FSSH students fostering change within their communities

Leadership is not something you learn – it’s something you do. That was the idea behind the challenge issued to 76 students in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities' (FSSH) Leadership and Administration course at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). The fourth-year students were asked to take the concept of social change and make it a reality within their communities. They jumped at the opportunity to make a difference, and with a lot of hard work and dedication they did just that.

"Having the students create change in the community causes them to talk about social problems in a new way. The steps to affecting change or finding an innovative solution become fundamental to the conversation about social change," said Graham Wight, Sessional Lecturer, FSSH. "All of the students have spent three-and-a-half years learning about social sciences and humanities. They have a strong sense of the reality of homelessness or victims of crime, but the conversation about what to do about these issues cannot only be conceptual — it must be rooted in action. The students have an appreciation for that now."

Wight said all of his students followed through with their ideas for change, though not every student reached the ultimate resolution they had set out to address.

"Every student has the knowledge, skills and abilities to make change," Wight said. "Time will tell how students utilize them in the future. I am very optimistic. A few projects, in particular, are outstanding and have had an impact in the community already."

Project topics included:

• Clothing and food drives for the homeless
• Mental health awareness
• Raising money or collecting books for elementary schools
• Support for cancer patients
• Various types of support for UOIT students
• Youth mentorship programs

Along with some friends, Legal Studies and Criminology and Justice student Fabiola Limon Bravo created Northern Initiatives - UOIT, a non-profit club that seeks to raise awareness about unequal educational opportunities among Aboriginal students. She held bake sales to raise money for books and sports equipment for a school on an Aboriginal reserve.

Criminology student Danielle Gallant created Invisible, a blog to help promote mental health awareness. She strongly believes in enhancing self-worth because, according to her, many young adults today suffer from mental health illness ranging from minor to severe.

"My project aims to target young individuals around the world who suffer from mental illness, or anyone who wants to learn more," said Gallant. "I created a blog so it can be viewed by anyone. My project aims to educate people on mental illness, and hopefully reduce the stigma that is attached."

Melanie Sutherland, a Legal Studies student, launched an initiative to ban pig gestation crates across Ontario pig farms, and supports other initiatives with similar causes. The petition she started and promoted through social media sites received many signatures before she was contacted by an organization that told her the ban was a success and will be in effect in July.

"The broader goal of my project was to promote a healthy lifestyle where I wanted to encourage people to think about where their food was coming from, and what it took to get there," said Sutherland. "I made a difference because I encouraged my peers to buy local meat, dairy and other products, and to refrain from eating pork that was produced in an insanely cruel and inhumane way. I make a difference every day because I set an example I hope others will one day follow. I am aware of the effects I have on the environment, and do everything in my power to make a positive difference, and I start with knowing where my food comes from."

Sutherland also said she convinced three of her close family and friends to stop buying pork from restaurants and grocery stores, and instead purchase their meat from a local farmer who humanely raises his animals.

Another Criminology student, Eric Nasu, also wanted to promote mental health awareness, but he decided to do it in a unique way. "My friends in the band Bohemian Grove, and the singer of the band Esteem, Krystle (Michele), decided to make an original song that addressed many of the stigmas revolving around mental health," he said. "Instead of posting multiple pages of information on mental health online, we decided that the best way to get students and peers to talk about mental health was to approach it in a new and innovative form."

Nasu has been promoting his song, Mental Health Movement, through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud, as well as actively spreading his message through word of mouth.

"Through the online promotion of our song, I am hoping we can reach a much larger audience," Nasu said. "Our goal from day one was to encourage at least one more person who was suffering in silence to reach out and tell someone, whether it's a friend, a family member or a mental health professional."

Wight said there has been tremendous change in the students since the beginning of the course. He added that once they realized they had to act on their ideas they were unsure of his approach to leadership. However, as a group they spent the semester investing in self-esteem, problem-solving and professional skills, networking and used case studies to develop their ability to make change as leaders. "It has been powerful to see the students realize that they can make a difference, and that giving back is the easiest way to increase their own self-esteem and sense of place in the community," Wight said.

"I have changed throughout this project because I have realized that it is beneficial to work together with other people because we are all full of information and resources to help each other," added Gallant. "I have become more motivated about my goal of promoting mental health awareness through this project. It has always been a passion of mine, but this project took it a step forward."