Staff Listing

I work with, students, faculty, staff, employers and community members to develop and expand opportunities for experiential learning (EL) within the curriculum at Laurier. Our team ensures that EL placements and projects, and various work experiences in all faculties and campuses build community capacity, support student learning through linking in-class learning with experiential learning, facilitate the ability for students to meet learning outcomes and support faculty in using pedagogies shown to be effective for work-integrated and community-engaged learning within their courses.

I provide support, oversight, and leadership in areas such as risk management, program evaluation, departmental communication and marketing, and financial reporting for our unit.

I am a proud grad of the MSW program at Laurier (’06) and came to Laurier as a Toronto co-op coordinator in 2009. I have been in the role of Manager, Community and Workplace Partnerships since the unit was created in 2017. My background includes a combination of professional social work experience, community development and community based research, teaching, practicum coordination and supervision, international service learning and co-operative education.

I have stayed close to my roots in social work over the past number of years teaching in the Social Service Worker program at Seneca College, doing community-based research for EAFWR, and as a member of the L’Arche Daybreak community. I am a mother of four and we are FamilyHome Providers through EAFWR sharing our home with an individual who has been a part of our family since 2014.

I provide frontline operations support for the Community and Workplace Partnerships and Cooperative Education departments. We coordinate both paid and unpaid experiential learning opportunities for students. In my role I support students, community/employer partners, faculty, and staff across our campuses.

I completed my BA in Psychology/Sociology in 2015 (Brock University), and BA in Criminology (Laurier Brantford) in 2017. I worked in a variety of teaching assistant and administrative roles while completing my degrees. After graduating from Laurier I started in my current role part-time, which later evolved into a full-time permanent position as the Community and Workplace Partnerships department grew.

• Cole Norton & Tanya Martini. "Perceived Benefits of an Undergraduate Degree" Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. (2017)
• Tanya Martini, Ashley Rail, Cole Norton. "Psychology Students’ Understanding of the Skill-Based Learning Fostered Through University Assignments". (2015)

In my role as Community Service-Learning coordinator at the Brantford Campus, I work with faculty members from various departments who are interested in embedding experiential learning into their courses. I assist in making connections and building partnerships with community organizations such as non-profit and social profit organizations, schools, and community centres, always striving to learn about their needs, then explore and generate meaningful student placements and projects. These learning opportunities in the community then provide students with a real-world experience that links with the learning in their course, while at the same time meeting community needs.

Each semester, I enjoy connecting with faculty, community organizations, and university students to help coordinate the details of these opportunities from start to finish, and at times facilitate in-class reflection discussions as well. I have a passion for community building and working together to achieve common goals.

I started my career in the field of early learning and spent many years working as an early childhood educator, first at a child care centre, then I moved on to spend 10 years at the Ontario Early Years Centre: Brant in the role of Early Literacy Specialist/Volunteer coordinator. It was here that I discovered my passion for community partnerships and initiatives. I also spent some time as an early childhood education field placement supervisor for Mohawk College, where I also had another opportunity to engage with postsecondary students. I also pursued further formal education during these years while I was working, and finished my university degree through Athabasca University. In 2015 I was thrilled to join Wilfrid Laurier University as the Community Service-Learning coordinator, bringing along with me my deep knowledge of the community, and established partnerships with community organizations.

Collaborating with faculty and community partners, I develop experiential learning opportunities that match course requirements and support students through their practice. Students connect and apply their learning to “on-the-job” practical experience outside of the traditional classroom through job shadows, projects/events, placements, and internships.

I started working at Laurier during my second year of University in 2012, simultaneously developing academic and professional skills. I have worked in the offices of Residential Services, Co-operative Education, and now within Community and Workplace Partnerships. In addition to my role at Laurier, I teach at Conestoga College in the School of Business. Certificate: Industry Engagement for Work-Integrated Learning (Global WIL Professional Development Program) Issued: May 2018

I work with faculty members to incorporate experiential learning modules into their course, providing a unique learning experience for students to gain real world experience while completing course requirements. I also assist in sourcing community partners and provides support to faculty, students and community partners throughout the experience.

Since, May of 2018 I have been working as a coordinator, Workplace Partnerships within the Community and Workplace Partnerships Department. Previously to this, I worked within the Co-operative Education Department as a Toronto coordinator, and the curriculum coordinator covering for staff leaves. I completed my Bachelors of Education with Nipissing University and my Bachelors of Arts with Laurier through the Concurrent Education Program housed out of Laurier's Brantford campus. Additionally to that, I was elected as the president and CEO of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union President for the 2016/17 academic year.

As a community service-learning (CSL) coordinator, I strive to provide personal and responsive service to students, community partners and faculty and facilitate meaningful connections between them. To do so, I consult with faculty about their course curriculum and outcomes and integrate those with experiential learning opportunities for their students. I work with external community partners to explore their needs and generate appropriate and meaningful projects and placements that provide real-world connections to curricular content in academic courses for students. I coordinate placements/project opportunities for students in CSL courses, prepare them for the experiences, monitor their performance, and facilitate critical reflection components throughout the experience.

I have been a CSL coordinator for more than 10 years. Prior to this I was a biology lab instructor at Laurier and an outdoor educator with the local public school board and conservation authority. My undergraduate degree is in biology and geography, from Laurier and my Master's degree is in Environmental Studies, from UW.

As coordinator, Community Service-Learning I contribute to the education, career clarification, and personal growth of Laurier students enrolled in courses that offer opportunities to learn from experience outside of the classroom. I consult with faculty about their course requirements and integrating it with potential experiential learning opportunities. This involves works with external community partners to explore their needs/interests, and generate appropriate and meaningful projects and placements that provide real-world connections to curricular content in academic courses for students while increasing the capacity of our partners to run programs and services. I prepare students for the experience, coordinate the placements/project opportunities, monitor student performance while facilitating critical reflection components throughout the experience. My role as coordinator, Community Service-Learning involves personal, responsive service to students, community partners and faculty, and facilitates meaningful connections between them.

I have been in this role since 2007. I completed my Indigenous Studies Honours BA at Trent University.

With my keen interest in community- building, I can often be found at events on campus that bring people together, whether that is in formal or informal settings. I have had the pleasure of meeting people from all over campus. In the words of Helen Keller, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."