Value Creation

The success of the EOED project is heavily reliant on its ability to generate value for its participants. Co-designing the March Program together with residents created an opportunity to explore what residents feel is beneficial to their community. This process supported the aim of creating a program that could be cherished by all residents currently living in the community and for the generations to come.

HIGHLIGHTS

RELATIONSHIPS & CONNECTIONS

The most reported benefit that residents received from attending the March program was the opportunity to socialize and reconnect with others in the community. Of the 62 participants surveyed, 73% reported that they made a new friend or a new connection in the community from participating in the March Program.

While the opportunity to socialize and reconnect with neighbours was the most frequently reported benefit, the need for social connections and activities may have been heightened due to the longevity and restrictive nature of Covid-19. The idea that we can change the way that our city looks based on what we build and do together...that’s what stands out for me. We were building benches together... and seeing the confidence build in someone that they can actually build something like that for their community. It was the shared struggle of getting a nail in straight, but we did it together.

- Host

Especially during pandemic time, it has been so fulfilling to make tangible connections with strangers, who are friends now.

- Participant

BUILDING SKILLS & CONFIDENCE

A direct benefit of participating in the March Program was learning a new skill and/or acquiring new knowledge and 84%

of survey participants said that they did just that. In addition, for hosts, having an opportunity to share their skills and knowledge, which highlighted their talents and abilities, gave them a boost in confidence.

One participant looked across the room and asked another participant, “Aren’t you my neighbour?” This sparked a conversation which gave neighbours a chance to connect on a deeper level. (Observation)

During a cultural session, one host appeared to be proud of the land base knowledge he carried and honoured to share his experiences with others in the group. (Observation) Actually meeting strangers at the workshop and then through the workshop making connections that I wouldn’t have had otherwise...I feel different than I did before, being in this community, like I have more threads to this (friendship) center and community.

- Participant

One participant shared that she was a doctor and then an Elder in the group spoke to some work they were doing with the hospital around bringing smudging into the building. The Elder then extended an invitation to discuss Indigenous practices in healing. (Observation)

SHARING ACROSS CULTURES

Another major benefit was that it gave an opportunity for residents to share their culture and traditions with others in a safe, respectful, co-learning environment. Cultural sessions were

well-received and were the most popular among participants. A number of participants requested that the program offer more sessions with Indigenous content in the future.

The March Program provided a great opportunity for sharing cultures and has great potential to further this learning and sharing.

- Elder Host

One participant, who attended the session with her five-yearold daughter, used the moment to demonstrate the importance of contributing to the community and as an opportunity to teach her valuable life lessons such as embracing diversity and managing stereotypes and prejudice. (Observation)

Participants reported that participating in the sessions had

a positive influence on their mental health. In some cases this was due to session content (e.g., Introduction to Yoga: Where do I start? ) but it was primarily the result of offering a co-learning experience where residents were free to share and learn in a safe environment and creating opportunities for residents to socialize, be active, and reconnect with their community.

Personally, I was having a stressful day and really appreciated the opportunity to get out and go for a walk and meet new people in the community. It was a great way to get physical activity into the day and connect with neighbours.

ENGAGEMENT & GRATITUDE

- Participant

Most participants attending the sessions appeared to be fully engaged. This was reflected in ongoing conversations during the session, the number of participants asking questions, the depth of co-learning and story exchanges, body language, and bursts of laughter. Participants also showed gratitude and thanks towards each other and the project team during each session.

During one of the Tea & Bannock sessions, an Elder who was hosting showed some young children in the group a gift they had received from a community member, a small ship, and they explained what the Mi’kmaw name of the boat would be translated in English. The children were very interested. This sparked a conversation about learning the Mi’kmaw language and the potential for offering Mi’kmaw language classes online in the future. (Observation)

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

When participants were asked how they would rate the sessions (from poor to excellent) 84% rated their sessions as excellent.

15% of survey participants said that the content was what they liked best about the sessions. One issue that has impacted the overall experience of participants was the length of time allotted for each session. For many of the sessions, there was not enough time to complete tasks, finish crafts and artwork, or, in some cases, for hosts to share all the content they had intended. In many circumstances, sessions exceeded the allotted time, and while many participants did not mind staying longer, others had commitments that would not allow them to stay, and they expressed disappointment. On two occasions, it was noted that hosts felt they were rushed moving through the content and sharing their knowledge, suggesting that maybe their session would be best offered in two parts.

There wasn’t enough time during the session to give an appropriate explanation and have a discussion of cultural content. To counter the issue of participants having to leave the session before their craft was complete, hosts and project team members offered to send out a Youtube video to further support participant learning. Participants appreciated this idea, and the Project Team sent an email with Youtube links after the sessions.

HOST FEEDBACK

Hosts appreciated an opportunity to share their knowledge and talent with the community and to be a part of the co-design process, developing content and customizing the session

delivery to their level of comfort. The hosts we interviewed also shared that they appreciated just having to show up and not having to be involved in logistics of organizing their sessions.

I haven’t heard of any other programs in the community that offer this level of community involvement. - Participant

KEY INSIGHTS

• The new relationships and connections made throughout the EOED pilot are the glue that holds this work together and close attention should be paid to maintaining and building these connections, particularly in the absence of delivery cycles. • The diversity of benefits recorded, and the uniqueness felt through the creation of space for cross-cultural sharing, reinforced how this approach centers resident experience by working to create ways for many different people to participate on their own terms- while strengthening the connective tissue between people and opportunities. • While hosts felt well supported and appreciated their limited involvement in logistics, the true nature of a participatory approach encourages residents and hosts to take part in the many facets of project design, delivery, and evaluation (including logistics). This calls for on-going modelling and support from the project team, who require adequate time and training to avoid falling into familiar patterns of program design and delivery.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

• Build on the momentum of the EOED pilot by continuing to identify pathways of engagement that enable on-going connections between residents and organizations, with opportunities for co-designing future phases. • Develop a structured approach for preliminary and on-going training to support the whole project team in applying and modelling participatory approaches and practices. Apply insights generated from this to the development of a localized experiential learning model for diverse individuals and organizations.