Subscribe
Back to Search
Contact(s)
Orillia Packet and Times
The Orillia campus of Georgian College officially unveiled its new Community Education Partnership Centre before a gathering of faculty, students and interested community leaders Tuesday.
The dedicated facility within the campus will provide students in the Community Projects Initiative (CPI) an area to develop projects in conjunction with community agencies and non-profit groups throughout Simcoe County.
“We’re really excited about the new centre and what that will mean to our students, the community groups and the organizations they will help with their projects,” said Orillia campus dean Mary O’Farrell-Bowers, who, along with her team, was the driving force behind the creation of the centre.
So, what are the student projects and who will they help in the community?
Students enrolled in Georgian’s community studies programs will be taking on the role of “social entrepreneurs” as they work closely with non-profits and local agencies to tackle wide-ranging community issues. Through research and team-based projects, students will put into practice what they’ve been learning in class while providing support, resources and fresh insight to those who may not have the capacity to address some of their agency or community needs.
The centre is a one-stop shop for these collaborations, including community volunteering, mentorship, grant support and more.
The goal of the CPI is to provide agencies with support to meet their project needs while, at the same time, providing students with essential field experience.
“To my knowledge, this is trailblazing,” Georgian College president and CEO MaryLynn West-Moynes said of the new centre. “This is like a living laboratory for the students and I don’t know of another college offering this.”
Georgian students have been involved in 29 community projects over the past two years, but now have a facility to work out of.
Toni Hounslow, a second-year student in the social service worker program, spoke to the gathering on the benefits of her experience working with Camp Couchiching and her efforts were recognized by Ross McIntyre, director at Camp Couchiching and the Couchiching Community Initiative.
CPI students support their community partners as dedicated project teams. Each team will work exclusively for their assigned community partner both on campus and in the community for two days each week over the course of a 14-week semester.
Some of the community partners who have already been assisted by the program include Kids Help Phone, Telecare, Suicide Awareness and Camp Couchiching, to name a few.
Tuesday’s guests included Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop, Orillia Mayor Angelo Orsi, councillors Tony Madden, Patrick Kehoe, Pete Bowen and Paul Spears, community leaders, staff, students and members of Georgian College’s senior leadership team.
