FIRSTECH PROGRAM, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, AND FRED ENGEL PRESENTING THE ATSC 3.0 FIRST RESPONDER DEMO
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BROADCASTBROADBAND CONVERGENCE B²C LAB CELEBRATES LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY AT THEIR OPEN HOUSE BY JANICE SAJI
HISTORY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN LIFE. For instance, let’s look at communication. From letters to telegraphs to telephones to radio to television and then the internet, generations of humanity can be mapped out by the primary mode of communication technology they used. And as it is in the ever-changing landscape of technology, communications technology is heading into a new era. Ushering this new change is the Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab, that focuses on further developing a new television broadcast and datacasting transmission technology. The Lab’s Open House was a celebration of this new evolution.
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The Open House held on May 11 and May 12, 2023, at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI), Humber College, Toronto, explored multi-sectoral applications of the new ATSC 3.0 television broadcast standard.
Setting the Stage for a Revolutionary Convergence of Technologies The two worlds of television broadcasting and data delivery come together in the Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab, creating an opportunity to not only develop a wave of new applications, B2B and B2C models, but also offer new potential for social innovation. ATSC 3.0 offers the ability to design and deploy first responder communications networks, emergency alerting use case applications and remote education applications, all of which were discussed in depth at the Open House, to create opportunities for the development of ideas with huge civic impact.
d MADELEINE NOLAND, PRESIDENT AT ADVANCED TELEVISION SYSTEMS COMMITTEE, DELIVERING OPENING STATEMENTS
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d DR. ANN-MARIE VAUGHAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HUMBER COLLEGE, DELIVERING OPENING STATEMENTS
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For Humber, the multidisciplinary nature of the 3.0 standard and its ability to converge with other global data delivery standards (including 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) creates opportunities across different faculties and areas, including liberal arts and sciences, RF and computer science engineering, software development, AI and machine learning, journalism and broadcast production. During the initial stages of exploring the ATSC 3.0 standard, Orest Sushko, Director of B²C Lab, noted the importance of establishing an industry research lab that could explore the application of global data delivery standards in a heterogeneous capacity. While there are dedicated labs exploring 5G applications, it became evident that further research into the convergence of ATSC 3.0 and 5G would address a capacity gap and unlock tremendous potential in the industry through the unique value proposition the combination delivers. This is what inspired him to set out on an uncharted course and create the B²C Lab. Ginger Grant PhD., Dean of Research & Innovation, Humber College, recalls Orest’s first visit to her in August 2019 along with his Associate Dean, Andrew Ainsworth, from Humber’s School of Media Studies & Information Technology. He was a brand-new faculty member and had an idea that intrigued her.
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“I had never heard of ATSC 3.0, and I was intrigued by the possibilities being described. Orest had been exploring the use of this technology for a while and was convinced it was worth studying. We have a small funding pipeline that allows ORI to explore potential new areas of applied research. The more Orest talked, the more excitement grew. We agreed to sponsor an ATSC 3.0 seminar in January 2020 – the rest is history!” —GINGER GRANT PHD., DEAN OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Orest notes that broadcast-broadband convergence takes the ATSC 3.0 standard out of the realm of just television and brings it into the world of IoT and the connected world through applications such as sending data to cars, and a myriad of broadcast data delivery functions that can serve smart cities. If the television broadcast industry can move towards implementing an all IP-based model through ATSC 3.0, it can in-turn help other industries digitally transform. This brings the broadcast silo down and offers new opportunities in a wholly connected world. The Lab provides stakeholders from both industries an opportunity to explore and experiment with both ATSC 3.0 and 5G.
“There are specific strengths and advantages offered with both 5G and ATSC 3.0. In our Open House, we tried to present a variety of presentations and demonstrations allowing people to understand the value proposition of both together, and how they can complement each other.” —OREST SUSHKO, DIRECTOR, B²C LAB
ATSC 3.0 offers much greater transmission spectral efficiency over the current ATSC 1.0 standard. Another highly advantageous aspect of ATSC 3.0 is the additional layer of security available. Since the data is being sent over the air, stakeholders can encrypt and decrypt that data to secure the content being sent over the system. Ginger notes that beyond being a new television transmission standard, ATSC 3.0 is internet-protocol (IP) based so it can also serve as a ‘one-to-many’ internet data delivery system that offers many new business models for broadcasters.
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“Think of ATSC 3.0 as the 407—the ability to move traffic away from other ‘highways’ that are congested or blocked. Think of what education could look like if we could reach where the internet is not able to go. Think of the speed of emergency response systems if we could target specific geographical locations. ATSC can carry multiple channels of IP data as information on a single broadcast stream. This type of technology integration will help us in an emergency when the internet goes down. ATSC 3.0 can be summed up as a technology that will drive our digital entertainment and communication devices.” —GINGER GRANT PHD., DEAN OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION
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` DAY 2 OF THE OPEN HOUSE. ANTHONY SAMMARCO, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY FOR DEVICE SOLUTIONS INC. CO-PRESENTING ON ATSC 3.0 FIRST RESPONDER DEMO
B²C Lab Open House: A Marketplace of Ideas The two-day event delivered ten presentations by industry leaders, research scientists, lab industry partners and stakeholders, including Triveni Digital, Sinclair Broadcasting Group/ONE Media, CRC Ottawa, ETRI South Korea, Avateq Corp and PBS North Carolina, who shared with the attendees current and upcoming developments on ATSC 3.0. While the demonstrations and discussions reflected broader broadcast industry interests, most notably in the U.S. (where the standard has already been adopted), including new datacasting features, the focus of the developments was the same— improving people’s lives by delivering new services to consumers and businesses. The innovations ranged from improving emergency response services to creating remote learning spaces for regions without access to consistent internet to advancing in-vehicle travel leisure experiences.
Over 100 participants, including Canadian and U.S. industry stakeholders, a global community of research scientists, Humber faculty, staff, and students, attended the event. For presenters and participants alike, it was an event to remember. Fred Engel, the Chief Technology Officer at PBS North Carolina, was impressed by the involvement of young people in the broadcast industry in Canada and the space provided by Humber College to nurture their interests.
“The broadcast industry in the United States tends to be for the technology people, who usually tend to be kind of older, like I am. So, it’s very rewarding to see a lot of young people here at Humber College display interest in this technology.” —FRED ENGEL, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, PBS NORTH CAROLINA
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For Sunhyoung Kwon, a researcher at Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), South Korea, the highlight of the Open House was presenting his project that uses broadcast-broadband convergence to improve media content delivery in vehicles.
“I was amazed at the research conducted by PBS North Carolina on emergency response systems and testing of ATSC 3.0 adoption on cell phones in India. There were so many interesting projects underway not just in North America, but in India, South Korea and Spain. I am so thankful that Orest Sushko brought this incredible idea to Humber. It has put us on a world stage for technological and social innovation and shows the power of applied research.” —GINGER GRANT PHD., DEAN OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION
In her presentation, Madeleine Noland, President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee Inc. (ATSC), highlighted the opportunities this technology creates for people from different sectors such as Liberal Arts.
Hear what Industry Leaders had to say about the B2C Lab Open House (https://youtu.be/oWqTgCq8APw)
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“The broadcast industry is currently reinventing itself. Realizing that it cannot continue operating the way it presently does, and always has, the industry is now in need of people with contemporary skills.” —MADELEINE NOLAND, PRESIDENT, ADVANCED TELEVISION SYSTEMS COMMITTEE INC. (ATSC)
A common highlight for many participants was the opportunity to engage and network with various stakeholders working with the same technology as them.
Being able to meet different people, audience members and participants, and being able to have those conversations that inspire thoughts that I didn’t realize, or learn about experiences I didn’t have, was very valuable for me.” —RED GRASSO, DIRECTOR OF THE FIRST RESPONDER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES (FIRSTTECH) PROGRAM, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Orest says while the Open House was hosted to provide an update regarding the technology to the industry, it also offered an opportunity to create engagement amongst attendees and facilitate new conversations that could lead to new collaborations.
B 2C LAB
Opportunities for Collaboration with the B²C Lab Opportunities to engage, explore and collaborate at the B²C Lab abound. If a company or organization has a capacity gap or a need for innovation involving any of the technology solutions the lab offers (ATSC 3.0, 5G or RF anechoic testing chamber facilities), they are welcome to reach out to the B²C Lab to find out more about engagement options to support their objectives and goals. The lab works with the stakeholder to determine the research budget, the methodology required to create the innovation, and the outcomes and deliverables to complete the project.
“A huge advantage for industry stakeholders is that all the intellectual property they create in the B²C Lab remains with them. Humber College does not retain IP; it all stays with the partner, and they are free to bring those innovations to market.” —OREST SUSHKO, DIRECTOR, B²C LAB
The research team working on B²C Lab’s projects are typically comprised of industry partners, Humber College faculty experts and student research assistants.
“We are a 100% front-facing industry research lab and keep students at the centre of the experience.” —OREST SUSHKO, DIRECTOR, B²C LAB
Moving Forward through Research and Innovation
c TOP: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANTHONY SAMMARCO, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY FOR DEVICE SOLUTIONS INC. CHRIS LAMB,CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, DEVICE SOLUTIONS, CTO, PBS NORTH CAROLINA, RED GRASSO, DIRECTOR, FIRSTECH PROGRAM, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, AND FRED ENGEL PRESENTING THE ATSC 3.0 FIRST RESPONDER DEMO BOTTOM: OREST SUSHKO, DIRECTOR OF THE B2C LAB, DELIVERING PRESENTATION ABOUT THE LAB
The Open House was a celebration of advancing technology, the opportunities it creates and the potential for the digital transformation of a variety of industries. The event offered an insightful look into the vast possibilities for innovation that result from the ATSC 3.0-5G convergence.
projects slated for later this year once the integration of the 5G core network is completed. Current lab applied research projects include the development of an ATSC 3.0 Inter-Tower Communications Network, development of a Broadcast Core Network, as well as a drone RF measurement project.
The B²C Lab is currently working on several research projects with industry partners including Pelmorex, Avateq and Sinclair Broadcast Group. There are several upcoming research
Learn more about ways to get involved in research projects taking place at Humber.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
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INNOVATION WORKSHOP BUFFET 2.0 RE F RE S H E D WORKSHOP M E N U!
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch provided*
Workshop Series (11am-3pm), nurturing the skills Innovation FREE required for the New World of Work in all sectors. Workshop The Office of Research & Innovation (ORI) is proud to Humber staff and students to our Summer 2023 Buffet 2.0 invite Innovation Workshop Buffet 2.0. All seven (7) sessions
SUMMER 2023!
are free and provided by our team of experts.
SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY! ¨ Click the links in the schedule to learn more and register! ¨ OR Visit us at humber.ca/research/upcoming-events
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU AT THE TABLE! For questions, contact Raeshelle Morris-Griffith at: Raeshelle.Morris@humber.ca *Dietary requirements can be indicated on the registration form.
Design For Change: Unleash the Power of Empathy
June 13
Designing Experiences: Engaging Through the 4MAT Model
June 15
Unlocking Creative Solutions: Exploring your Profile and the Problem-Solving Process
June 20
From Data to Impact: How to Use Excel and Tableau to Make Business Easy
July 5
Values In Action: Discovering How Values Drive Innovation
July 12
nleashing the Hero Within: Embark on the Journey of Creating U the Culture of Innovation
July 19
Thriving Together: Cultivating Organizational Health with a Growth Mindset
August 2
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HOME
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DEVELOP YOUR SPARK
WHAT’S ON OUR BOOKSHELVES
Title: A Confederacy of
Title: Bless the Daughter
Title: Design-driven
Title: Zen and the Art of
Dunces
Raised by a Voice in Her Head
Motorcycle Maintenance
Author:
Author:
John Kennedy Toole
Warsan Shire
Recommended by: Daniel Bear, PhD. About: This tragiconomic
Recommended by: Salomeh Ahmadi About: In her first full-
Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean
tale follows a 30-year-old medievalist, Ignatius J. Reilly, who lives at home with his mother in New Orleans and pens his magnum opus on Big Chief writing pads he keeps hidden under his bed. An almost-arrest and an almostaccident unleash a chain of events that upends Ignatius’ life and reveal the melancholy that intersperses his oftenhilarious life.
length poetry collection, the Kenyan-born Somali poet, Warsan Shire, maps the journey of a young girl who learns to find her way into womanhood in the absence of a nurturing guide. Warsan incorporates details from the lives of immigrants, refugees, teenage girls, Black women, mothers and daughters. This is a perfect collection for those looking to explore the survival and resilience that comes with being a woman.
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Author: Roberto Verganti
Recommended by: Ginger Grant, PhD. About: Customers did not ask for the newness of Apple’s iPod or Nintendo’s Wii, but once they experienced it, it was love at first use. These design-driven innovations created new markets. They didn’t push new technologies; they pushed new meanings. The book shows that for breakthrough products and services, we must look beyond customers and users to “interpreters”— the experts who deeply understand and shape the markets they work in.
Author: Robert M. Pirsig
Recommended by: Ann Wallington About: Set against the backdrop of a summer road trip, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance examines what it means to live a meaningful and better life. Robert M. Pirsig travels across the American Northwest with his young son and two friends and ponders questions of life, philosophy, rhetoric, the scientific method and technology.
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re·search /’rēˌsərCH, rəˈsərCH/, noun Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life. Marcus Aurelius (121-180), Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher
A SPARK OF INSPIRATION
Use reflective thinking to enhance your research and innovation journey Reflective thinking can aid in problem identification, method evaluation, learning from failures and stimulating creativity—leading to more effective problem-solving, innovation, and creativity. Engage in reflective thinking through journaling, walking, meditation, dialogue, creative expression, prompts or new experiences for self-awareness (step out of your comfort zone!). Below are some starter questions to delve into your research and innovation journey: x What problem or opportunity are you addressing, and what do you hope to achieve with this project? x What is the current state of knowledge in this area? What gaps or questions need to be answered? x What are some potential challenges or obstacles you might face and how can you overcome them? x Who are the stakeholders that will be impacted by this project and how can you involve them in the process? x How will you measure the success of this project and what are the potential implications for future work in this area?
“Reflective thinking asks us to challenge our own biases and assumptions, and to examine how our own experiences shape our understanding of the world around us.” —DESMOND COLE, CANADIAN JOURNALIST, ACTIVIST AND AUTHOR
TOP PHOTO BY ALDEBARAN S ON UNSPLASH, BOTTOM PHOTO BY SERGIGN ON ENVATO ELEMENTS SPARK 85
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A SPARK OF HUMOUR
“Well, I didn’t know it was hard.” — IVAN SUTHERLAND, AMERICAN COMPUTER SCIENTIST
PHOTO BY HANG NIU ON UNSPLASH 86 JUNE 2023
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Liven up your home or workspace print this page out, cut out the quotes, or simply write them down on a sticky note
QUIPS AND QUOTES Your job is to find what the world is trying to be. William E. Stafford, American poet
All sorts of things can happen when you’re open to new ideas and playing around with things. Stephanie Kwolek, chemist
Exploration is not something you retire from. It is a part of one’s life ethic. Roberta Bondar, astronaut and neurologist
…with love, we are creative. With it, we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others. Chief Dan George, First Nations Chief
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. Wayne Gretzky, hockey player
No one has ever had an idea in a dress suit. Sir Frederick G. Banting, scientist who discovered insulin
Certainty is a closing of the mind. To create something new you must have doubt. Milton Glaser, American graphic designer (designed the I love NY icon)
PHOTO: UNSPLASH/ANDREJ LIŠAKOV SPARK 87
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Article References Reflections on the CARA Conference & Interview with Sarah Lampson, Executive Director of CARA
Lakeshore Affordable Housing Advocacy & Action Group. https://lahaag. ca/
CARA. https://cara-acaar.ca/
LAMP Community Health Centre. https://lampchc.org/
Colleges and Institutes Canada. (2023). Canadian Applied Research Continues to Grow at Colleges and Institutes Despite Pandemic, According to Latest Survey Results. https://www.collegesinstitutes. ca/news-release/canadian-applied-research-continues-to-grow-atcolleges-and-institutes-despite-pandemic-according-to-latest-surveyresults/
Natalie Pilla. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-pilla/
Namrata Barai. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratabarai-3b66527/ Sarah Lamson. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ sarahlampson/ Tania Massa. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniamassa/ Tanya Perdikoulias. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ tanyaperdikoulias/
Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke Community Benefits Agreements South Etobicoke. https://cbase.ca/ Humber College. ORI. (2021). Social innovation researcher Salomeh Ahmadi, faculty of social and community services. https://humber. ca/research/news/social-innovation-researcher-salomeh-ahmadifaculty-social-and-community-services
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Lakeshore Arts. https://lakeshorearts.ca/
Rotary Club of Toronto West. https://www.rotarytorontowest.ca/ Tamara Shephard Etobicoke Guardian. (2023, February 27). Affordable housing advocates ‘really using the data to push’ solutions in south Etobicoke. Toronto.com. https://www.toronto.com/news/affordablehousing-advocates-really-using-the-data-to-push-solutions-in-southetobicoke/article_1afc871f-b33a-5b3a-b852-4efaa39d4fa0.html Toronto Community Benefits Network. https://www.communitybenefits. ca/ Vanessa Keall-Vejar. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ vanessakeall/
Partnering for Health Access: Developing an Innovative Health Clinic Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Peel Dufferin. https:// cmhapeeldufferin.ca/ Edward Li. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ edward-l-72387758/ Memory Xaverio. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/memoryxaverio-691479243/
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Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto. https://mnlct.org/ Riana Alli. [LinkedIn page]. https://ca.linkedin.com/in/riana-alli53063a182 St. Francis Table. https://www.capuchinoutreach.org/
Engaging and Educating Young-Adult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers Alexandra Crocker. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ alexandra-crocker/ Ashley Hosker-Field. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ ashley-hosker-field-88a928151/ Canadian Public Health Association. https://www.cpha.ca/ Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy. https://cssdp.org/ Humber College. ORI. (2021). Social innovation researcher. In conversation with: Daniel bear, PhD, faculty of social and community services. https://humber.ca/research/news/social-innovationresearcher-conversation-daniel-bear-ph-d-faculty-social-andcommunity Marilyn Cresswell. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyna-cresswell-24b09b6/ Meaghan Mallet. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ meaghan-mallett-550573237/ Reducing harms and ensuring positive experiences with cannabis. https://weedoutmisinformation.ca/ Vee Gandhi. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/veegandhi/
Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach Chiemela Iheanacho. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ chimeiheanacho/ Danielle Pomeroy. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellepomeroy-msw-rsw-23bab4166/ Humber College. ORI. (2022). Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach. https:// humber.ca/research/news/developing-best-practice-model-mentalhealth-crisis-care-community-engaged-approach Middlesex-London Paramedic Service. https://www.mlems.ca/ Petra Meijer. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-meijer647b853/ Polly Ford-Jones. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollyford-jones-679501229/ Sheryl Thompson. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ asocialworkerwhocares/
Caring for the Thunderbird’s Nest: Geophysical and Machine Learning Solutions to Characterize and Monitor Inequitable Exposures to Ground and Air Pollution Cristina Amon. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinaamon-63b821a/ Daniela Galatro. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielagalatro-03784b12/
Melanie Jeffrey. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniejeffrey-b1489923/
Indsights: A Window into the Indigenous Economy Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. https://www.ccab.com/ Humber College. (2018). Lead, Transform, Differentiate: 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. https://humber.ca/strategic-plan/ Humber College. ORI. (2022). Faculty Rock Star: Audrey Wubbenhorst. https://humber.ca/research/news/faculty-rockstar-audreywubbenhorst Humber College. ORI. (2022). Digital Narratives: Insights into Indigenous Economic Development. https://humber.ca/research/news/digitalnarratives-insights-indigenous-economic-development Indsights. http://www.indsights.ca/ Indsights. (2022). Birch Bark Coffee Company. http://indsights.ca/birchbark-coffee-company/ Indsights. (2022). Pawgwasheeng Economic Development Corporation. http://indsights.ca/pawgwasheeng-economic-developmentcorporation/ Indsights. (2022). Shades of Gray Indigenous Pet Treats. http://indsights. ca/shades-of-gray-indigenous-pet-treats/ James Henebry. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshenebry/ Lisa Post. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-post5529424a/ National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports. https://nctr.ca/records/reports/ Patrycja Szkudlarek. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ patrycjaszkudlarek/ The National Indigenous Economic Development Board. (2019). Indigenous Economic Progress Report. http://www.naedb-cndea. com/en/2019-indigenous-economic-progress-report/
Social Innovation Around the World Cavazos-Arroyo, J., & Puente-Díaz, R. (2019, August 27). The Influence of Marketing Capability in Mexican Social Enterprises. Sustainability; MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174668 Cipolla, C., De Oliveira Serpa, B., & Afonso, R. (2017, November). Design for Social Innovation Between University and the Broader Society: A Mutual Learning Process. https://research.amanote.com/publication/ HaKq4nMBKQvf0Bhi7OS5/design-for-social-innovation-betweenuniversity-and-the-broader-society-a-mutual Cornet, S. and Barpanda, S. (2021). Exploring social innovation through co-creation in rural India using action research. Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 240-259. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-122019-0099 De Bruin, A. and Read, C. (2018). Towards understanding social innovation in multicultural societies: Implications of Māori cultural values for social innovation in New Zealand. Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 194-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-09-20170048
Jason Balzyak. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbazylak/
De Villiers, K. (2021). Bridging the health inequality gap: an examination of South Africa’s social innovation in health landscape. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-02100804-9
Maria Jacome. [LinkedIn page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjacome/
Ipinnaiye, O., & Olaniyan, F. (2023b). An exploratory study of local social
Fort William First Nation. https://fwfn.com/
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innovation initiatives for sustainable poverty reduction in Nigeria. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2502 Lindsay, C., Pearson, S., Batty, E., Cullen, A. M., & Eadson, W. (2018). Co-production and social innovation in street-level employability services: Lessons from services with lone parents in Scotland. International Social Security Review, 71(4), 33–50. https://doi. org/10.1111/issr.12188 Raynor, K. (2019). Assembling an innovative social housing project in Melbourne: mapping the potential for social innovation. Housing Studies, 34(8), 1263–1285. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.20 18.1535054
Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab Celebrates Latest Advancements in Broadcast Technology at Their Open House Avateq Corp. https://www.avateq.com/ ETRI South Korea. https://www.etri.re.kr/eng/main/main.etri Fred Engel. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-engelcpbe-atsc3-64254a5/ Madeleine Noland. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ madeleine-noland-047ba45/
Roura, M., Dias, S., W. LeMaster, J., & MacFarlane, A. (2021, February 2). Participatory health research with migrants: Opportunities, challenges, and way forwards. National Library of Medicine. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077110/
Orest Sushko. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/orestsushko-5b165610/
Safaeepour, M., & Fadaei Jazi, F. (n.d.). Future Research of the Housing Supply System in Iran’s Metropolises: A Case Study of Ahvaz Metropolis. Geography and Environmental Planning. https://gep.ui.ac. ir/article_27034.html
Red Grasso. [LinkedIn Page]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/redgrasso/
PBS North Carolina. https://www.pbsnc.org/ Pelmorex Corp. https://www.pelmorex.com/en/ Sinclair Broadcasting Group/ONE Media. https://sbgi.net/ Triveni Digital. http://www.trivenidigital.com/
Sept, A. (2020). Thinking Together Digitalization and Social Innovation in Rural Areas: An Exploration of Rural Digitalization Projects in Germany. European Countryside, 12(2), 193–208. https://doi. org/10.2478/euco-2020-0011 Verdugo, G. B. (2020). Relationship between innovation and sustainability in Latin American countries: Differences by perceptual characteristics of early-stage entrepreneurs. Cogent Business & Management, 7(1), 1831766. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2020.1831766
I hate working with numbers. I’m a more of a qualitative person.
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Really? I thought you were more quantitative with all those surveys you make us fill out!
wins Silver for Best Digital Edition Publication— Academic at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPA)
10:58 AM
Read award-winning SPARK on humberpress.com today!
Mon Jul 18
Tell us what SPARK means to you. If you have an idea or experience you’d love to share, let us know. Reach out to us at humberpress@humber.ca. Humber SPARK is … a The feeling of discovery a A desire to innovate
Igniting a passion for transformation Ideas that inspire a Answering “what if?” a Pushing boundaries a A collaborative experience a Solving the unsolvable a Leading in curiosity a Freedom of exploration a Endless possibilities a Empowerment a Where critical thinking meets creativity a Evolution a Courage in the face of failure a Disseminating knowledge a Building a research culture a Supporting emerging and experienced researchers a Sharing research outcomes a a
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