U-Links and Minden Hills host Community Consultation on Youth Engagement
and Retention
April 23rd, 2019
U-Links has revived its annual Breakfast Meetings! (now called Community Consultations). On April 17th, U-Links and The Township of Minden Hills paired up to host a community consultation on youth retention and engagement in Minden.
The room was alive with many great conversations, revelations, and reflections that we hope will translate into new connections, ideas, action and research. The forum provided a foundation for a community-wide research proposal that we hope will provide insight into understanding and addressing the opportunities and challenges for young professionals in Minden Hills. Thank you to all that attended, and let's keep up the momentum!
If you’re interested in getting involved in this study, please contact Emily Stonehouse, Economic Development, Destination & Marketing Officer, at estonehouse@mindenhills.ca or Amanda Duncombe-Lee, Projects Coordinator at U-Links (aduncombe-lee@ulinks.ca).
and Retention
April 23rd, 2019
U-Links has revived its annual Breakfast Meetings! (now called Community Consultations). On April 17th, U-Links and The Township of Minden Hills paired up to host a community consultation on youth retention and engagement in Minden.
The room was alive with many great conversations, revelations, and reflections that we hope will translate into new connections, ideas, action and research. The forum provided a foundation for a community-wide research proposal that we hope will provide insight into understanding and addressing the opportunities and challenges for young professionals in Minden Hills. Thank you to all that attended, and let's keep up the momentum!
If you’re interested in getting involved in this study, please contact Emily Stonehouse, Economic Development, Destination & Marketing Officer, at estonehouse@mindenhills.ca or Amanda Duncombe-Lee, Projects Coordinator at U-Links (aduncombe-lee@ulinks.ca).
Save the Date - U-Links Celebration of Research Fast Approaching, Project Development Now Open!
January 31st, 2019
U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research is looking forward to our 21st annual Celebration of Research on March 23 at the Minden Community Centre, and is already looking ahead for project proposals for the 2019-2020 academic year.
U-Links Centre for Community Based Research has an incredible 22 projects ongoing with Trent University geography, environmental science, forensics and international development studies students which will be presented at this year’s Celebration of Research on March 23 2019, at the Minden Hills Community Centre (Room #1) from 1-4pm. The event will feature light refreshments, poster presentations, and a keynote address from Ray Letheren: a distinguished community and environmental advocate best known for his work with the Blue Bayfield Community Project, on the topic of translating research into action. We welcome all from the community to attend!
We are very thankful to all of the community organizations and students who have been working tirelessly to support these projects over the last few months, and are excited to share the knowledge that has been gathered by the students.
New this year, U-Links has decided to move up the start of project-planning and development for the 2019-2020 academic calendar to better facilitate project matching. Interested organizations are encouraged to reach out to Amanda Duncombe-Lee, U-Links Projects Coordinator, via email (aduncombe-lee@ulinks.ca) or telephone (705) 286-2411 to discuss
potential future projects February 4th until June 30th. All organizations are eligible to develop project proposals, from small non-profits, to community associations, municipal working groups, and private businesses. We hope to hear from you soon!
Interested organizations can search for examples of past research by keyword, subject tag, and research area via our new online database. The database includes a full screen map where users can view the locations of CBR projects in Haliburton County.
The direct link to the database can be found at https://database.ulinks.ca/.
January 31st, 2019
U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research is looking forward to our 21st annual Celebration of Research on March 23 at the Minden Community Centre, and is already looking ahead for project proposals for the 2019-2020 academic year.
U-Links Centre for Community Based Research has an incredible 22 projects ongoing with Trent University geography, environmental science, forensics and international development studies students which will be presented at this year’s Celebration of Research on March 23 2019, at the Minden Hills Community Centre (Room #1) from 1-4pm. The event will feature light refreshments, poster presentations, and a keynote address from Ray Letheren: a distinguished community and environmental advocate best known for his work with the Blue Bayfield Community Project, on the topic of translating research into action. We welcome all from the community to attend!
We are very thankful to all of the community organizations and students who have been working tirelessly to support these projects over the last few months, and are excited to share the knowledge that has been gathered by the students.
New this year, U-Links has decided to move up the start of project-planning and development for the 2019-2020 academic calendar to better facilitate project matching. Interested organizations are encouraged to reach out to Amanda Duncombe-Lee, U-Links Projects Coordinator, via email (aduncombe-lee@ulinks.ca) or telephone (705) 286-2411 to discuss
potential future projects February 4th until June 30th. All organizations are eligible to develop project proposals, from small non-profits, to community associations, municipal working groups, and private businesses. We hope to hear from you soon!
Interested organizations can search for examples of past research by keyword, subject tag, and research area via our new online database. The database includes a full screen map where users can view the locations of CBR projects in Haliburton County.
The direct link to the database can be found at https://database.ulinks.ca/.
U-Links matching community-based research projects, Developing New Partnerships
October 3rd, 2018
U-Links Centre for Community Based Research has been working to match Trent geography, environmental science, forensics and international development studies students with local community-based-research projects. While the total number of U-Links’ project proposals increased by 40 percent this year, under-enrolment of students in Community Based Research (CBR) courses has meant that U-Links will not be able to match all the projects.
Projects that are not time-sensitive can stay on the Trent and U-Links websites for matching over the 2019-20 academic year. U-Links is very thankful to all of the community organizations who participated in project development over the last few months.
The U-Links team has been busy working on its own internal projects relating to developing and accessing community-based research.
U-Links and Community First: Impact of Community Engagement (CFICE) have jointly published a guide, “Primer for Community Organizations with Research Questions.” The purpose of the guide is to help community organizations create research-oriented relationships with university faculty. It includes critical steps for organizations who wish to engage in CBR, from finding the right partner to designing the project, research agreement and sharing the results. The guide can be accessed via the Sept 13th update below.
To better facilitate the dissemination of research in the County, U-Links is now hosting a new database where individuals can search past research by keyword, subject tag and CBR area. The database includes a full screen map where users can view the locations of CBR projects in Haliburton County. The direct link to the database can be found at https://database.ulinks.ca/
U-Links is also developing a new partnership with Fleming College, whereby Fleming students can participate in environmentally-focused CBR and Community Service Learning opportunities in the County for course credit. This partnership will officially launch January 2019 but community service learning projects related to benthic sampling have already begun. U-Links is excited to be working with two of the Fleming’s Frost Campus Programs: Sustainable Waste Management and Environmental Technology. It is expected that the partnership will help facilitate the higher number of projects generated by community organizations this year.
October 3rd, 2018
U-Links Centre for Community Based Research has been working to match Trent geography, environmental science, forensics and international development studies students with local community-based-research projects. While the total number of U-Links’ project proposals increased by 40 percent this year, under-enrolment of students in Community Based Research (CBR) courses has meant that U-Links will not be able to match all the projects.
Projects that are not time-sensitive can stay on the Trent and U-Links websites for matching over the 2019-20 academic year. U-Links is very thankful to all of the community organizations who participated in project development over the last few months.
The U-Links team has been busy working on its own internal projects relating to developing and accessing community-based research.
U-Links and Community First: Impact of Community Engagement (CFICE) have jointly published a guide, “Primer for Community Organizations with Research Questions.” The purpose of the guide is to help community organizations create research-oriented relationships with university faculty. It includes critical steps for organizations who wish to engage in CBR, from finding the right partner to designing the project, research agreement and sharing the results. The guide can be accessed via the Sept 13th update below.
To better facilitate the dissemination of research in the County, U-Links is now hosting a new database where individuals can search past research by keyword, subject tag and CBR area. The database includes a full screen map where users can view the locations of CBR projects in Haliburton County. The direct link to the database can be found at https://database.ulinks.ca/
U-Links is also developing a new partnership with Fleming College, whereby Fleming students can participate in environmentally-focused CBR and Community Service Learning opportunities in the County for course credit. This partnership will officially launch January 2019 but community service learning projects related to benthic sampling have already begun. U-Links is excited to be working with two of the Fleming’s Frost Campus Programs: Sustainable Waste Management and Environmental Technology. It is expected that the partnership will help facilitate the higher number of projects generated by community organizations this year.
Campus Community Engagement - Primer for Community Organizations with Research Questions
September 13, 2018
The purpose of this document (Click here for the full CFICE - Campus Community Manual PDF) is to guide community organizations’ staff as they begin to create research-oriented relationships with university faculty. The goal of these relationships is to maximize the effectiveness of the non-profit organization through the creation of evidence-based decision making.
Nonprofit community organizations often have service-related questions but few resources to answer these questions. For example, an organization might want to know whether a specific intervention or program is providing the desired outcome. The lack of unbiased answers to such questions makes it difficult for an organization to make the best, or perhaps most economical, decisions about the future direction of the organization.
University faculty have a need to engage in research to meet the university’s promotion and tenure requirements. More and more often faculty members are seeking projects that will make meaningful contributions to the community in which they live and work. They are seeking opportunities to engage in what is known as Community-Based Research. Faculty are recognizing that the outcome of such projects is more likely to result in change when the question, or problem statement, arises from the community. As such they are seeking research partnerships initiated by community organizations.
Other faculty, while themselves not Community-Based Research practitioners, may be able to support a research project undertaken by their students, whether as course-based projects or as graduate or undergraduate thesis projects.
Some universities and colleges have well-developed departments that engage community organizations in this process and utilize the resulting projects to provide students with real-life experiences in the surrounding community. Others are just beginning to develop the process.
September 13, 2018
The purpose of this document (Click here for the full CFICE - Campus Community Manual PDF) is to guide community organizations’ staff as they begin to create research-oriented relationships with university faculty. The goal of these relationships is to maximize the effectiveness of the non-profit organization through the creation of evidence-based decision making.
Nonprofit community organizations often have service-related questions but few resources to answer these questions. For example, an organization might want to know whether a specific intervention or program is providing the desired outcome. The lack of unbiased answers to such questions makes it difficult for an organization to make the best, or perhaps most economical, decisions about the future direction of the organization.
University faculty have a need to engage in research to meet the university’s promotion and tenure requirements. More and more often faculty members are seeking projects that will make meaningful contributions to the community in which they live and work. They are seeking opportunities to engage in what is known as Community-Based Research. Faculty are recognizing that the outcome of such projects is more likely to result in change when the question, or problem statement, arises from the community. As such they are seeking research partnerships initiated by community organizations.
Other faculty, while themselves not Community-Based Research practitioners, may be able to support a research project undertaken by their students, whether as course-based projects or as graduate or undergraduate thesis projects.
Some universities and colleges have well-developed departments that engage community organizations in this process and utilize the resulting projects to provide students with real-life experiences in the surrounding community. Others are just beginning to develop the process.