Researchers-in-training

Family literacy encompasses story-telling, singing, video games, as well as daily activities such as making shopping lists, using a recipe, or reading a street sign. These are the numerous activities families do together and they underline the important role families play in developing literacy. Dr. Vanessa Oliver’s class, Community Based Research Methods, collaborated with a local organization, the Tantramar Family Resource Centre, to help improve family literacy. The students developed a report on family literacy and assessed the extent to which local literacy services are accessible to the families who really need them.

“Being able to plan and conduct a research project is such an effective way of learning about research methodology. At a personal level, this class has really enriched my understanding of what it means to do ethical research and how as researchers in-training we can actively engage and collaborate with the communities we work in,” says sociology student Rebecca Cheff.

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Sociology of Leadership

Mount Allison University students were able to look at leadership from a new angle this spring by taking the course, the Sociology of Leadership, offered by the Sociology Department.  One special area this course examined was leadership for social change.

The students studied leadership theory and how to develop desirable leadership traits, but were also able to apply what they learned in practical situations. The course also covered goal setting, project planning, problem solving, communication skills, group dynamics, and various leadership styles.

One unique attribute of the course was a series of guest speakers who spoke to the class about their own personal leadership experiences. “This was very valuable as it offered some concrete examples of many of the leadership practices that we studied,” said the course instructor, Cheryl Veinotte. Veinotte recorded these presentations so they are available to future students taking the course via correspondence.

Veinotte took advantage of the leadership demonstrated by students on campus by having two of these students speak to the class.  One of these was Rob Burroughs, who launched a campaign on campus to “kick” AIDS out of Africa through Grassroot Soccer's Inspi[RED]. Assisted by fine arts students, he used student athletes as models in posters to encourage students to get personally involved in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Laura Stymiest was a Global Youth Ambassador for the Active 8! Campaign and she inspired Atlantic Canadians to make positive changes in their community and around the world.

The class participated in two community events which added a service learning and community engagement component to the course. The first was ‘Zumba for the Cure’ hosted by Karen Arsenault and the Mount Allison Athletics Department, which raised money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The class was part of the planning committee and even participated in the zumba class, with two students dancing alongside Arsenault in a choreographed number and another student donning the Mount Allison mascot outfit.

The second event, “Growing Our Community,” was part of the United Way’s Day of Caring for South-eastern NB and took place at the Sackville Community Garden. The class worked in conjunction with Sackville’s Daybreak Centre, who offers support to adults with mental health needs, and with the Tantramar Family Resource Centre. Students prepared advertising and organized supplies and activities. On the day, students worked with clients from both agencies. They prepared and planted plots, including a sunflower house with local children, played games, and hosted a BBQ open to the community.

“Many of the course assignments required students to reflect on their own leadership attributes while simultaneously examining the social context of leadership in a range of environments including student life, athletics, social movements, and the corporate arena,” said Veinotte.  The course enabled students from a number of different departments to work together to explore leadership and how it plays out within society.

First-year sociology students combine learning with community service

Students often arrive at Mount Allison with a passion to change the world. A group of first-year students taking an introductory sociology class were given some tools to help them work towards this goal. The group spent a Saturday in a Service Learning Workshop, learning how to combine community service with the concepts they were covering in class.

“It is great to see students active in the community, engaging with social issues with a purpose toward social change,” says sociology professor Dr. Fabrizio Antonelli. “This is particularly important for an introductory sociology course where students study social problems in the classroom, which can be overwhelming. They can see that their actions in the community can help resolve some of these issues.”

Workshop organizer, Cheryl Veinotte, gave students an overview of the service learning model and the basics of event planning. She emphasized the importance of reflection throughout the process, in order to enhance the learning experience.

“This type of workshop makes students more aware of their civic responsibility, encourages civic engagement, and hopefully results in improvements to the quality of life in our communities,” says Veinotte.

First-year student Jamie-Lee Wilson says, “We were taught what qualifies as service learning, how to effectively advertise an event you’re planning, manage a group project, and get the most out of service learning experiences. These skills are useful in everyday life, especially for those who are active in event planning and activism.”

The students also had an opportunity to engage in an actual service learning scenario. Ellen Snider from the Canadian Cancer Society of New Brunswick presented a session on the Catastrophic Drug Issue. New Brunswick (NB) and Prince Edward Island are the only two provinces in Canada without a catastrophic drug program in place.

Students left the classroom and collected signatures on postcards that had a statement supporting the introduction of a catastrophic drug program in NB. These postcards will be delivered to the NB legislature before their first session in November.

Sociology department head Dr. Erin Steuter says, “The government has already made a commitment to address the issue. The postcards are simply a reminder to the Premier. The Canadian Cancer Society has been collecting signatures all summer, and our students collected 557 signatures in just over an hour in the pouring rain — more than any other group to date.”

The workshop proved to be a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.

“I am very glad that I decided to participate in this workshop. I learned a lot about what service learning means, what is happening in New Brunswick, and how the material I am learning in class relates to what is going on in communities everywhere,” says first-year student Harry Wenban.

Mount Allison students lend expertise to Halifax Refugee Clinic

A Mount Allison University sociology class saw its hard work bear fruit last weekend when the Halifax Refugee Clinic opened a used clothing boutique, Section 96, in downtown Halifax.

The clinic was exploring the option of starting a social enterprise in its downtown Halifax storefront location at 1581 Grafton St. to provide a steady funding source. It also wanted to provide refugees with some Canadian work experience and create a drop-in and community advocacy centre for refugee rights.

San Patten, professor for the course Sociology of Non-Profit Organizations, decided to have her 13 students develop a business plan for the clinic as a group project for the course.

“The business plan was developed to provide the Halifax Refugee Clinic with a strategic plan for their social enterprise, including financial requirements, potential funding sources, and a proposed budget,” she says. “The students also looked at what equipment and space was required, did a market analysis, and examined human resources issues.”

Patten says the course is designed to give students an understanding of the role of social organizations in creating change. Among other things, it explores the management challenges in non-profits, their internal operations, strategic planning, relationships with the funding community, interactions with government, and the effective use of human resources.

“By doing the background work for this business plan, students had a first hand look at all these challenges,” she says. “I am really proud of their efforts and I know that the clinic was impressed by their work.”

Julie Champagne, the executive director of the Halifax Refugee Clinic, was happy with the results.

“The plan is excellent and has many ideas that were examined closely and thoroughly,” she says. “It will be very helpful to us and particularly to Laura, our co-ordinator, as she sets up the operation and applies for grants.”

The Halifax Refugee Clinic provides a diverse range of services to refugees including housing, employment, and medical and psychological support, often needed because of the physical and psychological scars inflicted from torture and other abuse. They are the only organization in Nova Scotia to offer these services to refugees.

The boutique’s name, Section 96, comes from the section in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that defines a refugee. The act provides protection to persons who are displaced, persecuted, or in danger.