Social Justice and Community Engagement students make a difference in Brantford neighbourhoods

Through programs such as the Social Justice and Community Engagement (SJCE) master’s program at Wilfrid Laurier University, students can take action and change the world by making a difference in the local community.

SJCE program is a one-year master’s program on Laurier’s Brantford campus. The program is unique in Canada, as it is designed to bridge the gap between social/environmental justice theory and practice, as well as combine in-class and community-based experiences. Through a combination of critical theory, methods and an individualized community placement, students engage in the active promotion of social and environmental justice principles within their communities and around the world.

Rebecca Godderis, associate professor and a current placement instructor for SJCE, says that students are often drawn to the SJCE master’s program because of the placement opportunities, which gives students the chance to work directly with organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Community Legal Clinic, the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant and the Mennonite Central Committee.

“Students engage directly with a community organization for 120 hours over the course of one semester,” she says. “This substantial amount of time means that students can really dig into the work of the organization and contribute to the organization’s goals, while also gaining an appreciation for what social justice work looks like in a real-world setting.”

Students contribute to a wide variety of organizations in communities across southern Ontario, from grassroots groups run by volunteers to non-profit organizations. The community placement portion of the course is an opportunity for students to gain practical skills by applying theoretical ideas about social and environmental justice in a community setting.

Topics addressed during placement

Some examples of topics addressed during these placements include:

• food insecurity
• low-wage precarious labour
• migrant health
• gendered violence
• sexual violence
• restorative justice
• peace education

“It is such a joy watching students grow over the course of the semester as they connect what they have been reading and learning about in their coursework with what they see and experience in their placement,“ said Danielle Law, associate professor and previous placement instructor with SJCE. “Many students emerge from the placement course with new perspective and purpose as they discover the complexity behind many social justice issues.”

Students work with the program’s placement coordinator to secure a community placement in a field that aligns with their interests. Students often undertake their placements in Brantford and Brant County, but it is also possible to undertake a placement at organizations throughout Ontario and beyond. Some students have even been placed internationally.

Not only do the students benefit greatly from program placements, several organizations appreciate the efforts and insights Laurier SJCE students bring to their placement. “It’s been such a great pleasure getting to collaborate with students from the SJCE master’s program for their placements out in the community. Every student that we’ve had at the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant has helped us to enrich our programming and to really look at things from different perspectives and angles, and it’s been a wonderful experience.” - Jessica Doroshenko, Program Manager, Sexual Assault Centre of Brant.

Community Placements

Here is a brief list of some of the organizations where Laurier SJCE students have served their placements:

• Arts After School Kids
• Body Brave
• Boys and Girls Club of Peel
• Brantford Pride
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• City of Brantford
• Community Legal Clinic (Brant, Haldimand & Norfolk)
• Correctional Service Canada
• Friends and Neighbours Association
• Grand River Community Health Centre (Migrant Farm Worker Program)
• Haldimand & Norfolk Women’s Services
• Immigrant Youth Centre
• Kids Can Fly
• Mennonite Central Committee
• Modo Yoga
• Muslim Social Services
• Nova Vita
• Sexual Assault Centre of Brant
• Social Planning Council of Cambridge
• Why Not
• YMCA 

“The SJCE students are bringing fantastic energy and insights into their work with our organization, as they research, design and revise social justice education programs for schools and community youth. It’s exciting to observe their ‘aha moments’ as they bridge their depth of knowledge into practice within our community.” Katie Gingerich, Founder and Executive Direction, The Ripple Effect Education