$3.5M Gift to Double Number of Trent University Community-Based Research Projects
Four-year commitment provides reliable support for increased student success, meaningful engagement with local communities
A $3.5-million gift will double the number of community-based research projects at Trent University, creating a lasting impact that allows more students to gain valuable hands-on experience and create meaningful change in the Peterborough region.
The anonymous Trent supporter, who provided $1.2 million earlier this year following the launch of the Campaign for Momentous Change, has increased total support to $3.5 million, recognizing the needs and benefits of the Trent Community Research Centre (TCRC). The additional funds will create an endowment to provide reliable ongoing funding for training students and employers, enhancing hands-on learning opportunities, providing funds for primary research, and covering travel and other expenses for students to complete research projects in the Peterborough area.
“Trent University is a catalyst for community well-being and success through its thought leadership, research, collaborative endeavours, and community-building initiatives including community-based research,” says Julie Davis, vice-president External Relations & Development at Trent University. “We thank the supporter for this transformational gift that strengthens our ability for many years for academia and communities to come together to address complex and urgent societal challenges.”
For more than 25 years, the TCRC has facilitated meaningful, and purposeful community-based research projects in Peterborough City and County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Durham Region, and Northumberland County.
Community-based research brings together the research expertise of Trent University faculty and students with the knowledge and research needs of a wide range of community groups and organizations including municipalities, social service agencies, conservation authorities, and interest groups. Centre staff work alongside faculty to support students in their work and help guide projects toward successful outcomes for both the local community and students.
“Whether it’s groundbreaking research with the Five Counties Children’s Centre or the Brain Injury Association of Peterborough Region, Trent students are using community-based research opportunities to gain valuable experiential learning in areas close to their hearts and creating momentous change in our communities,” said Kevin Whitmore, director of Careerspace at Trent.
Learn more about Trent’s community-based research.
About the Campaign for Momentous Change
The $100-million Campaign for Momentous Change – the boldest campaign in Trent University history – will empower students, enable world-changing research, steward the University’s iconic architecture, and vitalize campuses. Launched in March 2023, the Campaign focuses on academic discovery, as well as the people and places at Trent’s campuses in both Peterborough and Trent University Durham GTA. Through the Campaign for Momentous Change, the University is fundraising for areas such as the Trent Fund to support student wellness, the Trent Lands and Nature Areas, the School of Education, School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, the Colleges of Trent, and the School of Graduate Studies. The Campaign also aims to recruit 500 new monthly Trent donors to provide sustainable and reliable support for students, research and learning spaces.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful, and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular, and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives, and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty, and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
For more information contact:
Nate Lewis, Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x7747 or natelewis@trentu.ca