On Friday, March 19, the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education (TCCBE) invited members of the Trent and Peterborough communities to attend the fourth annual Knowledge in Action Forum.

Students, faculty and community organization representatives involved the over 30 projects run through the TCCBE this year gathered at All Saints Anglican Parish Hall to see poster-board presentations of current projects in progress. Projects covered a wide range of topics and areas, including: community history, environmental policy and practice, project and program evaluation, and safety and social justice. Examples of TCCBE projects on display included: Best Practices for an Accessible and Socially Inclusive Community Garden, Education on Waste Diversion, and Social Technology and Cyberspace Safety, just to name a few.

Barb Woolner, TCCBE project coordinator looked around at the large crowd gathered and said, “Wow, this is great. I’m so happy for these students because they have all worked so hard. Not all of the projects are complete yet but each student has created a display board telling the story of their work to-date.”

“It’s incredible work, it really is,” declared Todd Barr, executive director of the TCCBE, in his opening speech. “It’s an honour to stand before you today to bask in the hard work you have done for the good of the community and individuals like yourself. The work that you are doing matters; it is being recognized and hopefully that will give you the confidence to continue.”

During the forum, keynote speaker and Trent alumna Dawn Berry Merriam delivered a special presentation entitled “Planning for Our Changing Social Infrastructure." Ms. Berry Merriam is a research and policy analyst for the Peterborough Social Planning Council. “Demographics are not boring! I want to make that very clear,” she asserted to laughter from the crowd before going on to discuss how statistical research and community involvement provide planners with key information to address issues in the community such as transportation, education, housing and the coordination of services.

“We must look at a multi-sectored planning approach and be prepared for changing demands,” argued Ms. Berry Merriam. “Too often we divorce the physical and social aspects of planning. Geomorphologists and sociologists must come together for positive, progressive planning, tying pieces together for the common good of the community.”

Christie Nash, a projects coordinator with TCCBE and graduate of the International Development Studies program at Trent, said, “I find this work amazing because I love rigorous research and to be involved in community development. From a pedagogical perspective I see the value for students putting their research into action. Some of these projects live on and are used by organizations year after year.”

“The community based project is a great opportunity for me to reinforce what I’ve been learning,” said Josh Quaite, a third-year Environmental Resource Sciences student who came to Trent as a graduate of Fleming College’s Environmental Technician program.

“I would say that TCCBE is why I came to Trent,” asserted Tegan Moss, who is in her second year with TCCBE. Ms. Moss’ project is Creating a Community Garden Network and her host organization is Peterborough Green Up. The purpose of the project is to work with staff to do an “environmental scan,” in order to identify all the existing and potential members of a community garden network. The research will also show what the potential members are presently doing or how they would like to be involved. The results of the project will contribute to building the capacity and structure of the network. Ms. Moss is enthusiastic about the TCCBE. “I’m not just writing an essay here” she said, adding, “Where I want to work is in the community and this is a great way to create a tangible effect.”

An independent, not-for-profit organization, the TCCBE brings students and faculty together with local organizations for community-based research projects that provide hands on experience to students, and opportunities for organizations to enhance the social, environmental, cultural and economic health of our communities.