Community Centric
Experiential
Education
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CEC Vision and Mandate
The York University – TD Community Engagement Centre
promotes accessibility and social justice through
meaningful and transformative community/university
partnerships.
These mutually beneficial partnerships:
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1)
Enrich the educational experience of our students
2)
Reduce barriers to full participation in post-secondary education
3)
Promote a sense of shared responsibility for our communities.
4)
Encourage collaborative research
5)
Provide fertile ground for new community/university collaborations
What does CAPiR mean?
The CAPIR Story!
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CAPiR Objectives
I.
Inform York Planning regarding Experiential
Education
II.
Increase awareness of and support for EE in the
community
III. Develop / Execute Unique opportunities at CEC
IV. Work with other AIF funded projects
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I. Inform York Planning regarding
Experiential Education
a. Served as a member in York University President’s
Community Engagement Council.
b. Served on the Experiential Education Working Group for
the Faculty of Health.
c. Served on the Local and Global Community Engagement
Committee. (AIF funded)
d. Served as a member of the Campus Tours Group
(another AIF funded project)
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II. Increase awareness of and
support for EE in the community
a. Visited many organizations in the Jane / Finch
neighborhood.
b. Sat on three community networks – Black Creek
Collaborative – Black Creek Financial Literacy Working
Group and Executive Directors network.
c. Organized an Experiential Fair attended by 89
community members and 10 Faculties of York
University.
d. Participated in the writing of EE best practice hand
book and conducted research
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III. Develop / Execute Unique
opportunities at CEC
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a.
BCAM
b.
BCFAN
c.
Impact study
Data Collection Methods
• 22 Member CAPiR Advisory Committee informed the
direction of CAPiR
• 50 high-level individual consultations
• Focus Group Interviews
• Visioning Session
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Learnings
Experiential Education – not
Experiential
Education
– not ‘one
‘one
size fits
all’size fits all’
XL
L
M
S
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Graphic Representation of EE in Jane & Finch
(before)
Current EE Model
FACULTY OF
LIBERAL ARTS &
PROFESSIONAL
STUDIES
Black
Creek
Community
Health
GLENDON FACULTY OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
Resident-led
coalitions
e.g. JFAAP,
JFCCO
Local
nonprofits
e.g. Delta
Family
Resource
Centre
FACULTY
OF
HEALTH
Doorsteps
Neighbourhood
Services, Belka
Enrichment
Centre, PEACH
Private
Sector
and
gov't
offices
Benefits for both the community and York University

Great flexibility and autonomy
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FACULTY OF
FACULTY
SCIENCE &
OF FINE
ENGINEERING ARTS
Driftwood
Community
Centre
FACULTY
OF
EDUCATION
Northwood
Neighbourhood
Services,
Elspeth
Heyworth
Centre for
Women
Local
TDSB/
TCDSB
schools
FACULTY
OF
GRADUATE
STUDIES
Agency
coalitions
e.g. BCC
SCHULICH
SCHOOL
OF
BUSINESS
Hospitals
Hindrances

Waste of time and resources of York University

EE fatigue

Resentment from community being harassed for
projects

Unnecessary competition that will result in resources
being wasted
OSGOODE
HALL
LAW
SCHOOL
City-wide
Coalitions
New EE model
Graphic Presentation of the proposed EE Model
PROPOSED EE Model with increased CEC Coordination
LIBERAL ARTS &
PROFESSIONAL
STUDIES
GLENDON
ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
HEALTH
FINE
ARTS
SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING
EDUCATION
GRADUATE
STUDIES
TDSB/
TCDSB
& local schools
Agency
coalitions
e.g. BCC
OSGOODE
SCHULICH
York University-TD
Community
Engagement Centre
Health Centers
& Hospitals
e.g. Black
Creek CHC,
Humber River
Residentled
coalitions
e.g.
JFAAP,
JFCCO
Local nonprofits
e.g. Belka,
Delta,
Doorsteps
Elspeth,
Northwood,
PEACH,
Sanromanoway
Etc.
Private
Sector
Driftwood
Community
Centre
Government
Offices
Benefits:
• Coordinated efforts that save money and resources
• Will result in more EE opportunities
• Opportunity for interdisciplinary work that will emulate real life
• Prevention of EE fatigue
• Greater/richer university community research opportunity
• Theoretical and Pedagogical glue, “ways to ties the learning together”
• Centralized data base will be accessible for both the Community and York University
• Flexibility for community and faculty to still have room for specialized EE appetite
• Provide choices for students and community and have greater menu of opportunities
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Jane Finch
Community
Legal
Services
City-wide
Coalitions
Accomplishments
• Partnership between York U (CEC) and NNS
• Partnerships between York U and many organizations
(improved coordination)
• The opportunity to serve on several York U committees
• The projects (initiatives) that will enable EE’s agenda for
years to come
- BCAM
- BCFAN
- Impact study
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Unexpected Positive Results
• Three individuals through York U connection joined NNS
Board of Directors
• One York U faculty member joined Jane Finch Legal
Clinic Board of Directors
• 25 individuals attended admissions session and 7
applied to York U
• 8 individuals from the community applied for jobs at York
university
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Consultation Findings - Challenges / Barriers
• Unified York University EE strategy leads to lack of an annual EE
plan
• Managing expectations, both the University and the community
organizations understand who/what/why/ value of EE
• Communication strategy for EE
• Tunnel vision resistance to seeing systemic solutions for EE
• Funding and consistency of EE’s message
• Guidance for students/faculty and community organizations on EE
• Showcasing successful EE partnership models and practices
• Educational opportunity of EE’s best practices
• Communication of Branding CEC in the context of EE
• Inter-professional working group from York University and community
side
• Reluctance by community to engage in EE based on past negative
experience, and lack of community organizations capacity to conduct
EE
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Recommendations for CEC
• The need to conduct annual EE brainstorming session
with the Community and York University.
• Annual training session on EE for York University, and
community.
• CEC to facilitate joint student orientation before starting
their placements. (August)
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Recommendations for CEC cont.
• EE Communication Strategy.
• Create inventory of EE opportunities, what organizations
and York University need and want.
• Annual EE fair held in April 2013.
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Recommendations for York U
• York University to establish EE best practices, policies,
procedures and manuals to be implemented university
wide. (including unified EE agreements)
• EE strategy driven from bottom up as well as top down.
EE commitment to meet the need for organic growth
• Avoid silos by establishing university wide EE strategy
• Provide resources to enable effective EE to Faculties
and units including CEC
• Create incentives for Course Directors (CD) and
Teaching Assistants (TA) to do EE
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Quotation that resonates
“The need to develop better enabling structures for
partnership with non-for-profit agencies is recognized a
challenge that must be met for a university to become
successfully engaged” (Hall, 2009).
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York University-TD
Community Engagement Centre
www.cec.info.yorku.ca
email: yorkcec@yorku.ca
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