Summer 2023

Anusha Pandey 

Anusha Pandey (she/her) in her role as an SCSC worked with Data-Driven Envirolab this summer. Her work focused on mapping pocket-green spaces in Nepal to better understand the vital role they play in mitigating urban heat islands. 

Final Report: Quantifying the Extent of the Cooling Effect of Pocket Green Spaces: A Case Study of the Kathmandu Valley 

Urban green spaces, particularly pocket green areas like parks and gardens, play a vital role in mitigating Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects. They achieve this by reducing overall temperatures of the environment, bolstering urban resilience, and improving air circulation. Our research focuses on these green spaces’ potential as UHI mitigators, highlighting their cooling impact and emphasizing their strategic placement in densely populated urban areas. We highlight how factors such as land cover, industrialization, and urbanization contribute to UHI intensity. Despite their compact size, PGS provide essential ecosystem services and contribute to cooling efforts. We also stress the importance of community involvement in urban planning and climate resilience, recognizing it as a crucial component of effective climate action. In conclusion, our study offers valuable insights into countering UHI effects and promoting urban sustainability through green spaces and community engagement. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Anusha’s CEI brought together community members in Kathmandu to discuss Nepal’s climate commitments and understand the role citizens play in shaping our climate futures. See the groups reflections in her community engagement report: Environmental Commitments, Empowering Responsibility.  

Read Anusha’s Blog: The Power of Social Connectedness: Unlocking Effective Climate Commitments 

Bio: Anusha Pandey (she/her) is a researcher from Nepal working on social inclusion, climate action, and sustainable urban planning. With a Master’s degree in environmental science, coupled with expertise in geospatial approaches and remote sensing data, Anusha is determined to create greener, more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable cities. Over the years, she has investigated how citizen science, young researchers, mobile technology and remote sensing can be utilized in Nepal to reveal a more detailed spatial and temporal understanding of these systems. 

Keywords: Urban green spaces, Pocket green spaces (PGS), Urban Heat Island (UHI) mitigation, Temperature reduction, Urban resilience, Strategic placement, Land cover impact, Community involvement, Climate resilience strategies 

Chaqueta Stuckey 

Chaqueta Stuckey (she/her) worked with the Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) and Self-Advocats Becoming Empowered (SABE). She worked with David Taylor to learn more about the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) receiving Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. We wanted to know what people with ID think about the care they receive and how they receive it.  

Final Report: Exploring Research on the Experiences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in U.S. Adult Services Programs: Perspectives from Self-Advocates 

This research was created by Chaqueta Stuckey and David Taylor, two self-advocates with intellectual disabilities who wanted to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities who receive Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. Before the creation of HCBS waiver programs, most publicly-funded disability services were available only in institutions, which segregate adults with disabilities from society. HCBS waiver program services, in contrast, aim not only to prevent adults with disabilities from living in institutions, but also to support them to live independently in the community. Today, many people with intellectual disabilities in the United States receive the services and supports that they need to be included in their communities through their states’ HCBS waiver programs. The research was supported by Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Project on Disability. 

Read Chaqueta’s blog: Changing Negative Attitudes of Professionals about People with Intellectual Disabilities. 

Bio: Chaqueta Stuckey (she/her) is a young woman with intellectual disabilities who believes in self-determination and self-advocacy. She is the local President of Our Voices Count, Too Self Advocacy Council (OVCT), served as Past President of the state self-advocacy association. She is also a member of SABE-Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (national self-advocacy organization) where she has served on the executive board. 

Keywords: Disability Rights, Social Isolation, Social Connectedness, Relationships, Self-Advocacy, Community, Waivers, HCBS, Community, Self-Determination 

David Taylor 

David Taylor (he/him) worked with the Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) and Self-Advocats Becoming Empowered (SABE). He worked with Chaquetta Stuckey to learn more about the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) receiving Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. We wanted to know what people with ID think about the care they receive and how they receive it.  

Final Report: Exploring Research on the Experiences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in U.S. Adult Services Programs: Perspectives from Self-Advocates 

This research was created by David Taylor and Chaquetta Stuckey, two self-advocates with intellectual disabilities who wanted to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities who receive Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. Before the creation of HCBS waiver programs, most publicly-funded disability services were available only in institutions, which segregate adults with disabilities from society. HCBS waiver program services, in contrast, aim not only to prevent adults with disabilities from living in institutions, but also to support them to live independently in the community. Today, many people with intellectual disabilities in the United States receive the services and supports that they need to be included in their communities through their states’ HCBS waiver programs. The research was supported by Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Project on Disability. 

Read David’s blog: The Road to “Beyond Tokenism” 

Bio: David Taylor (he/him) is committed to advancing the rights of people with disabilities, with a focus on self-advocacy and self-determination. David has held various leadership positions on boards, with advocacy groups and currently serves on the Board of Directors of TASH. David is a certified Peer Support Mentor and a trainer/consultant providing training, curriculum development, presentations, facilitation and consultation. David was instrumental in organizing the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council 2013 project “Beyond Tokenism: People with Complex Needs in Leadership Roles.” 

Keywords: Disability Rights, Social Isolation, Social Connectedness, Relationships, Self-Advocacy, Community, Waivers, HCBS, Community, Self-Determination 

Hanine El Mir 

Hanine El Mir (she/they) worked internally at the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness investigating what belonging looked like for LGBTQ+ newcomers to Montreal.  We were curious about how Queer newcomers navigated complex environments and created spaces of belonging.  

Final Report: Our Stories: Belonging and Isolation for 2SLGBTQIA+ Newcomers in Quebec 

This project looks at the lived experiences of five LGBTQIA+ newcomers in Quebec, in order to combat isolation and gain an integral sense of community. Through interviews, participant observation and game theory, combined with a literature review, this research project points at three areas of improvement when it comes to ensuring LGBTQIA+ newcomers in Montreal feel like they belong. The main issues highlighted are a linguistic barrier, financial precarity, and a lack of variety in the events or services offered. In addition to the above, this research argues that LGBTQIA+ newcomers in Montreal are lacking the adequate space to simply exist as themselves, without any expectations. 

Gamifying our Findings: Our Stories (Mini-Game) 

Hanine also created a video game highlighting the key findings from their report. Play through as a LGBTQ newcomer to Canada, looking for community spaces.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Hanine interviewed 5 LGBTQ+ newcomers to understand what belonging meant for them, and how they navigated living in Montreal. In addition, she created a game that walk players through her findings. Read more here: Our Stories.  

Read Hanine’s blog: Roll for Belonging: Role-Playing Games and Inclusion in the Queer Community 

DND Homebrew: Try Your Own Campaign  

Exploration is crucial to community building for many LGBTQ+ folks, play Hanine’s homebrew campaign based around belonging.  

Bio: Hanine El Mir (she/her) is an activist first and aspiring anthropologist more recently. She holds an MA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Concordia University, a BA in English Literature and a BA in Media/Communications, with two minors in Film/Visual Studies and Arabic Language, from the American University of Beirut. In their free time, Hanine tends to a community garden, cooks at a vegan solidarity kitchen, and makes games.  

Keywords: Community, 2SLGBTQIA+, Queer, QueerGames, Newcomers, Immigration, Refugee, Montreal, Quebec, Stories, DnD 

Kisha German

Kisha German (she/her) worked with Partners in Health International with their team in Malawi. Her research focused on understanding how current electronic health tools impacted services and feeling of connection for recipients – particularly for pregnant women.  

Final Report: The Impact of Mobile Health (m-Health) on Social Connectedness Between Community Health Workers and Pregnant Women in Malawi 

Mobile Health (m-Health) involves using mobile phones and wireless technology in healthcare. It has been considered a groundbreaking avenue for global healthcare transformation.  Social connectedness in health is important because it has been shown to be linked to longer life, and enhanced health and plays a crucial role in preventing serious illnesses. Since 2019, Partners In Health (PIH) Community Health Worker (CHWs) have used a mobile health tool called “Yendanafe” to facilitate community-based health services. This study explored the perceptions of pregnant women regarding Yendanafe’s impact on social connectedness. Through in-depth interviews with twelve pregnant women, this qualitative study revealed that Yendanafe enhanced social connectedness between CHWs and pregnant women. The tool allowed CHWs to have comprehensive knowledge about women’s pregnancies, fostering a sense of care and value among the women. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Kisha traveled to Neno, Malawi to visit the PIH team and conduct interviews with 12 pregnant women attending ANC and using the mobile health tool. She wanted to understand how mobile health tools can help better connect us, read more of her finding here: M-Health Impact on Social Connectedness.   

Read Kisha’s blog: Unmasking Imposter Syndrome: A Journey to Self-Belief 

Bio: Kisha German (she/her) is a graduate in Mathematical Sciences, (Major in Statistics and Computing) from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). Kisha’s professional endeavours are fuelled by her passion for science and civic leadership. She actively engages in various initiatives to advance STEM education and uplift young women in Malawi, leveraging her advocacy skills, mentorship capabilities, and involvement in community health programs through local youth-led NGOs such as UKANI Malawi. Kisha aspires to pursue a Master’s degree in epidemiology, specializing in infectious or chronic disease epidemiology 

Keywords: Mobile Health(m-Health), Social Connectedness, Community Health Workers (CHWs), Antenatal care, Malawi, Maternal and Neonatal Health, Health Education and Empowerment 

Nicole Traynor 

Nicole Traynor (she/her) worked with Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre (QCFC) investigating the role food plays in building belonging, and how economic solutions could eliminate food insecurity in Iqaluit, Nunavut. 

Final Report: The Correlation Between Income, Food Security and Community in Nunavut 

The purpose of this research is to advocate for long-term solutions to address food insecurity and increase food system autonomy within Nunavut. By advocating for an income-based solution to address food security in Nunavut, this project aimed to highlight policies and programs that could benefit from being reviewed and updated to address the territory’s evolving needs. There are a few key findings, first there has been a high volume of studies conducted in Nunavut and the Arctic region, suggesting that the region is over-researched with little action resulting from these various research projects. Extractive research in Nunavut has led to people experiencing severe participant exhaustion, while often not benefitting from the studies they have participated in, or at times not having access to the outcomes of the study. This project highlights the importance of universal basic income, and annual policy review. I also highlight that empowerment through cultural connection is a vital pathway to achieving food sovereignty in Nunavut. The impact that food sovereignty can have on self-determination, decolonization of food systems, and rebuilding or affirming belonging to place, power, and purpose, will only be possible when food security is established in the region. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Nicole set out to pressure policy makers to address food insecurity in Nunavut through a letter writing campaign, and surveying community members. While surveying wasn’t successful, that lead to a core finding of the report – people are tired of surveys and want to see action! Read more here, and sign the petition here! 

Read Nicole’s Blog: Nutrition North Canada Program: A Feeble Effort to End Hunger  

Bio: Nicole Traynor (she/her) holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Guelph in Political Science and Criminal Justice and is currently pursuing a JD/JID degree from the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, which specializes in both common law and Indigenous legal orders. She is passionate about law, Indigenous rights, and food security within Canada. After graduation she hopes to work with Indigenous Nations on title claims.  

Keywords: food insecurity, food sovereignty, Universal Basic Income, policy review, income-based solutions, adequate support, social belonging, income, right to food, advocacy. 

Paula Camino 

Paula Camino (she/her) worked with Special Olympics International (SOI) to understand the current landscape of family advocacy for SOI athletes and their families. Paula worked with Margaret Turley, an SOI athlete to create this inclusive research project. 

Final Report: “A responsibility of families, a responsibility of everyone.” Family Advocacy for Disability Inclusion in Latin America, North America and Europe 

This report is an exploratory study of family advocacy for inclusive education of children with disabilities. Through an exploration structured around three central research questions, the study sheds light on the current landscape of family advocacy, the lived experiences of families in their advocacy efforts, and the overarching themes of community and belonging within this context. Key findings emphasize the continuous nature of advocacy, the role of collaboration, and the outcomes of advocacy. The research offers actionable recommendations, underscoring the potential for transformative outcomes in inclusive education through sustained family advocacy. 

Easy-Read Slideshows:  

Paula worked with co-researcher and SOI athlete Margaret Turley to conduct this research. They created easy-read versions of the core findings of the report. These easy-read slideshows are informative, engaging and concise.  

Part 1: About Inclusive Education 

Part 2: About Family Advocacy  

Part 3: Survey Results: Access to & Support in Inclusive Education 

Part 4: Survey Results: Experiences with Advocacy 

Community Engagement Initiative: Paula and Margaret surveyed and interviewed Special Olympic family members in North America, Europe and Latin America. 39 people were surveyed about their experiences with advocacy and inclusive education. Find out how respondents answered in Experiences of Special Olympics Families in Advocacy for Inclusive Education.  

Read Paula’s and Margaret’s Blog: Embracing Research by Everyone, for Everyone 

Bio: Paula Camino (she/her) is a human rights consultant based in Lima, Peru, with over four years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú, where she has received awards for her work in research and social responsibility. She supports Peace First as a Regional Lead for Latin America, is a member of United Network of Young Peacebuilder’s Pool of Trainers and a researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú’s Interdisciplinary Research Group on Disability. Across her work, Paula’s guiding mission is her passion for leveraging education as a tool for social change, in both formal and non-formal spaces. 

Keywords: Family advocacy, Individual advocacy, Inclusive education, Social connectedness, Children with disabilities, Social model, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Collective action, Article 24, Special Olympics 

Prachir Pasricha 

Prachir Pasricha (he/him) spent the summer working with the Foundation for Social Connection, an organization dedicated to addressing the crisis of connection and loneliness. Measuring our connections is difficult, however, Prachir has compiled, reviewed and sought to understand what tools can help us in this task. 

Final Report: Measuring Social Connection: The State of Affairs and the Path Forward 

As more community-based organizations, healthcare professionals, and government agencies seek to address the epidemic of loneliness through creating programs and services that foster social connection, it becomes increasingly important to be able to effectively measure this complex concept. Through developing an inventory of tools used to measure social connection, social isolation, and loneliness, Prachir aims to create a resource that practitioners can use to identify which tool(s) to implement in evaluating the impact of their interventions. This process — involving desktop research and conversations with practitioners and researchers in the field — also revealed measurement challenges and gaps in the landscape of measures available. These informed recommendations to ensure that future efforts to measure social connection are inclusive, meaningful, and practical. 

Social Connection Measurement Tools Inventory 

This inventory compiles 55+ tools used to measure social connection, social isolation, and/or loneliness. Various categories provide further details on these measures, including target demographics, research on psychometric properties, and translations. Through filtering, grouping, and sorting the tools, you can begin to identify which tool(s) are most appropriate for your context.  

Social Connection Measurement Tools Inventory User Guide. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Prachir brought together nine researchers and practitioners from across the US and Europe who are measuring social connection, social isolation, and/or loneliness for a virtual session. He wanted to understand measurement best practices, challenges and how the group was interfacing with the tools. Read more in Connecting the Dots! 

Read Prachir’s Blog: Building for Connection Through the 15-Minute City 

Bio: Prachir Pasricha (he/him) is committed to building a more relational way of life that centres care, cooperation, and interdependence in communities by utilizing his experiences in participatory budgeting, social infrastructure, and the social solidarity economy. Through his work and writing, he hopes to raise awareness for and address the systemic and structural barriers that people face in living more socially connected lives. Prachir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Business Administration from Western University in London, Ontario. 

Keywords: Social connection, social isolation, loneliness, measurement, evaluation, impact assessment, tools, measures, screening, inventory 

Ruth Masuka 

Ruth Masuka (she/her) worked with Books, Arts, Music (BAM) Collective a youth-led, arts based, intersectional organization in Toronto, Ontario. Her work centered the lived-experiences of people impacted by gun and other forms of violence and how they create spaces of belonging, resilience and community-care. 

Final Report: Biting the Bullet: Community, Safety and Gun Violence in Toronto 

The causes and impacts of gun violence in the context of Toronto have been an increasing site of attention by communities, media, policymakers, and other stakeholders. While there is no single profile that can ultimately predict who will be affected by gun violence, it is associated with a convergence of individual, family, neighborhood, and socioeconomic risk factors that interact over one’s life cycle. Social isolation is both a cause and effect of gun violence; safety is often predicated on access to information and knowledge communicated through these social links and gun violence often fractures these connections out of fear and distrust. This is exacerbated by a historical divestment in the emotional infrastructure of communities most affected and the interrupted grief this disparity produces. Likewise as violence is a process, safety is one; it is not simply the absence of violence but the presence of positive community interactions and investments in public services and resources. This research examines the ongoing work done by communities as both an act of belonging-making and site of resistance to their deliberate disenfranchisement. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Ruth wanted to know what does belonging and community look like – feel like? How can we build it? 25 community members came together to create beautiful puzzle-pieces representing what community meant for them. See the community artwork and read more in Peace by Piece! 

Read Ruth’s Blog: The Art of Community 

Bio: Ruth Masuka (she/her) is a student, educator, and community organizer fascinated by the ways in which art functions as a mechanism for peace-building processes, trauma-informed care, and community capacity-building. A firm believer of ‘nothing about us, without us’, Ruth sees creative practices as both a form of expression and action within marginalized communities. She is currently completing her Master’s of Social Work at the University of Toronto, specializing in Community Development with a focus on working for children and families 

Keywords: gun violence, grief, mutual aid, Toronto, community stakeholder engagement, safety, restorative justice, victimization, trauma 

Siena Rose Cook 

Siena Rose Cook (she/her) worked with Misipawistik Cree Nation (MCN) addressing the importance of connecting ininiw kiskinomakewin (Cree education) protocols into the MCN Health Authority Doula program. Focusing on oskawāsis (first-year) Cree teachings she looked into the importance of revitalization and created a calendar for new mothers/parents.

Final Report: Reviving ininiw kiskinomakēwin (Cree Education) protocols in the Misipawistik Cree Nation Health Authority Doula Program  

This report and final creative output highlight the importance of Indigenous birth helpers, the necessity to revive birth as ceremony, and how implementing traditional teachings into early stages of life is vital to the healing and reconciliation of Indigenous peoples of Canada. Addressing the importance of connecting ininiw kiskinomakewin (Cree education) protocols into the Misipawistik Cree Nation Health Authority Doula program. With initiatives like MCN Health Authority’s Prenatal Doula Program being implemented, newer generations, and future generations are gifted with traditional knowledge and teachings passed on by community Elders. Younger generations coming up through the Doula program, and re-connecting parents, all benefit from this healing space. 

Oskawāsis (first-year) Cree Teachings Calendar 

The final creative output for this project is a calendar wheel of oskawāsis (first-year) traditional Cree teachings. The purpose and significance of my final output is providing a calendar of teachings for the MCN Health Authority Prenatal Doula program, built off teachings and context shared by community knowledge keepers, Elders, and community members, reflecting all shared resources from the kiwētotētan working group members. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Siena traveled to Misipawistik Cree Nation several times over the summer, spending two weeks in community and planning 3 events with the MCN Prenatal Doula program. As a mom from community, Siena was able to participate in ceremony, community building activities and the reclamation of traditional teachings, all alongside mothers in the program. Read more here! 

Read Siena’s Blog: Breaking through Barriers with Belonging and Reconnection to the Land: Misipawistik Cree Nation 

Bio: Siena Rose Cook (she/her) is a student at the University of Manitoba.  She is a mother to two young kids, an Indigenous birth doula and working towards a bachelor of midwifery. Siena is extremely passionate about helping expectant parents along their pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood journeys. 

Keywords: Indigenous Doula, Challenges of Western Systems, Revitalizing Indigenous Birthing Care in Canada, Human Rights, Holistic Health, Cree Education, Land Based Education, Indigenous Rights, Indigenous Birthing, Equity, Birth Rights, Indigenous Education 

Tore Price 

Tore Price (he/him) worked with Inside Out Prison Exchange Program ®, an organization dedicated to facilitating dialogue and education across social difference. Inside Out brings university students and incarcerated people together in university classes held inside prisons. As an alumni of the program Tore sought to understand what makes Inside Out so transformative? Conducting over 40 interviews with previously incarcerates students, non-incarcerated students, faculty, and program coaches, his report is a comprehensive study of the incredible program. 

Final Report: The Transformative Power of The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program: Creating a Sense of Belonging In a Place of Oppression and Beyond 

The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program has been around for more than 25 years. The program sends college based students (outside students) into a correctional setting to have a semester long class with incarcerated (inside student) students. This project was designed to discern the transformative power of Inside-Out,  how is belonging and connection engendered in its methodologies (the circle, icebreakers, small and large group discussions, dialogue), and how has the program affected students and instructors from a personal, relational, communal, and societally level (social-ecological framework) once the class was over. A combination of 40 inside students, outside students and instructors were interviewed either in focus groups, one on one interviews or a questionnaire. By using qualitative research methods over 14 themes emerged from my key questions. The findings show that Inside-Out has the power to transform lives through a well trained instructor who uses methodologies that bring about inclusion and connection. 

Inside Out 25+ Years of Changing Lives: Video Presentation 

Inside-Out is celebrating 25+ years of a unique and innovative pedagogy, in Philadelphia, PA (USA). This Canva presentation is a visual summation of the summer long research that captures the thoughts of the 40 inside students, outside students, and instructors that were interviewed to understand the transformative power of Inside-Out. This presentation is accompanied by a song written specifically for Inside-Out. The singer songwriter is Ari Kerstman and pianist is Rowan Tucker-Meyer. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Tore conducted 5 focus groups and 22 one-one interviews across 5 countries. Through these interviews and focus groups he came up with core themes, and found what makes Inside Out so transformational. Read more here! 

Read Tores’s Blog: Inside-Out Instructor Training: It’s Not Magic, It’s Intentional 

Bio: Tore Price (he/him) is a proud father of a 12-year-old son. Tore is a formerly incarcerated person and alumni of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. He was first acquainted with Inside-Out as an ‘inside student’ in 2014, and has since supported the organization as a teaching assistant, training coach and now as a researcher. As a Training Coach for the Inside-Out Center, he co-facilitates training university professors on Inside-Outs unique dialogical learning format.  He is proud to have served in the United States Marine Corps and is passionate about helping children of incarcerated parents as well as furthering the Inside-Out model to different spaces. 

Keywords: Incarceration, prison education programs, Inside-Out, transformative, belonging, connection, social-ecological, recidivism, pedagogy, upward mobility