Showcase - Spring 2016 by Trent University

TRENT Showcase

spring 2016

U N I V E R S I T Y

L e a d in g - E d g e T e a c h in g a n d R e s e a r c h

T HE c h a m pi o ns o f c h a n g e issu e

Planting the Seeds of Change “ Understanding the social implications of our food production helps us to understand how to address global human inequality and climate change.”

meet the innovators

others don’t? These are just a few of the many questions Prof. Akram- Lodhi poses to challenge his students. “It amazes me how many of my students not only want to be, but also have become, farmers,” says Prof. AkramLodhi. “More than that, though, my students have become much more conscious that their food choices are intensely Solving the problems of our time political. Understanding these questions is not only a way Prof. Akram-Lodhi believes that understanding food in of expressing their global citizenship, but also becomes the today’s world, and what’s wrong with the food system both basis by which students can actively push, individually and locally and globally, is connected to much larger issues that collectively, for changes to the food system.” our world faces today. Prof. Akram-Lodhi believes that we can all be food “Global human inequality and climate change are the activists. And at Trent, those activists are fostered in the two defining social issues of our time. Both are connected classroom and to food,” he explains. “Global human inequality and climate change are the two defining beyond. From “Food-based social students enrolled exclusion is found social issues of our time. Both are connected to food.” in the Sustainable in Peterborough, Agriculture program to students working at the Seasoned Pretoria and Phnom Penh, and is a key manifestation of Spoon, a non-profit, vegetarian, cooperative café located human inequality because it denies people a basic right in Champlain College, and students working in the to sufficient, nutritious, culturally-appropriate food. University’s gardens, student food activists abound at Trent. Additionally, the industrial model of agricultural production For other students wanting to make a difference, Prof. that supplies many of us with the bulk of our food is a Akram-Lodhi says there are small changes we can all make significant contributor to climate change. Understanding to become food activists in our daily lives. “It’s simple,” the social implications of our food production helps us to he says. “Eat less meat, start cooking, eat with others, and understand how to address global human inequality and most importantly, learn about the food you’re eating.” l climate change.”

Food Activism Takes Root

hange: it’s a reoccurring theme when Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi speaks about his research and teaching. “The world is changed by people,” says the professor of International Development Studies at Trent University. “My goal is to facilitate the capacity in my students to recognize that they are the authors of their own future and that through the choices that they make and the actions that they take, they can make the world a better and more just place for everyone.” Professor Akram-Lodhi’s research has long been focused on understanding processes of rural change in poor countries, examining access to land and water, labour regimes, incomes and food, and non-food crop production. Upon landing at Trent University in 2006, he realized that his work and fascination around food justice was something that he could bring into the classroom, passing along his knowledge and passion for the subject to his students. “Teaching students about food connects them to the lives of farmers in both developing countries and in the Peterborough area because food is something that is both universal and central to the human experience,” explains Prof. Akram-Lodhi.

Food activism from the ground up Where does your food come from? What’s in it? How is your food produced? Why do you get access to certain food when

Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi shares more about his work with students on food justice in at short video at trentu.ca/showcase

trentu.ca

Challenge The Way You Think

Conditions of Confinement: Incarceration of Women in Canada

hen it comes to the devastating circumstances faced by many incarcerated women in this country, Dr. Gillian Balfour has seen it all. Her research experience bears witness to racism, violence, and unspeakable loss. As a member of the Sociology Department at Trent, Professor Balfour researches conditions of confinement in women’s prisons and the compounding effects of victimization in the lives of criminalized – especially poor and racialized – women. Through action and education, Prof. Balfour encourages her students, and society as a whole, to take a closer look at who goes to prison.

Questioning authority As a graduate student in Winnipeg, Prof. Balfour researched ways to improve programs for female inmates. Involved in the prisoner advocacy community, she ran a group for women facing life sentences. “I was struck by the implications of building better prisons for women who were already imprisoned through poverty and victimization,” Prof. Balfour recalls. “I decided there were bigger questions about law regarding the criminalization, victimization and incarceration of Indigenous women.” Her research now includes sentencing of Indigenous women and sentencing reforms.

Faces of injustice Prof. Balfour’s work paints a vivid picture for her students at Trent. “They have been moved by the archival images I have shown in class as a way of documenting how women have been punished in Canada,” said Prof. Balfour. “I make

connections in my classroom between historical practices and what is happening today. The resonance of these images is striking.” Inspired by what they have learned in her classes, many of Prof. Balfour’s students continue their studies at graduate school or law school, exploring key areas of study, including incarceration of those with addictions and mental health needs, and prevention of deaths in custody.

“ I make connections in my classroom between historical practices and what is happening today. “

Reverberating community impact In recognition of her ground-breaking research, Prof. Balfour has twice received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) supporting projects such as The Prison Transparency Project, a collaborative project with other prison scholars, which documents prisoner and immigrant detainee experiences of incarceration. After receiving the SSHRC Insight grant in 2012, she compiled a social history of segregation and disciplinary practices inside women’s prisons. “This project directly challenged how the state punishes women prisoners,” stated Prof. Balfour. “I was very appreciative of SSHRC’s support. For me it was the recognition of the value of the research and the knowledge produced.” Her most recent community outreach project involves working with local high schools to incorporate an online module on the history of women’s imprisonment in Canada into their grade 12 curriculum. “Teachers have been very engaged with bringing this content into their classrooms,” explains Prof. Balfour. From behind prison walls to contemporary classrooms, Prof. Balfour’s work is creating a far-reaching ripple effect. l

Learn more about Dr. Gillian Balfour’s work with incarcerated women in Canada in a short video at trentu.ca/showcase

Dr. Gillian Balfour

Breaking Barriers: Free Humanities Course Opens Door

to Those Who Might Not Consider University

resh coffee, good conversation, and an invitation to come together and ignite a love of learning. The final item on that list may not seem to be part of one’s expectation from a next door neighbour, but it’s exactly what Trent University Durham is offering local residents through the new Humanities 101 program.

Accessible education in Durham region “We feel that education and lifelong learning should be accessible to everyone, not only to those who can afford it, or feel comfortable enough to step onto campus,” explains Amber Ashton, manager of Academic Programs and Campus Operations at Trent University Durham. “Our faculty and staff are genuinely proud to share knowledge with our neighbours in the Durham Region.” Launched in 2014, and offered each fall to approximately 30 community members at Trent’s growing campus in the GTA, the ten-week program reflects the diverse span of Humanities and Social Science programs students can choose to study at Trent University Durham. Topics in the community program range from the history of comics and business management, to journalism in early Canada. Designed for students facing barriers to post-secondary education, the program provides additional resources to ease the transition, including child care, free parking, transportation and access to the campus library.

Trent University Durham Profile

“Trent’s offering an amazing thing with Humanities 101. I’m glad I participated,” says Lindsay, a 2015 program participant. “I enjoyed the instruction from professors who knew their students were there simply to learn, not vie for grades. I was also glad to learn about post-secondary education opportunities and Trent’s specific programs, as it helped me plan for my future education.”

“Humanities 101 provides the opportunity for participants to learn and gain confidence to successfully pursue an education and to advance both intellectually and through employment.” City councillor takes part To show their support for the growing program, and to enjoy a weekly night out, Oshawa City Councillor Rick Kerr and his wife, Janice, enrolled in the program. Councillor Kerr was keen to experience the course so he could recommend it to other Oshawa agencies. “The course is an excellent contribution to our community’s well-being and development,” says Councillor Kerr. “Humanities 101 provides the opportunity for participants to learn and gain confidence to successfully pursue an education and to advance both intellectually and through employment.” Part of a network of program organizers and universities across Canada, Trent offers the outreach program to students recommended by various social services agencies in the region. These relationships with many local organizations including the United Way and the Durham Region Employment Network, help Trent University Durham serve as a strong community partner in Durham Region and the GTA.

An open invitation to learning Speaking of the impact of the program, Ms. Ashton says: “Students leave the program with a positive perception of Trent. They feel welcome to return to our public lectures, use the library and be involved on campus. As a community partner we want to offer engaging educational opportunities through Humanities 101, our undergraduate programs and local events.” l

City Councillor Rick Kerr and his wife, Janice Kerr, engage with students at the Trent University Durham campus

Teaching Teachers to be Agents of Social Change

Dr. Paul Elliott, a professor in the School of Education and Professional Learning, engages with students

“

e have a duty to prepare the next generation of teachers to be social change agents,” says dean of Education, Dr. Cathy Bruce. Rooted in the guiding principles of Trent’s School of Education, an emphasis on social and ecological justice is embodied in all its offerings from the undergraduate Teacher Education Stream and emphasis in Teacher Education, to the Consecutive B. Ed. program, M.Ed. in Educational Studies, and the new Indigenous B.Ed. program.

Challenging our future citizens “Our programs address issues of inclusivity, learning abilities and challenges, race, sexual orientation, gender, and culture,” Professor Bruce says, noting that those socio-cultural concerns are reflected in the knowledge, experience, and research interests of the School’s instructors. Teacher candidates consider these issues through core mandatory courses that have a social justice focus, such as Indigenous and Environmental Sustainability, and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. “These courses help our teacher candidates to think about the students they will be working with, not only from a teaching aspect, but in terms of their broader sense of

“We have a duty to prepare the next generation of teachers to be social change agents.” social responsibility as they go forward as future citizens,” Prof. Bruce says.

Providing new perspectives Perhaps the greatest opportunity for teacher candidates to enhance their knowledge about social justice issues and cultural diversity is through the alternative field experience placement, a mandatory placement that is unique to Trent University. “Everybody has to do a three-week placement that is not in a typical classroom setting,” Prof. Bruce explains. “It has to be something a little unusual that will expand their thinking and their understanding of social justice issues.” Students can choose to design an alternative field placement that reflects their personal interests or they can participate in one of the established programs, including: the Learning Garden, where teacher candidates learn to instill an environmental consciousness in their future students; Learning from the Land and Indigenous People, where they develop an

awareness of Indigenous culture and traditional knowledge; Camp fYrefly, a camp for LGBTQ and two-spirited youth; and, beginning next year, teaching in Cambodia. Additionally, all teacher candidates are required to do a tutoring placement in the Supporting Literacy and Special Needs program. “We believe our teacher candidates need to have this range of experiences so they are open to all students they are going to be working with,” Prof. Bruce says. “Rather than a place of conformism, schooling should be where people expand their horizons and consider things beyond their own lives and perspectives, in order to help change and improve the world.”

FIRST IN ONTARIO

Indigenous Bachelor of Education first in Ontario

Prof. Bruce points out that the School is continually looking for ways to infuse social justice into its offerings, citing the new Indigenous Bachelor of Education as an example of an innovative program stream developed to tackle a social issue. “We are responding to the clear need to increase the representation of Indigenous teachers in Ontario, who are currently underrepresented in our teaching population,” she says. Welcoming the first class of students in fall 2016, the B.Ed. Indigenous is a five-year concurrent education program for self-identified Indigenous students, who pursue a B.Ed. while concurrently earning credits toward an Arts or Science degree. l

Dr. Cathy Bruce discusses the School of Education’s commitment to social justice and what this means for students in each course of the program in a short video at trentu.ca/showcase

A Clash of Cultures: Exploring the Challenges of LGBT Muslims

uslim LGBT politics and identity aren’t common topics of conversation. In fact, they are topics that can easily be overlooked or even deemed taboo in some places of the world. But Dr. Momin Rahman, a Sociology professor at Trent University, is tackling the topic head on, ready to push for change for a group that might not always have the chance to do so themselves. “Partly in the context of heightened Islamophobia since 9/11, and the increasing international emphasis on LGBT rights, we have seen an increasing focus on the clashes between Muslim communities and LGBT rights,” Professor Rahman explains about his draw and interest in the topic. “I wanted to intervene in this debate by highlighting that the two groups are not mutually exclusive.”

Caught in the middle

“LGBT Muslims are caught between belonging to two apparently oppositional cultures. Understanding their experiences is important from a social justice perspective because it allows us to suggest improvements to support policies and practices that acknowledge their difficult position.”

“LGBT Muslims are caught between belonging to two apparently oppositional cultures,” added Prof. Rahman. “Understanding their experiences is important from a social justice perspective because it allows us to suggest improvements to support policies and practices that acknowledge their difficult position.” More broadly, Prof. Rahman’s research challenges the political use of LGBT rights as a credential of western societies’ progress and superiority. “It is quite strange to see LGBT rights becoming so widely used by western politicians who have, until very recently, been overwhelmingly against the progress of LGBT citizenship,” said Prof. Rahman. “We in the LGBT community in particular must be aware of this new development, and challenge the use of LGBT rights in racist and Islamophobic politics.”

Prof. Rahman knows that this isn’t an easy problem to address, but he believes that it’s one of the strengths of his academic research. “We’re able to study issues in depth, over time and then contribute to public and political debates with this knowledge, rather than just react without thoroughly understanding the context of issues.” It’s learnings from this research that fosters discussions with Prof. Momin’s students in class about the stigma attached to Muslim cultures around gender and sexuality. It’s also led to thesis projects with students centered on the current internationalization of LGBT rights, and the resistance to these from some governments.

From research to action

In keeping with Trent’s emphasis on social justice research, Prof. Rahman shares that one of his aims is to develop practical resources for helping LGBT Muslims and those that provide services for them, or to even engage in advocacy on their behalf. For example, Prof. Rahman was recently invited to Ottawa to meet diplomats at Global Affairs Canada, where he shared his research on the experiences of LGBT Muslims and discussed the political problems of advancing LGBT rights in countries around the world that are homophobic. Prof. Rahman and his research team have also been talking to NGOs and community groups that work with LGBT Muslims and will be developing publicly-accessible guides, information and resources that help LGBT Muslims discuss their lives with more support and success. l

matter of course

Environmental Policy Rooted in Community Environmental & Resource Science/Studies 3120H: Canadian Environmental Policy Dr. Stephen Hill

olicies designed to protect and conserve Canada’s environment and natural resources don’t just happen overnight. The path from policy idea to implementation is crowded with the vested interests of different stakeholders. Scientific, economic, political, and cultural perspectives leave policy makers with the challenge of getting it right. In Canadian Environmental Policy, a third-year course in the Environmental & Resource Science/Studies (ERS) program, students are taught to navigate and analyze modern-day environmental policies such as climate change, toxic chemicals, land disputes, renewable energy, and more. As students strike out into the community to question, discuss, and experience, the reach of this course extends well beyond the textbook. Gathering around the campfire to listen to the second chief of the Temagami First Nation discuss his concept of sustainability, or providing hard data to local initiative, Sustainable Peterborough, are all in a day’s work.

Big change starts small

Professor Stephen Hill with students

with members of the Climate Change Action Plan and incorporated into the plan’s ongoing development.

Learning from those who lived it As part of their course work, students are also encouraged to participate in the longstanding Trent Temagami Colloquium. Now in its 43rd year, the colloquium allows students from across campus to join alumni, faculty, and guest speakers at Camp Wanapitei in Temagami, Ontario. At the retreat, students examine Canadian environmental and Indigenous issues on the land in ways that bring their environmental studies to the forefront. “As we talk about forestry controversies and challenges over First Nations jurisdiction, we are able to walk through the forests that were logged and the road that was blockaded during the Temagami land use conflict in 1989,” explains Prof. Hill. “By talking with the people who have been there about the stories, issues, and people who were affected, we are bringing

Dr. Stephen Hill, the course instructor and professor in the ERS department at Trent, always includes a community project in the course. This past fall, students in the class took part in the Community Climate Conversation project, a project which offered them the unique opportunity to work hands“By talking with the people who have been there on with consultants and members of the Climate Change Action Plan, in coordination with Sustainable about the stories, issues, and people Peterborough, a community-based regional who were affected, we are bringing classroom collaborative working to integrate the sustainability studies to life.” plan throughout the greater Peterborough area. “By integrating our coursework into a community classroom studies to life.” project, we were challenged to examine how different people are influenced by policies, and how to best present the issues and solutions to a diverse audience,” said Emily Amon, a Making policies with people in mind third-year ERS student who took Professor Hill’s class this past fall. “We learned to respect Dr. Hill hopes students will take away a sense of the possibilities for creating more multiple forms of knowing, and value community support in making these decisions, and thoughtful environmental policies. discussing environmental problems.” As they become the policy makers of the future, students will build upon the knowledge Students were assigned to engage with various local community groups in Peterborough and experience of the people they encountered in the community and the woods. l to hear their ideas for reducing local greenhouse gas emissions. Their findings were shared

Student Leaders Dig Deep and Give Back

ith such a talented, knowledgeable and dedicated student body, Trent University’s longstanding tradition of community service is bursting at

the seams. Beyond just reading, writing and hours in lecture hall or the lab, Trent students are inspired to give back, and understand that they can effect change. It’s all part of the Trent experience and is demonstrated in the diverse collection of student groups found at both the Peterborough and Durham campuses who are leading the charge to make a resounding difference in the community.

Students support Trent Gives at orientation week

Real students. Real accomplishment. $10,000 raised by Trent Gives for Canadians with Cystic Fibrosis in memory of a Trent student who succumbed to the disease, a solidarity event organized by the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) to show support for the Peterborough Mosque that was destroyed (intentionally) by fire, and $25,000 raised by a mix of staff, faculty, donors and students for the Trent World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program to sponsor additional refugee students. These are just a few of the most recent accomplishments of Trent student groups.

“A lot of these student groups do amazing things for the community, while others run events and initiatives for students on campus,” says Alaine Spiwak, president of the TCSA and fourth-year student in International Development Studies. “Although the TCSA is focused on student services, campaigns, events, and advocacy, at times we also run outreach events and initiatives within the community. For example, when the fire was set to the Peterborough Mosque, we partnered with the Trent Muslim Students’ Association and arranged a solidarity event at the church where they held Friday prayer while the mosque was being rebuilt.”

The #TrentUGives campaign raised both funds and awareness for the Tren

the world of trent alumni

Caring for Others: Trent Alumni Making a Difference

on Local and Global Scale

“

leave Trent armed with the Responding to the needs of knowledge that when I put my others mind to it, I can matter.” “Trent has given me skills and a joy in These were the words spoken by learning that allow me to continuously the Honourable Maryam Monsef ’03, adapt and shape my participation in the Minister of Democratic Institutions, at world,” says renowned humanitarian Dr. her recent Trent convocation. But they James Orbinski. The former Traill College might as easily be attributed to any don graduated from Trent with a degree number of fellow alumni, including Dr. in Psychology, before going on to medical James Orbinski ‘80 and Ryan Heighton school. ‘05 who, like Minister Monsef, have A founder and past president of devoted their lives to working towards Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors Without social change. Borders (MSF), Dr. Orbinski has delivered A Biology and Psychology medical assistance to graduate, Minister Monsef recently people in numerous Maryam Monsef became Canada’s first Afghanistan-born countries, while enduring civil war, MP and the youngest minister in cabinet. While at Trent, epidemics and genocide. In recognition she volunteered and worked at the Office of Human Rights of his work, in 1999, he accepted the and was involved in many student groups including the Nobel Peace Prize on MSF’s behalf. Ontario Public Research Interest Group (OPIRG), the Trent Muslim Students’ “Trent has a strong sense of community. It’s the Association, and the World University kind of school that breeds attitudes like my own, Service of Canada’s Afghanistan with people focused on social justice issues.” Challenge. She credits her experience at Trent with positively shaping her career In addition to path and helping her realize that his work with MSF, she could make a difference. After Dr. Orbinski, is a Ryan Heighton graduation, she became a force for co-founder of Dignitas good in the Peterborough community, International, a medical humanitarian and co-founded, with fellow alumna organization, and is a recipient of the Jessica Melnik ‘03, the Red Pashmina Meritorious Service Cross, Canada’s Campaign which supports women and highest civilian award. He recounted his girls in Afghanistan. Turns out, that experiences in a best-selling book, An was just the beginning. Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action “My life’s challenge is to provide in the 21st Century. An award-winning others with the same incredible documentary, Triage, chronicled his opportunities I have been afforded so journey to complete the book. far,” she says. James Orbinski

“Humanity is about responding to the needs of others when there aren’t other ways in which those needs can be met,” he says.

An advocate for vulnerable people Ryan Heighton’s passion for helping others was born on the streets of downtown Peterborough, where he witnessed people struggling with mental illness and addictions, and nurtured at Trent University where he tutored fellow students. “Trent has a strong sense of community,” he says. “It’s the kind of school that breeds attitudes like my own, with people focused on social justice issues.” After acquiring both a B.Sc. in Biology and M.Sc. in Environmental & Life Sciences from Trent, he went on to Osgoode Law School, where he worked with Fair Change Community Services, a student-led initiative that assists homeless and street-involved individuals with their court cases. Today, Mr. Heighton advocates for vulnerable people at a Kitchener-based criminal law practice where he is a partner, Cox, Heighton LLP. “There is a lot of satisfaction in helping people who have mental health and addiction issues,” he says. “Many of them have had tough upbringings and need the social support.” l

“Trent University recognizes the importance of community. It’s one of Trent’s core values, and the University has been extremely supportive of our endeavours and is eager to help us reach success in our campaigns.” Recognizing the importance of community Whether helping children, seniors or new immigrants with their literacy skills through the Trent Students For Literacy group; writing letters to elementary students within the PenPals program at Trent University Durham; or volunteering with the Sexual Violence Support group to assist the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Trent students are finding meaningful ways to make a tangible difference in the lives of local citizens.

nt World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program

And the students themselves are as varied as the groups they join. Trent Gives, a group focused on community outreach and charity work, for example, invites students from all academic backgrounds to participate in its fundraising and volunteer efforts.

“Trent University recognizes the importance of community,” says Sarah Mitchell, Trent Gives co-chair and third-year Business student who feels that students at Trent join the group to raise funds for a well deserving charity while growing their leadership abilities. “It’s one of Trent’s core values, and the University has been extremely supportive of our endeavours and is eager to help us reach success in our campaigns.” l

Trent students and members of the TCSA support the Peterborough Muslim community

Photo: Trent Arthur

Transforming Settler Consciousness to improve relationships with Indigenous peoples

“

f there’s going to be a change in our relationship with Indigenous peoples then it’s important to change the way we think,” says Dr. Lynne Davis, a nonIndigenous professor in Indigenous Studies at Trent. How do we change the way Canadians think about Indigenous peoples and our relationships with them? How do we make non-Indigenous Canadians understand that we have unfairly benefited from the injustices of the past and continue to perpetuate those kinds of injustices? These are the types of questions Professor Davis poses through her research. At the heart of this research, is an understanding of the way in which settler consciousness is constructed, making people aware of the different kinds of narrative needed in order to be able to live and learn together.

Dr. Lynne Davis with her fourth year class created a website at transformingrelations.wordpress.com

Undergraduate students collaborate on faculty research Taking her research into the classroom, these are also central themes Prof. Davis explores in her fourth-year course, Transforming Settler Consciousness. In the course, Prof. Davis engages her students in her research, expanding their learning experience in the process. “Two years ago I invited the students to become part of a research group,” she says. “Together we researched many initiatives across Canada related to the education of non-Indigenous people that we could call

“Two years ago I invited the students to become part of a research group. Together we researched many initiatives across Canada related to the education of nonIndigenous people that we could call transforming settler consciousness.”

transforming settler consciousness.” The group created a website (transformingrelations. wordpress.com) with more than 200 entries that document initiatives aimed at building bridges with, and increasing understanding of, Indigenous peoples. Last year, four of the undergraduate students accompanied Prof. Davis to the Congress for Social Sciences and Humanities and presented a paper on the research project. “It’s really been fun to have student collaborators in this research and to use the classroom as the basis of that research,” Prof. Davis says. In follow-up to the presentation, the research group has undertaken an analysis of the initiatives, and submitted a research paper for publication. While their focus for the past two years has been on documenting initiatives, students in this year’s class will begin to help Prof. Davis build a new section of the website, focused on reconciliation. The unusual opportunity to work with leading faculty on research is a highlight of the Trent experience and an exceptional way to learn. “Analysis leads to action, planning and education,” Prof. Davis say. “We want to identify initiatives that look promising and that take people to a different place and towards different kinds of conversations.” l

meet a TRENT student

Putting Entrepreneurial Ambition into Action Trent student launches business devoted to youth with special needs

rooke Hammer has a mind for business and a heart of gold. This magic formula has empowered the Business Administration student to take her Trent degree to new heights with the launch of her own business. Ms. Hammer is the founder and executive director of Take Flight, an organization that connects youth with developmental disabilities to their community through day programs, services, and respite care. Take Flight’s mission is to foster confidence and independence through developing social, professional and life skills, ultimately leading to self-sufficiency. Her entrepreneurial spirit was fuelled by challenges to find meaningful work, social interaction and independence for her brother, Cole, a high school graduate with Down Syndrome. “My dream for Cole, and youth just like him, is to experience the immense joy, satisfaction, and pride that comes with belonging to a community,” said Ms. Hammer. “Working, giving back, continuous learning, recreation and socializing are pillars upon which we build our lives. Not to mention, regardless of ability: the need for affiliation, power, and achievement.”

Brooke Hammer

Pitching hopes and dreams

Encouraged by her success, she entered the Dragon Slayer’s Den competition hosted in the fall by the Trent Business Students’ Association (TBSA) in Peterborough as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Competing against other driven students, Ms. Hammer presented her entrepreneurial idea within a brief 90 second window to a panel of judges made up of local business experts. “The dream is for Take Flight to “I was pitching my hopes and dreams – my entire life plan,” she stated. “The judges’ feedback had the ability to affect my plans for Take play an integral role in the lives of One-of-a-kind program for local youth Flight. I focused on social value creation, profitability and scalability.” Ms. Hammer launched a successful Take Flight camp in Fort all developmentally disabled youth To her delight, she won the competition, earning a private meeting Frances this past summer. Drawing from experience as a in Canada. The potential here in with one of the judges and a cash prize. respite staff and program leader with the Down Syndrome Peterborough makes it the perfect place “It was the insight and mentorship by professors and other Association of Peterborough as well as many leadership professionals at Trent that really made a difference and contributed to operate.” roles within Trent, she orchestrated every aspect of the immensely to my confidence as an entrepreneur,” said Ms. Hammer. program from hiring staff and managing social media and While preparing for the next business competition she is working finances to providing personal care for participants. to align with government and other partners. She is also planning to launch Take Flight in The result? She created a one-of-a kind program for local youth. She also gave her Peterborough in June 2016. clients the summer of their lives. “The dream is for Take Flight to play an integral role in the lives of all developmentally “Running the Take Flight program has been amazing for me,” said Ms. Hammer. “It disabled youth in Canada. The potential here in Peterborough makes it the perfect place to taught me so much about business as well as values, priorities and equality. As Cole says, ‘It operate.” l makes my heart happy.’”

s 6

Meet third-year student Brooke Hammer and learn more about professors at Trent who have helped her build her business in a short video at trentu.ca/showcase

graduate studies

Aging Radically: No Age Limit on Activism Research and radio helps Trent student spread a message for aging activists

elissa Baldwin’s passion for activism was born on a day, several years ago, when she participated in a march on Parliament Hill. “I saw a group of Raging Grannies storming Wellington Street in feather boas, elaborate hats, and brightly-coloured aprons, singing – If I Remember Correctly – a song about ousting Harper,” she recalls. “I was captivated and inspired by their activist vigor!” Now as a master’s student at Trent, she is taking that inspiration further and informing her own academic research. “Older women’s activists – like the Raging Grannies, but also groups like the Grandmothers Advocacy Network and others – are important because they resist the idea that activism is the domain of youth, while challenging assumptions of what activism is, how it should be practiced, and what is should look like.”

Finding an audience for Aging Radically Most Wednesday mornings, you can hear Ms. Baldwin on Trent Radio (92.7 FM) as co-host, of Aging Radically, a half-hour show that promises listeners “stories, insights,

“Being a part of this community significantly enriches my experience as a graduate student here at Trent: I wouldn’t be here if not for this strong feminist community of scholars.” calls to action, jokes, confessions, and more, from older women who are passionate, engaged, and making things happen in the Peterborough community today.” She says the show is about amplifying the voices of older women working for change. “We know that many of the women we interview share the show with their own networks,” she explains. Currently, the recorded shows are hosted on the Trent Centre for Aging & Society website. “What I think is exciting about the show, which is slightly different from the research I’m doing, is that the women’s own voices are broadcast telling their own stories. Also, their voices are being archived and shared through diverse networks. There is something very powerful about women in their 50s through to their 90s having their voices

Melissa Baldwin in the studio at Trent Radio

and their resistance broadcast to the ether.” Ms. Baldwin is in her first year of an M.A. in Canadian and Indigenous Studies, studying at downtown campus, Traill College, but this is her third year at Trent. She came to the University to work as a research assistant with Dr. May Chazan, Canada research chair in Gender and Feminist Studies and faculty member in Gender and Women’s Studies at Trent, and also enrolled in part-time studies in Gender and Women’s Studies.

A community of critical feminist scholars Ms. Baldwin says her experiences at Trent have had a great influence on her personal development. “The community of critical feminist scholars at the University across various disciplines is incredible. Being a part of this community significantly enriches my experience as a graduate student here at Trent: I wouldn’t be here if not for this strong feminist community of scholars.” l

Cultivating Leaders of Social Change Nursing students learn the community development and health equation first hand Doing amazing things that move the community forward All second-year student nurses are required to complete a community health project, which could involve any number of activities related to local health issues, from helping to establish a warming room to working with an Alzheimer’s group. “Our students go out there and do absolutely amazing things that move our community forward,” Dr. Woodend says, explaining that students identify a health problem, such as nutrition or breast cancer, and then develop community projects to address the issue. Most of the activities take place in and around Peterborough, but each fall, a number of students have the opportunity to travel to Honduras to work on a community development project. Twenty nursing students went down this year accompanied by TFSON Professor Patti Tracey.

Kelechi Osahor and fellow Trent students in Honduras working on their community development project

uilding latrines in an impoverished Honduran village may not sound like an inspiring educational activity for aspiring nurses, but it’s just the type of project students in the Community Based Nursing Practice course in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing say impacted them the most. “Community placements are one of the ways we are developing nursing practitioners who can be leaders in social change,” says Dr. Kirsten Woodend, dean of Trent/Fleming School of Nursing (TFSON). “Being involved in the community and identifying those intersections where there are health issues, such as sanitation or water supplies, is a nursing role. And while building latrines isn’t directly about nursing, this kind of engagement in the community helps our students understand about the connection to human health.”

“Community placements are one of the ways we are developing nursing practitioners who can be leaders in social change.” Delivering essential healthcare in Honduras The group worked at a children’s home outside of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, and also taught at a school for girls who have dropped out of school to work or look after their families. “One of the things that we know, is that if we can educate women in poor countries, then that can make a big difference for those societies in terms of moving them forward,” Dr. Woodend says. In the winter term, another group of nursing students will travel with Prof. Tracey to Honduras to join a medical brigade. This unique community health placement program is run in partnership with Friends of Honduran Children, a Peterborough-based not-forprofit. The students will work with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals which include physicians and nurses, providing essential health care to a village in a remote area of Honduras. “During my community placement in Honduras, we were responsible for teaching CPR, first aid, and choking lessons. It was a really amazing opportunity,” said Kelechi Osahor, a recent graduate of the program. “Traveling to Honduras was such an eye-opening experience, it’s the kind of work that I want to eventually be doing in nursing. The trip also inspired me to get more involved at Trent once we returned home.” l

A Glimpse into the Latest Findings at Trent

investing in TRENT

Investing in Students. Enriching the Community.

s Maddy Macnab debated where to pursue her graduate degree, Trent University quickly became the top contender. “I was drawn to Trent by the quality and thematic focus of the Canadian & Indigenous Studies program, the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at Traill College, and the tight-knit academic community I sensed at the Frost Centre for Canadian & Indigenous Studies,” notes Ms. Macnab, adding that it’s the funding support that she received from Trent that helped seal the deal, and allowed her to pursue her goal of conducting research that is grounded in community and tied to community need. As a first-year masters student, Ms. Macnab was offered the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and was also chosen to receive Trent’s prestigious Alan Wilson Graduate Entrance Scholarship, a competitive entrance scholarship offered to outstanding graduate students in the Canadian Studies Ph.D., History M.A., and Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies M.A programs. The scholarship is inspired by Dr. Alan Wilson, professor emeritus and founding chair of both Canadian Studies and History at Trent University. “The scholarships I received from Trent have allowed me to make my studies and research my central focus, which is a real privilege,” said Ms. Macnab. “I’m grateful to Trent for the support.”

“It has always been important to me to be engaged with the community where I’m living, and to put my energies back into that community.” Placement powers opportunity With the funding in place to support her research, Ms. Macnab turned to the Trent Community Research Centre to take her research into the real-world. The Centre, which serves as an independent facilitator bringing academics, researchers and Trent students together to work on supervised community-based research projects, gave Ms. Macnab the opportunity to explore her research options outside the classroom. “The Trent Community Research Centre was able to match me with a proposed project from the New Canadians Centre that was a good fit with my interests and skills,” stated Ms. Macnab. “It has always been important to me to be engaged with the community where I’m living, and to put my energies back into that community. I think a lot of people share that feeling. Working for change with other folks in my community in various ways has always been a great source of positive energy and an amazing learning experience.”

Putting a Name to the Unknown Soldier

Nourishing Community

hat if, 40 years from now, people had no memory of Corp. Nathan Cirillo and the 2014 attack at the National War Memorial in Ottawa?” asks Dr. David Sheinin, professor of History at Trent University who says that Canadians must work to ensure Cirillo’s legacy isn’t forgotten the way so many lives have been forgotten from the worst of times in South America 40 years ago. He says in 1970s Argentina, terrorists killed more than 3,000 people. “Those deaths have been largely forgotten in Argentine popular culture. My work aims to recover those memories and that history through interviews with survivors.” He is also interested in understanding and analyzing the process of memory-making since the 1970s dictatorship; how popular memory on human rights and terror was formed, and how other memories were “forgotten” and stigmatized.

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Without Music, Life Would ‘B Flat’

n any generation, there will be music that rises above an undifferentiated landscape because it is attempting to say or do something genuinely of-the-moment,” says Dr. Hugh Hodges, a professor with Trent’s Department of English. “Music scenes can be political in ways that have little to do with the content of the music they cohere around. In other words, the way people use music is often political, or rather micropolitical, in ways the music producers did not anticipate,” he explains. So, can Canadian music be categorized under ‘political response’?, “I can’t think of any bands writing songs about Justin Trudeau the way English bands wrote about Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, but, hey, you never know.”

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Ms. Macnab at the Aging Activisms Symposium hosted at Trent.

Community benefits from student success Thanks to the perfect match by the Trent Community Research Centre, Ms. Macnab is now researching the founding and early operational history of the New Canadians Centre (NCC). Originally known as the Peterborough Newcomers Language and Orientation Committee, the NCC was founded by volunteers in 1979 following the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in Peterborough. Now serving over 800 new Canadians each year, the non-profit charitable organization continues to welcome and support newcomers to the local area. Under the supervision of Dr. Joan Sangster, professor of History and Women’s Studies at Trent, Ms. Macnab’s work will rely on oral histories of former staff and volunteers as well as former refugees and immigrants who may have used the NCC’s services between the 1970s and 1990s. As the global refugee migration dominates headlines, Ms. Macnab’s research and compilation of first-hand accounts will provide accurate documentation, and vivid historical context to today’s humanitarian crisis. Photo: Ruth Steinberg and Maureen Murphy l

ary Anne Martin, a Ph.D. candidate in the Canadian Studies program at Trent University is encouraged by Peterborough’s wide and vibrant network of food programs, initiatives, and advocates. A selfdescribed food activist, Ms. Martin’s dissertation is centered on her study entitled, Moms Feeding Families in Peterborough City and County, where she is working to explore the extent to which community-based food initiatives can provide support. “Part of my study looks specifically at the ways that local community-based food initiatives currently support or could better support mothers living on low incomes in ensuring their households are fed.”

A Whale of a Story

aitlin Breton-Honeyman has been having a whale of a time in Nunavik as she works to understand our environment. A Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental and Life Sciences program at Trent University, her research examines different approaches to studying marine mammals, focusing on beluga whale habitat ecology in Nunavik, the Inuit region of Arctic Québec. “Much of my research has involved learning from the knowledge and experiences that Inuit Elders and hunters have of beluga whales,” she says. Ms. Breton-Honeyman is currently writing her dissertation and putting her research into practice in Inukjuak, where she is director of Wildlife Management for the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board (NMRWB). “I am deeply honoured and grateful for the privilege of working together with different partners and communities to improve our collective understanding of species and the environment that sustains us all.” l

From renewable entrance scholarships, to full tuition for 90%+, Trent invests more in scholarships and bursaries than any other university of our size in Canada. Stay up-to-date on a range of events, student features, research highlights and Trent University news at: trentu.ca/news Showcase is printed bi-annually by the Marketing & Communications Office at Trent University. Accessible versions of this document are available upon request at trentu.ca/accessible.

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