CBRCanada Webinar: "Moving the Dial on Social Equity Through Connectivity”

Community-Based Research Canada presents “Moving the Dial”: our 2023 E-Learning series. This series will highlight action-oriented community-based research that is ‘moving the dial’ on today’s pressing societal challenges. An important hallmark of community-based research, taking an action-orientated and impactful approach, means research partnerships mobilizing knowledge and mobilizing communities towards positive societal change. The research projects highlighted within this series demonstrate impact of community-based research. We will hear about research partnerships that facilitated actions improving societal conditions, including changes in policies, systems, organizations, and communities where everyone is supported and belongs.

Webinar

The North End of Winnipeg was hit hard by the Covid19 Health Restrictions. A huge contributing factor to the impact being felt in this neighbourhood over many other areas of the city was/is the lack of connectivity, limited access to devices, and lack of digital skills needed to utilize connectivity effectively and safely. In order to better understand and develop possible solutions to these problems, a community-based participatory action research project was started in partnership with the University of Winnipeg Urban and Inner-City Studies program and was funded by the Manitoba Research Alliance. This panel discussion brings together key partners to reflect on their experiences and showcase how the research and the project unfolded.

Presenters

Joel Templeman, Executive Director, Internet Society Manitoba Chapter. Joel is the Executive Director of the Internet Society Manitoba Chapter and Project Manager of the North End Connect initiative. Retired as a Major with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve, Joel worked in training development and led a team of technicians at a national network operations centre. Joel works as an Education Specialist coordinating professional development opportunities for teachers looking to incorporate more technology, computational thinking, and coding into the classroom. Joel is also the owner of Leadthrough.ca, a consulting business focussing on supporting small and not for profit businesses with their IT and cybersecurity strategies and systems.

A former public school teacher with most of his time spent in the special needs community, Joel completed a Bachelor of Education in 2001. He went on and completed a Masters degree in Public Administration through the Royal Military College of Canada in 2016, with a focus in IT project management, strategic decision making, and organizational psychology. Joel completed a Master of Education from the University of Calgary in 2023.

Justin Menard, Executive Director, Computers for Schools Manitoba. Justin started with the organization (Computers for Schools MB) as a youth intern under the internship program in 2013. In 2019 Justin stepped into his current role as Executive Director for the organization and has since put extensive emphasis on refining the internship experience and expanding into historically underserved regions. Mr. Menard was born and raised in the north end of Winnipeg and strives to create equitable access to technology so all Manitobans can participate in the digital economy.

Shelley Anderson, Coordinator, Indigenous Vision for the North End. Bio coming soon.

This event will take place in Zoom meeting format. A zoom link* will be sent out by email prior to the event via eventbrite. If you do not receive the link, access will also be available on the eventbrite platform. Use the email you registered with to login. For questions, please email info@communityresearchcanada.ca  in advance of the event.

*This event is intended for CBRCanada members only. If you are employed, studying, or affiliated with any CBRCanada member institution/organization, you are already considered a member. If you are unsure if your institution is covered, learn more here. Individuals whose institution is not on this list are welcome to register as an an individual member. We value community participation and have a free membership option for registered community mobilizers.