Wilfrid Laurier University | Hub for Community Solutions
Dear friends and partners of the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions,
As the inaugural director of the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS), I am pleased to present our year-one report, reflecting on the transformative journey we have embarked on since our inception in September 2022.
In the beginning, we set out on this mission with a vision to be the bridge between Laurier and our vibrant community, without a clear roadmap but with a shared desire to create a healthier, and more caring and innovative community. The dynamic energy that emanates from both Laurier and our community has been nothing short of inspiring.
Throughout this inaugural year, the connections and friendships formed have not only enriched our lives but have also pushed us to grow and become more understanding. The LHCS has evolved, but its core essence remains the same - a platform for positive change and collaboration.
Our journey has seen us undertake over 50 projects, which has provided us with a valuable perspective on the role the LHCS should play in our community. From this collective experience, it has become clear that the LHCS fulfills three pivotal roles: we connect, we support, and we create.
Our first year has been a remarkable journey, filled with growth, connection, and progress. We are more excited than ever about the positive and bright future ahead of us, and we are confident in our ability to accomplish great things together as a community.
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all our members, partners, and the entire community for their unwavering support and commitment to our shared vision. I would like to personally thank Dr. Jonathan Newman, Vice-President Research, for his steadfast support and guidance. Together, we will continue to bridge the gap, create positive change, and be a driving force in building a better, more vibrant, and connected community.
Thank you for making our inaugural year a resounding success, and we look forward to the incredible journey that lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christina Han
Director, Laurier Hub for Community Solutions
Welcome to the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS), where innovation and collaboration thrive! LHCS is your gateway to a vibrant ecosystem of support, encompassing the diverse realms of academic, creative, and investigative endeavours led by our dedicated faculty, staff, students, and the broader community.
Our unwavering commitment is to nurture the connections between Wilfrid Laurier University and the communities that embrace us. This commitment takes shape through activities such as forging partnerships, fostering development, and providing training and educational opportunities, all thoughtfully tailored to the needs and aspirations of our valued partners.
Please join us on this inspiring journey of collaboration and innovation!
Director
Dr. Han is an associate professor of History at Laurier, Brantford campus. As a public and digital historian and community builder, she has collaborated with numerous governmental and community organizations throughout her career to develop impactful and sustainable projects. She has a passion for creative solutions that would help our communities continue to thrive.
Dr. James Popham, Dr. Melody Morton Ninomiya, Dr. Robert Basso, Aaron Wallace
Past: Dr. Abby Goodrum, Dr. Carrie Sanders, Marlene Miranda
Dr. James Popham, Dr. John Paul Glaves, Dr. Oliver Masakure, Aaron Wallace, Kim Jolie, Sara Monroe
Research Partnerships Officer
Stephanie holds a BA in Linguistics, Psychology, and Indigenous Studies from McMaster University and an MA in Linguistics from Memorial University. She has over a decade of experience engaging in community development with local municipalities, non-profits, and community-led organizations.
Special Projects Coordinator
Lauren is a Master's student in the Community Psychology program at Laurier's Waterloo campus. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology with minors in Youth and Children's Studies and Indigenous Studies from Laurier Brantford.
Special Projects Coordinator
Zeph has taught at Laurier Brantford as a Contract Teaching Faculty member since 2016 in the Health Studies department. She has a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Equity Studies from Brock University and is currently completing a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo.
Special Projects Assistant
Omowonuola is a third-year student majoring in Law and Society, and minoring in Leadership Foundations.
Research Assistant
Lauren is a Psychology student at Laurier Brantford, specializing in Developmental and Social Psychology.
Special Projects Assistant
Melissa is a dynamic third-year Honours Science student at Laurier’s Waterloo campus, driven by her passion for creativity, innovation, and technology.
Our role as a bridge between Laurier and the community has allowed us to facilitate vital connections between students, faculty, staff, and community members and organizations. We've seen powerful collaborations and partnerships develop, enabling us to work collectively to address community challenges in Brantford, Brant County, and beyond.
Through our projects and initiatives, we have strived to support the needs of the community by offering our expertise, resources, and passion. The support we provide is not just about problem-solving; it's about fostering growth and development.
We have embarked on numerous projects that aim to create meaningful and lasting change in our community. These projects are driven by research, innovation, creativity, and a shared vision of a better future. Our efforts have ranged from sustainability initiatives to promoting social equity and community development. We have also created numerous joint initiatives to strengthen the relationship between Wilfrid Laurier University and the Corporation of the City of Brantford.
Arts after School Kids is a not-for-profit arts organization based in Eagle Place, Brantford, that provides Grade 6, 7, and 8 students the opportunity to learn to play musical instruments. We connected them with our undergraduate students with musical talents who gained paid-teaching experience through this partnership.
We connected the Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum with our History undergraduate Ashley McRae-Gauvin to work on the Townsend Barns Project. The project created a publicly accessible mapping database of over 250 photographs of historic barns and outbuildings using StoryMaps.
We connected the City of Brantford’s Court Administration with Laurier Brantford’s User Experience Design (UXD) students. Under the supervision of Dr. Maurita Harris, the students of UX200 produced designs for the diverse needs and expectations of the court's users.
Jombone Inc. is a cloud-based staffing and human capital management company located in Mississauga, Toronto, and Milton. We connected Jombone with Laurier’s Career Centre, enabling them to recruit our students for their paid internship opportunities.
Unite Against Hate! is a community-based, non-profit resource dedicated to fostering anti-racism education, collaboration, and support in Brantford. We supported their Black History Month lecture by facilitating connections with both Laurier students and faculty, thereby expanding its reach to a broader audience.
Queer Joy's Pride Nights are community events in Brantford and Paris, designed to unite and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on a local level. We supported their successful kickoff event by promoting it and raising public awareness.
We facilitated connections between BCI students and Laurier's faculty, students, and organizations, enhancing their educational experience and community engagement. Collaborative projects included a lecture on "Climate Justice and Science" for BCI's grade 10 students, led by Laurier’s Bryce Gunson, and an event for BCI's STEAM Club featuring Lucas Leprince, a fourth-year Game Design and Development student. We also organized tours of the Sanderson Centre and the Brantford Farmer's Market, providing BCI students with enriching experiences beyond the classroom.
We supported promoting workshops led by Laurier Brantford's UXD students, including Maria Lobbezoo, Clayton Harding, Matteo Distefano, and Natalia Forrester. Under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Fernandez, they developed the Nurture Pack—a versatile storage solution designed for individuals experiencing homelessness, serving as both a storage pack and a sleeping bag. The innovative project was born as a classroom idea and became a tangible product.
We supported organizing and promoting the first annual Summer Writers Fest hosted by the Riverside Readings Series in Paris. The event featured readings and performances of literature for children, youth, and adults. Eleven Canadian writers participated in sharing their works with the audience.
Teaching Intelligent Choices to Kids (T.I.C.K.) is a Brantford-based non-profit, offering health and safety modules to Grade 6 students in the Grand Erie and Haldimand-Norfolk school boards. This collaborative effort involves the Brantford Police Service, Brant County Health Unit, and the Children's Safety Village of Brant. Our Special Projects Coordinator, Zeph Stephenson, conducted a curriculum review, environmental scan, and connected Laurier Brantford faculty with the T.I.C.K. board.
We facilitated a partnership between the Sun Life Financial Centre for Physically Active Communities and the City of Brantford's Community Service and Social Development department for a community engagement research project. The project involved a citywide questionnaire with representatives from key communities. Initiated in April 2022, it secured MITACS funding ($15,000) in August 2022. The research team comprises Dr. Pam Bryden (PI), Dr. Paula Fletcher, Dr. Jennifer Robertson-Wilson, Dr. Mark Eys, Dr. James Popham, and graduate student Hayley O’Neil.
In September 2021, the City of Brantford's Director of Communications, Community Engagement, and Customer Service sought research support from Laurier for a City Budget Priorities public engagement campaign. Dr. James Popham secured funding ($7,822) to assemble a research team, including Dr. Matthew Arp and Ms. Jocelyn Booton, who conducted a telephone survey on budget priorities for the 2022 fiscal year. This ongoing project continued into 2023 with a renewal ($7,822), led by Dr. Simon Kiss. Plans for a 2023 iteration are currently under discussion.
In September 2023, we partnered with the Sanderson Centre, Conestoga Students Inc., and Laurier International Student Support to present "Fusion Beats," a multicultural music and dance event at the iconic Sanderson Centre. The event featured student and alumni performers from Laurier and Conestoga, along with internationally renowned K-Pop group R.P.M. Dance Crew as our headliners. The event was highly successful, with all 1,000 tickets reserved. The project is part of a broader City of Brantford-LHCS initiative to attract young and diverse audiences to the Sanderson Centre.
Brantford residents have expressed safety concerns about the downtown area. Yet, recent SSHRC-funded research (2021-2022) by the Centre for Research on Security Practices, in collaboration with the Brantford Police Service, suggests that these concerns might be less related to serious crimes and more tied to social and physical disorder indicators. The research team, led by Dr. Tarah Hodgkinson, will extend this partnership with the Brantford Police Service and conduct an SSHRC-funded (2023-2024) representative survey of Brantford residents to fill knowledge gaps on crime and safety perceptions.
We brokered a partnership between the Centre for Research on Security Practices and the City of Brantford's Department of Community Services and Social Development in July of 2022 to offer research and policy development support for a multi-year project. The Building Safer Communities Fund identifies and develops community programs to proactively divert youth and young people from gang involvement and the criminal justice system. The project is funded by the City of Brantford ($39,908 YTD) through grants from Public Safety Canada continuing until July 2027.
Dr. James Popham, through LHCS, has partnered with the Brant Community Foundation (BCF) to offer research and data analytics for their 2024 Vital Signs Report, a part of a national series by community foundations. It measures community vitality in areas supported by the BCF, including Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Financial commitments from the City of Brantford ($27,000) have been provided to mobilize the data collected for the project.
The Laurier Hub for Community Solutions is graciously supported by the Office of Research Services.
Market Darling Centre
Wilfrid Laurier University
67 Darling St., Brantford, ON
548.889.4336
E: communityhub@wlu.ca
Website: wlu.ca/community-hub
LaurierCommunityHub
