Fleming College

City of Kawartha Lakes ON – July 12, 2012 — The C-Links Centre for Community-Based Projects and Social Mapping and the Faculty of the Leadership in the Environment course at Fleming College’s Frost Campus are seeking interested non-profit organizations to participate in a unique, community-based research project.

As part of the Leadership in the Environment course, all first-semester students at the Frost Campus explore the links between community and the environment. Working in teams, students choose a non-profit organization in the City of Kawartha Lakes area and an issue or project that the agency is involved with. Students will then prepare a poster board presentation and submit a mock grant application to their instructors, advocating for their organization and issue.

Organizations interested in working with the students would provide issue(s) or project ideas for the students to research. The projects support increased student understanding about the role that community organizations play in relation to caring for and contributing to a healthy environment.

Some examples of this could include: environment and health, community participation in land/watershed stewardship, farming and protection of the natural environment, the impact of living in towns and cities on the natural environment, financial benefits of living or working in a green environment, or providing children with exposure to the wilderness.

Participating organizations will be required to support the information-gathering of student groups. The college will facilitate this by setting up information sessions at the Frost Campus, where organization representatives will meet with the groups of students who are conducting research for their organization. During these information sessions, organizations will be asked to provide an information package to student groups outlining some basic background information about the organization.

The end result: Student teams will give poster board presentations in class and submit their ‘grant’ applications for marking. Participating organizations will be provided with the results of all research conducted for their organization. As well, the best student presentation will be awarded a $750 grant that will go to their chosen organization to help fund the issue or project that the students researched.

Non-profit organizations interested in participating are asked to respond by Thursday, August 23, 2012 to Shantal Ingram, C-Links Project Co-ordinator, shingram@flemingc.on.ca. All project proposals will be approved by Fleming faculty and C-Links staff.

The Community-Links (C-Links) Centre for Community-Based Projects and Social Mapping in the City of Kawartha Lakes was made possible through the generous funding of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  C-Links is an independent organization that facilitates community-academic relationships through community-based education and community service-learning. Its goal is to engage students, faculty and the community in educational experiences which develop collaboration, innovation and empowerment for all involved.

Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 90 full-time programs in Business and Technology, Continuing Education and Skilled Trades, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Visual Arts, Education, Health and Wellness, and Law, Justice and Community Services. Fleming College has 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 60,000 alumni.

For more information:

Shantal Ingram, C-Links Project Coordinator, at 705-324-9144 x 3092, shingram@flemingc.on.ca

Leigh McEachran, Communications Officer, 705-749-5530 ext. 1370, leighm@flemingc.on.ca