News Item

Presentation Title
The co-learning process: using a graduate level methods class to teach, learn and do community based research

Presenters
Felix Munger, MES, Manager, Scarborough Addiction Services Partnership
Sarah Flicker, PhD, Assistant Professor, York University, Faculty of Environmental Studies

Abstract
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is challenging to both do and teach. In keeping with the principles of action and collaboration, students in the ENVS6183 graduate course worked closely with the Scarborough Addiction Services Partnership to design and implement a small study that focused on improving community-based addictions services in one of Canada’s most diverse neighborhoods. Over the course of the semester, we conducted more than 50 in-depth interviews with a broad range of stakeholders, collaboratively analyzed the data and generated reports and recommendations for better health service planning and delivery. Students learned both the theory and practice of CBPR and gained some supplementary knowledge of addiction issues. Community partners received a tailored analysis of their issues and increased their understanding of the possibilities of equitable research partnerships. This presentation will showcase our approach from the perspective of the students, the professor and community partners. Through a panel presentation, Q& A, interactive group exercises, and large group discussions, we will reflect on the successes as well as challenges of teaching a CBPR class that conducts actual research. Finally, we will share some of the findings of the research and the ways it has been taken up.