King's students create community impact projects

As part of the Women in Civic Leadership Public Symposium, King’s University College and Brescia University College are inviting the public to learn more about the community impact projects students have been working on with women community partners from across London. The symposium will be held at the London Public Library, Central Library in the Stevenson and Hunt Room on April 5, 2019 from 2:30-5 p.m.

The symposium is coordinated by Dr. Jacquetta Newman of King’s Political Science department and led by Prof.  Shawna Lewkowitz of King’s Social Justice and Peace Studies department and Prof. Anne Marie DeCicco-Best of Brescia’s Political Science department.

As part of the Symposium, Social Justice and Peace Studies and Political Science students, most in their third and fourth year, will be formally presenting the community impact projects they have been working on with partners and mentors.

“The students learn first-hand what goes into working on collaborative community projects and they have an opportunity to share that learning with the broader public,” says Prof. Lewkowitz.

Five group projects will be presented as part of the symposium:

• 40 Beyond: An initiative to assist high school students who may not have access to volunteer opportunities because of lack of connections, resources or other barriers
• Inform[M]e: A project to better understand the gaps in the high school curriculum around issues impacting Indigenous and racialized communities.
• Changemak(h)er Conference: A conference for young women by young women about how to get involved in politics and community which was held on March 23rd at King’s.  More information on the conference can be found at https://www.kings.uwo.ca/about-kings/visitor-info/calendar-of-events/change-mak-h-er-conference/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/587502721722652/
• CampUS Safety:  An assessment of safety on campus at King’s and recommendations on how to make campus a safer place for all.
• City Studio London: Practice of Community Collaboration and Student Engagement. Research and pop-up demonstration on a proposed community collaboration of academic partners with the City of London. 

“The involvement of women community partners is crucial. They assist the students in coming up with a project idea connected to the organization they work with and the city of London. They guide and mentor the students through the project cycle, while also offering up experiences and opportunities in the community for the students to learn more about local issues and leadership,” says Prof. Lewkowitz.

The women community partners to be involved include:

• Frances Moore, We Matter
• Michelle Baldwin, Pillar Nonprofit Network
• Rosanna Wilcox, City of London
• Cheryl Smith, City of London
• Anna Hopkins, City of London Ward 9 Councillor
• Maureen Cassidy, City of London Ward 5 Councillor
• Virginia Ridley, former City of London Ward 10 Councillor
• Anne-Marie Sanchez, Women & Politics
• Marci Easton, Women & Politics
• Melissa Kamphuis, London Youth Advisory Council
• Susanna Hubbard-Krimmer, London Public Library
• Nancy Cloister, London Public Library 

To learn more about the Women in Civic Leadership Public Symposium, please visit https://www.kings.uwo.ca/about-kings/visitor-info/calendar-of-events/women-in-civic-leadership-public-symposium/