Community Engagement Programs
The Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership Program began in 2009, and was designed to provide small grants (between $2000US and $4000US) to Fulbright Canada alumni. These small grants allow Fulbright alumni to engage in environmental action in their community. In its pilot year, the Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership Program supported 11 outstanding projects from across Canada and the United States. It was immediately clear that Fulbright alumni were truly motivated to make a difference in their community. In 2010, RBC Financial provided funding that would underwrite this inspirational program for a further five years.
To the Bat House! Fulbright Scholar Mrs. Victoria Chraibi Victoria’s project aimed to support the conservation of seven native bat species in the northeast Minnesota region where white nose syndrome threatens the existence of these mammals. Her goal was to inform the regional community about the benefits of bats, and educate the public about white nose syndrome in order to prevent its spread and infection. This was done by creating an educational website, creating lesson plans for schools in the area, making bat houses, engaging the community in a bat house hunt at the zoo, and celebrating at the International Year of the Bat.
“This weekend was Boo at the Zoo, the zoo’s biggest event of the year. Fulbright Canada RBC ELP had a bat education station located outside the primate and bat exhibits. We easily had over 500 guests visit the car!” - Victoria Chraibi
Growing a sustainable organic vegetable and fruit garden to enhance ecological and academic language literacy for urban diverse middle school students Fulbright Scholar Dr. Jia Li Jia aimed to create a sustainable organic garden in a school in a lower socieconomic neighborhood. The garden will help nurish the students and be used as an educational tool. The garden includes local fruit trees, and perrenial and annual herbs. Jia also designed a three-week curriculum to teach students about ecological concepts covering 3 themes: 1) the life cycle of plants and trees, and sustainable gardening practices, 2) a healthy diet and better living, and 3) the concepts of green living, sustainability, and ecological impact.
In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, the Community Leadership Program (CLP) was launched in the fall of 2010. CLP grants support a fixed number of community initiatives in Canada on a regional basis, and encourage collaboration between Fulbright grantees and alumni. Recipients of other United States Government (USG) programs are also eligible to apply. Applicants identify a need within their community, and design a project that responds to that need. The program offers $8000CAD to a Canadian Fulbright alumnus/alumnae who partners with at least two other regional alumni of USG programs.
O’Mama Aki: Anishinabe Teachings on Clan Governance and Earth Stewardship Fulbright Scholar Ms. Lorraine Gaywish Rainey Gaywish engaged and educated
youth at Algoma University. They brought the community together by constructing a sapling wigwam on the grounds of Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gaming, Sault Ste Marie, ON (Shingwauk). The construction of the wigwam brought together Anishinabe and non-Anishinabe youth who are connected to Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gaming and Algoma University. Rainey hosted two workshops in the wigwam with the help of Edward Benton Banai, Grand Chief of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, and Dean of Anishinabe Studies at Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gaming, on the traditional clan governance of the Anishinabe Peoples of Canada and United States.
Community Arts and Youth Engagement Institute (Sound Theories) Fulbright Scholar Ms. Naomi Bartz Naomi Bartz and Lyana Patrick proposed a project to create a permanent, affordable, “all-ages” music and educational space in Vancouver, a city in which many all-ages music venues have had difficulty surviving. In collaboration with their community partner, the Safe Amplification Site Society, the team hosted workshops to empower local independent musicians, with an emphasis on youth, and taught them to organize and play at musical events. The workshops targeted approximately 75 youth between the ages of 17 and 25 who learned about topics related to music production, performance, and event planning.
Mentorship Program In 2010 Fulbright Canada established a mentorship program. The program is designed to connect new Fulbright students with established Fulbright alumni. The mentor pool consists of alumni volunteers who provide advice to a new Fulbright student. While most mentorship programs occur within a shared institution or faculty, the Fulbright Canada Mentorship Program connects alumni and students from across North America. This allows for an opportunity to expand one’s network, to interact with someone from a different cultural background, and to get exposed to different ideas and perspectives. Incoming students are matched with a mentor before taking up their award; ideally, the mentor will act as a confidant who shares insight and knowledge, and stories about their Fulbright experience. The goal of the program is to engage alumni who can be a new friend for students who have entered a foreign city, and who can provide guidance and assistance. Mentoring relationships are designed to last for approximately two years. In the first year, mentors will provide advice ranging from practical questions (housing, restaurants, libraries), to academic issues (advice on courses and professors, networking, and research-specific advice). In the second year, mentors will normally weigh in on issues relating to re-integration and professional development. Ideally, if the mentor and his/her charge were not located in the same city, they would be provided with an opportunity to meet using one of Fulbright’s existing mobility programs. At the end of the second year, both mentor and student provide a short report on their experience.