STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
The Peter Lougheed Leadership College catalyzes leadership development at the University of Alberta through critical reflection, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.
To create opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to serve and lead, building a responsible and inclusive future.
2
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
WHAT IS A STRETCH EXPERIENCE? T
65% Local
he Stretch Experience is a requirement of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College’s Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies for University of Alberta undergraduate students, referred to as PLLC scholars upon acceptance to the program. These projects offer PLLC scholars at least 200 hours of practical, real-world experience. With up to $5,000 in award funding for each initiative, scholars design and execute a project that:
National
• Stretches them beyond their comfort zone; • Brings significant social benefit to the community it serves; • Builds on the leadership skills they’ve learned in their PLLC classes; and • Supports their future academic or professional goals.
26%
PLLC scholars use the Stretch Experience to tackle issues they are passionate about at home and abroad. Since the inaugural projects in 2016, the Stretch Experience program has: • Created over 220 projects; • Reached 34 countries around the world; • Contributed more than 64,000 hours of leadership work; • Partnered with more than 130 organizations from diverse sectors and industries; and • Distributed more than $975,000 to PLLC scholars in support of their projects.
7%
International
2% Combination
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
3
THE DAVID TAVENDER PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STRETCH AWARD
Learn more about these projects from the scholars themselves by clicking on their name and visiting the PLLC Stretch blog!
T
he Tavender Award is granted annually and provides $5,000 to one PLLC scholar who has completed the Stretch Experience’s objectives while demonstrating exceptional growth and development of their leadership skills.
2017 Winner
Kaitlyn Walcheske Bachelor of Education, 2019 Kaitlyn’s Stretch Experience took her to Finland, in collaboration with the Alberta Teachers’ Association International Partnership Team, to study how the Finnish education system integrates the culture of their Indigenous population, the Sámi people.
4
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
2018 Winner
Simran Gulati
Bachelor of Science with Specialization, 2020 For her Stretch Experience, Simran travelled to northern India with The Rotary Club in Chandigarh to educate rural community members on menstrual hygiene.
2019 Winner
Julia-Don Edwards Bachelor of Arts, 2020 Julia-Don’s Stretch Experience tested her resilience when the Theatre for Social Change program she planned to work for in Kenya was cancelled unexpectedly. She quickly changed gears, travelling to Thiaroye, Senegal to help offer the community’s first summer performing arts camp.
SIGNATURE STRETCH
EXPERIENCES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion • During his summer living with the Dene Tha’ First Nation, Arjun Khabra supported the community’s initiatives and immersed himself in Indigenous culture. • Kindersley’s Queer-Straight Alliance was created by a PLLC scholar, providing a safe space for the town’s LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. • Meghan Vallee advocated for gender equality in aviation during her internship with Elevate Aviation, completing her hours for a pilot’s license that same summer.
Energy and Technology • During her time at the Pembina Institute, Natasha Pye participated in research on improving climate change communication in Alberta. • Adam Czarnecki harnessed artificial intelligence, a field new to him, to assist with Alpha Phenomics’ virus-tracking technology.
Health and Community • Rhodes Scholar Mackenzie Martin interned with the World Health Organization’s Centre for Health Development in Japan and attended the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics World Congress in the U.S. • Jack Tang has continued to apply what he learned at the Indigenous Wellness Program’s Diabetes Intake Program in his medical studies at Yale University. • CompassionConnects, a platform for female cancer survivors in Alberta, was launched with support from Julia Craig during COVID-19, when social isolation was increasingly prevalent.
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
5
VENTURE HEALTHCARE COMES FULL CIRCLE PLLC alumna and program founder hears success stories from participants
I
t was Yasmin Rafiei’s own journey applying to medical school that got her thinking about the barriers some applicants face. While reviewing the myriad requirements typical of medical school applications—competitive Medical College Admission Test scores, paid employment, leadership experience, volunteer work and a rock solid GPA—she began to wonder how people from marginalized communities would fare. How could a student, working gruelling hours waiting tables to pay their tuition, find time to study for an admissions test, let alone scrape together the money for an expensive prep course to land a competitive score? How could a student caring for younger siblings while taking full-time classes, squeeze in volunteer shifts? How could students who didn’t see anyone from their cultural background represented in their own healthcare providers, envision themselves in those roles? “The majority of my friends applying for medical school had never worked a service job,” says Yasmin, a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of PLLC’s inaugural class. “They weren’t necessarily stressed about some of the financial barriers to applying.” Yasmin began researching the demographics of healthcare professionals, realizing that people from Indigenous communities and low socioeconomic backgrounds were critically underrepresented. She resolved to design a program that would open doors to healthcare professions for students from such backgrounds, creating Venture Healthcare as her Stretch Experience with PLLC.
6
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
Venture Healthcare is a paid internship program where participants shadow health professionals while also attending lecture-based learning on leadership in healthcare. The program is designed to provide participants with financial, social and cultural capital: not just the money required to pay for test and application fees, but also the connections within and exposure to healthcare that many marginalized students lack. The program launched in the summer of 2017 as part of the Division of Community Engagement in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. Yasmin recalls the concluding session of that pilot year, an emotional poetry workshop facilitated by Nisha Patel, Edmonton’s current Poet Laureate. “It was this watershed moment,” says Yasmin. “It felt like everything came together and it made sense why this was important.” Beyond that workshop, Yasmin has seen Venture Healthcare pay off for countless participants who have been accepted into medical school, dentistry, physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs. Recently, she received a message from one such participant.
“VENTURE HEALTHCARE EXPANDED HER SCOPE OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE,” SAYS YASMIN. “BEFORE SHE CAME TO THE INTERNSHIP, SHE’D NEVER CONSIDERED HERSELF AS BEING THE KIND OF PERSON WHO’D GO TO ONE OF THESE MEDICAL PROGRAMS. THE PREMISE OF THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION—BUT IN THE PROCESS OF THAT WE WERE, AT EVERY POINT, VALIDATING THAT THEY WERE WORTHY OF BEING IN THOSE ROLES.”
© John Ulan
Scholar: Martin Pasev Location: Edmonton, Alberta Partner Organization: University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
W
hen Martin Pasev designed his Stretch Experience, the U of A’s Dr. Michael Houghton had yet to receive a Nobel Prize. But when Dr. Houghton offered him the chance to join a clinical research team working on finding a vaccine for hepatitis C, Martin jumped at the opportunity. “Alberta is one of the leading pack members in the race to find a vaccine for hepatitis C,” Martin told the CBC in the summer of 2019. Martin leveraged his background as an immunology student for the research elements of his project. He also stepped well outside his comfort zone by organizing an event at West Edmonton Mall on World Hepatitis Day to educate the public about viral hepatitis.
Scholar: Mason Schindle Location: Multiple locations in Alberta Partner Organization: Streetworks
M
ason Schindle was recognized by the University of Alberta Students’ Union with both the Centenary Award for Outstanding Community Leadership and the Student Group of the Year Award for his work on The FentaNIL Project. Hear firsthand about his efforts to educate rural Albertans about opioid overdoses: My Stretch Experience focused on ameliorating the overdose crisis in underserved rural communities in Alberta by providing training on identifying and responding to an opioid overdose, including how to use a naloxone kit. I also shadowed an addictions physician for two days in Calgary and joined a needle exchange van in Edmonton with Streetworks’ overdose prevention team. Each town offered a unique environment. I loved interacting with community members, such as truckers in Claresholm, ranchers in Nanton, lifeguards in Ponoka and Indigenous peoples from the Cree community Maskwacis. Additionally, in Redwater, I trained workers looking to augment their safety training.
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
7
STRETCH EXPERIENCE MAP 2016-20 TYPES OF PROJECTS
8
31%
31%
9%
Academic
Community Organization/Charity
Consultation/Planning/Events
3%
23%
3%
Independent/Self-Guided
Research
University of Alberta Student Governance
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
• Australia • Belize • Brazil • Canada: ▫ Calgary, AB ▫ Camrose, AB ▫ Cold Lake, AB ▫ Drayton Valley, AB ▫ Edmonton, AB ▫ Fort St. John, BC ▫ Fort McMurray, AB ▫ Fort Simpson, NWT ▫ Grande Prairie, AB ▫ Kindersley, SK
▫ La Pocatière, QC ▫ Lethbridge, AB ▫ Montreal, QC ▫ Red Deer, AB ▫ Saskatoon, SK ▫ Thunder Bay, ON ▫ Toronto, ON ▫ Yellowknife, NWT • China • Ecuador • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany
• Greece • Guatemala • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Italy • Japan • Kenya • Malaysia • Morocco • Nepal • New Zealand • Pakistan • Philippines
• Poland • Qatar • Senegal • Serbia • South Africa • Taiwan • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Ukraine • United Kingdom • United States
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
9
RECLAIMING IDENTITY THROUGH THE ARTS Scholar: Katie Tilbury Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia Partner Organizations: Emergency Relief & Development Overseas & ChildCARE Plus
A
lthough the Cambodian genocide happened in the late 1970s, the intergenerational loss of cultural identity in the wake of an estimated 1.3 million deaths extends to the present day. Katie Tilbury’s Stretch Experience was part of a growing movement to regain Cambodian culture and preserve their traditional performing arts. Working closely with local partners, Katie leveraged her Bachelor of Music degree when teaching music, art and English to kids in Phnom Penh during her two-month project. “The students were excited to see what they could create even on their first lesson,” Katie said. “They were given the tools to create their own art from their imagination. I believe that this gave them confidence that could translate into other areas.”
TEACHING MENSTRUAL HYGIENE IN RURAL INDIA
But the project wasn’t without its challenges. As Katie learned to travel by tuk-tuk and bargain at markets outside the classroom, she also grappled with the dilemmas of teaching across cultures. “I found it incredibly difficult,” Katie said. “Many times, I felt like I was pressing my foreign ideologies and thinking into their lives unwantedly.” She tackled this by taking notes from her students—both figuratively and literally. “I learned about how they were taught music through their comments to each other while I was teaching,” Katie said. “Instead of teaching by notes first, which I would do in Canada, I taught with the Kodály method which uses ‘do, re, mi’ because some of the students would whisper to one another that it was ‘sol’ instead of [the note] G.” Of the many lessons Katie took away from her time in Cambodia, one stands out. “It’s become clear to me through this Stretch Experience that I will be working in the non-profit sector in the future, whether it’s in Canada or Cambodia or beyond,” Katie said. “The personal growth I experienced will make a difference for the rest of my life.”
10
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
Scholar: Simran Gulati Location: Chandigarh, India Partner Organization: The Rotary Club
J
ust a few days into her Stretch Experience in northern India, Simran Gulati encountered resistance from a woman who taught science at a local school. “She said educating teenage boys and girls on menstruation was unacceptable, disrespectful and misguided,” Simran said. “I stood there in shock.” From that moment, Simran understood the importance of the campaign she was delivering in partnership with The Rotary Club. Over the next 10 weeks, she toured villages near Chandigarh, giving presentations on menstrual hygiene to more than 1,300 people aged 13 to 40. Although menstrual hygiene isn’t controversial in Canada, Simran’s campaign faced opposition in India because of outdated gender norms and wide-spread myths. “The holes in their education lead to holes in their health,” she said. In 2018, Simran received the Tavender Award for her outstanding Stretch Experience.
CANARY OUTSIDE THE COAL MINE Scholar: Kabir Nadkarni Location: Wabamun, Alberta Partner Organization: Paul First Nation
L
oran Scholar Kabir Nadkarni’s Stretch Experience wowed the Faculty of Engineering, who awarded him one of the inaugural William Muir Edwards Citizenship Awards. By complementing his engineering knowledge with his leadership and intercultural skills, he served Paul First Nation as a community-industry relations consultant, contributing to research on Canada’s transition away from coal-fired power and the potential socioeconomic effects on nearby communities. This project demonstrates his leadership goal of pursuing a “cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary career through which [he] can make engineering a force for good, for communities and the environment.”
SUSTAINABILITY WITH SYNCRUDE Scholar: Kyle Chankasingh Location: Edmonton, Alberta Partner Organization: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
A
s someone who cares deeply about climate change, Kyle Chankasingh never imagined he’d partner with an oil and gas company for his Stretch Experience. Hear firsthand how working with Syncrude helped him step outside his comfort zone: My interest in climate change and sustainability isn’t something I’d had the opportunity to pursue as part of my studies prior to the Stretch Experience. Although it may seem counterintuitive to intern at an oil and gas company, my time with Syncrude taught me a lot. The first project I worked on involved analyzing Syncrude’s policies and stakeholder relationships to see whether they aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The second involved examining Syncrude’s greenhouse gas emissions and exploring how new technologies impact emissions’ intensity. The work took me across Alberta, from Calgary to Fort McMurray. I toured one of Syncrude’s mines to see firsthand what the industry entailed and even got to see a major land reclamation project. Not only has my Stretch Experience taught me about a field outside of my primary degree, but it’s also helped me challenge the cognitive biases I held about the oil and gas industry. This project showed me that companies like Syncrude, and the leaders in those organizations, are aware of the impact their work has on the planet. They’re also actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase land reclamation efforts. I’m looking forward to engaging in discussions about the oilsands with a much more open mind. Given that we live in an age of carbon taxes and pipelines knowing how to navigate heated political conversations openly and thoughtfully is crucial.
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
11
Scholar: Devon Roch Location: Edmonton, Alberta Partner Organization: YEGBees
W
hen Devon Roch learned how important bees are to our ecosystem, she was determined to focus her Stretch Experience on the small but mighty pollinators. Devon became an urban beekeeper, created a series of educational resources for the public, and gave a series of presentations to audiences ranging from elementary school students to corporate groups. Hear firsthand how she conquered her fears and leveraged her fine arts degree for her project: At the beginning of my Stretch Experience, I was so afraid of bees. They were the creepy crawlies of my nightmares. The first time I helped inspect a hive, it took me a good fifteen minutes to inch close enough to actually see the bees—in full beekeeping gear—and then I was frozen in place, barely breathing. There wasn’t one moment where I knew I wasn’t afraid anymore. The more I learned about bees and worked with them, the harder it was to be afraid. Or maybe I was too interested to remember to be anxious. I think the more you understand something, the more you respect and admire it.
12
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
Using my background in art and design, I was able to effectively communicate the content I wanted to share with the public. I focused on things an individual can do to support bees, creating illustrated educational resources. I also created colouring sheets and word searches to engage my younger viewers. I even built a solitary bee home and a bumblebee house to bring to presentations and planted my own bee-friendly garden in my yard.
See Devon’s resources on her blog and her artwork on Instagram, or hear her talk about the project on YouTube.
PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS T
hrough the Stretch Experience program, PLLC has collaborated with more than 130 partner organizations across Canada and worldwide. Thank you to the many people and places who support our scholars in their leadership growth and development.
The following is a snapshot of notable organizations our scholars have partnered with since the program began.
Energy, Technology and Innovation • Alberta Council for Technology • Alpha Phenomics • British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission • Hahn Lukey Houle Chartered Professional Accountants • Oil Sands Community Alliance • Pembina Institute • Recycling Council of Alberta • Syncrude Canada Ltd. • TusStar • University of Alberta, DiscoverE • University of Calgary, Students on Sustainability
Health • Alberta Health Services • Children’s Environmental Health Clinic • Indigenous Wellness Clinic • Streetworks • Arthritis Foundation • BLINC Lab • Compass Centre for Sexual Wellness • Native Counselling Services of Alberta • Neurosurgery Kids Fund • World Health Organization Centre for Health Development
“The scholars I worked with had creative ideas and approaches about how best to contribute to our organization in a way that would allow them to explore the areas they were interested in and develop skills they wanted to improve upon. Our organization benefited greatly from working with these scholars—but most importantly, they contributed to our mission and made a difference, and for all of us, that’s what made it a truly memorable and valuable experience.” – Lana Cuthbertson, CEO & Founder of Areto Labs, Co-Founder of ParityYEG
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
13
PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Community
• Alberta Hate Crimes Committee • Alberta Teachers’ Association International Partnership Team • City of Edmonton, Diversity and Inclusion • Elevate Aviation • Equal Voice • Government of Alberta • Status of Women • Violence Against Women and Girls Unit • Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada • KidSport Edmonton • No Woman Without. • NWT Disabilities Council • ParityYEG • University of Alberta, Engage North • Voice of Albertans with Disabilities • Women for Peace & Democracy Nepal
• AIESEC • Camrose Women’s Shelter • Chimp Haven, Inc. • Compassion House Foundation • Elizabeth Fry Society of Edmonton • Edmonton Community Legal Centre • Edmonton Heritage Council • Edmonton Immigrant Services Association • Emergency Relief and Development Overseas & • ChildCARE Plus • Government of Alberta, Justice and Solicitor General • Hope Mission • Malaysian Students’ Global Alliance • PolicyWise for Children & Families • University of Alberta • Green & Gold Sport System • High School Model United Nations • Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology • YEGBees • YoungLeaders.World Foundation
“I think my favourite part of working with Julia was watching her develop. She began the project with little practical experience, and I wanted to ensure she got as much as possible. We started meeting with stakeholders in April, and by July, Julia was chairing meetings, providing strategic direction to staff and even representing us in the media. While Julia has stayed on board with us as a volunteer to ensure the project is maintained, we built it to easily fold into our other programs. This ensures the project continues to have an impact, long after Julia moves on.” – Michelle Okere, CEO of Compassion House Foundation
14
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
O
n behalf of the scholars who engaged in these transformative projects and the many communities they support, PLLC extends its deepest thanks to all the donors who make the Stretch Experience possible through their generous contributions, and especially the contributions of: E. David D. Tavender, QC; Keyera Corp.; Telus Corporation (Darren Entwistle Leadership Scholars Project Fund); and Hopewell Group of Companies. To support the next generation of leaders, please contact us at pllc@ualberta.ca.
#114, Peter Lougheed Hall 11011 Saskatchewan Drive University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2B4 uab.ca/pllc pllc@ualberta.ca 780-248-1305 Find us on social media!
PETER LOUGHEED LEADERSHIP COLLEGE STUDENT PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
15