Brokering Community–campus Partnerships: An Analytical Framework

Academic institutions and community-based organizations have increasingly recognized the value of working together to meet their different objectives and address common societal needs. In an effort to support the development and maintenance of these partnerships, a diversity of brokering initiatives has emerged. We describe these brokering initiatives broadly as coordinating mechanisms that act as an intermediary with an aim to develop collaborative and sustainable partnerships that provide mutual benefit. A broker can be an individual or an organization that helps connect and support relationships and share knowledge. To date, there has been little scholarly discussion or analysis of the various elements of these initiatives that contribute to successful community–campus partnerships. In an effort to better understand where these features may align and diverge, we reviewed a sample of community–campus brokering initiatives across North America and the United Kingdom to consider their different roles and activities. From this review, we developed a framework to delineate characteristics of different brokering initiatives to better understand their contributions to successful partnerships. The framework is divided into two parts. The first examines the different structural allegiances of the brokering initiatives by identifying their affiliation, principle purpose, and who received primary benefits. The second considers the dimensions of brokering activities in respect to their level of engagement, platforms used, scale of activity, and area of focus. The intention of the community campus engagement brokering framework is to provide an analytical tool for academics and community-based practitioners engaged in teaching and research partnerships. When developing a brokering initiative, these categories describing the different structures and dimensions encourage participants to think through the overall goals and objectives of the partnership and adapt the initiative accordingly

Sharzer, Greg. 2012. No Local: Why Small-Scale Alternatives Won't Change The World.

Sharzer, Greg. 2012. No Local: Why Small-Scale Alternatives Won't Change The World

Engaged Pedagogy and Transformative Learning in Graduate Education: A Service Learning Case Study

Operating at the interface between ideas and action, graduate education in geography and planning has a responsibility to provide students with theoretical and practical training. This paper describes service-learning as a form of engaged pedagogy, exploring its ability to interrogate notions related to the “professional turn” and its contributions to transformative learning. Using a case study of a graduate-level service-learning course at the University of Toronto, we address the challenges associated with service-learning and highlight opportunities for students, faculty, universities, and community organizations. Our case study is based on assessment and analysis of the course and contributions to student learning, professional development, and community engagement. We contend that, at the graduate level, service-learning is an underutilized pedagogical tool. Service-learning can impart high-demand skills to graduate students by transforming how students learn and move from knowledge into ideas and ultimately action, and by offering opportunities for developing higher-order reasoning and critical thinking.   À la frontière entre les idées et l’action, les études supérieures en géographie et en planification se doivent de fournir aux étudiants une formation à la fois théorique et pratique. Cet article décrit l’apprentissage par le service comme une forme de pédagogie engagée, tout en explorant sa capacité à ébranler les notions liées aux « priorités professionnelles », et en analysant ses contributions à l’apprentissage transformateur. À l’aide de l’étude de cas d’un cours d’apprentissage par le service au cycle supérieur à l’Université de Toronto, nous abordons les défis associés à l’apprentissage par le service et nous mettons l’accent sur les possibilités qui s’offrent aux étudiants, aux enseignants, aux universités et aux organismes communautaires. Notre étude de cas se fonde sur l’évaluation et l’analyse du cours en question, de même que sur ses contributions à l’apprentissage des étudiants, au perfectionnement professionnel et à l’engagement communautaire. Nous sommes d’avis que l’apprentissage par le service est un outil pédagogique sous-utilisé aux cycles supérieurs. L’apprentissage par le service peut transmettre des compétences inestimables aux étudiants des cycles supérieurs en transformant la façon d’apprendre des étudiants et en passant de l’étape des connaissances à celle des idées et éventuellement à l’action, tout en développant un niveau de raisonnement plus élevé et une réflexion critique.&nbsp

Envisioning New Horizons for the Political Economy of Sustainable Food Systems

This article considers how political economy can expand to contribute to the contemporary study of sustainable food systems, raising new questions for researchers, practitioners, and social movement actors engaged in collaborative efforts to transform dominant foodscapes. Our discussion and analysis draw on the outcomes of a workshop of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) on the political economies of sustainable food systems in June 2018. The workshop participants identified five cross-cutting research issues and related methods worthy of focus: multiple forms of knowledge, technology and innovation, expansion or scaling sustainable innovations, the role of the private sector, and democratic governance. We conclude by positing ways forward that contribute to the evolving political economy of sustainable food systems.International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (iPES Food

Strengthening Sustainable Northern Food Systems: Federal Policy Constraints and Potential Opportunities

This paper explores how Canadian federal policy and frameworks can better support community-based initiatives to reduce food insecurity and build sustainable food systems in the North. Through an examination of the current state of food systems infrastructure, transportation, harvest, and production in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut, we argue in favour of a multi-sector approach that supports diversified food systems, including traditional/country food production and distribution, in a way that values and prioritizes community-led initiatives and Indigenous peoples’ self-determination and self-governance. The challenge of developing sustainable, northern food systems requires made-in-the-North solutions that are attuned to cultural, geographic, environmental, and political contexts. Recent policy developments suggest some progress in this direction, however much more work is needed. Ultimately, sustainable northern food systems must be defined by and for Northerners at community, local, and regional levels, with particular attention paid to treaty rights and the right to self-determination of First Nations and other Indigenous communities.Cet article se penche sur la manière dont les politiques et les cadres de référence fédéraux du Canada peuvent mieux soutenir les initiatives communautaires afin d’atténuer l’insécurité alimentaire et d’édifier des systèmes alimentaires durables dans le Nord. En nous appuyant sur l’examen de l’état actuel de l’infrastructure des systèmes alimentaires, du transport, des récoltes et de la production du Yukon, des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, du Nunavut, du Nunavik et du Nunatsiavut, nous plaidons en faveur d’une approche multisectorielle favorisant des systèmes alimentaires diversifiés, y compris la production et la distribution d’aliments traditionnels ou du terroir, valorisant et priorisant les initiatives communautaires de même que l’autodétermination et l’autonomie gouvernementale des peuples autochtones. Le défi consistant à concevoir des systèmes alimentaires durables dans le Nord nécessite des solutions provenant du Nord, solutions qui tiennent compte des contextes culturel, géographique, environnemental et politique. De récents développements en matière de politiques suggèrent un certain progrès, mais il reste toutefois fort à faire dans ce sens. Au bout du compte, les systèmes alimentaires durables dans le Nord doivent être définis par et pour les gens du Nord à l’échelle communautaire, locale et régionale, en accordant une attention particulière aux droits issus des traités ainsi qu’au droit à l’autodétermination des Premières Nations et d’autres collectivités autochtones

Integrated food systems governance: Scaling equitable and transformative food initiatives through scholaractivist engagement

Community-based efforts to transform food sys­tems involve a diverse range of actors and increas­ingly attempt to focus on public engagement in policymaking processes. These initiatives often emphasize opportunities for more participatory forms of engagement rooted in systems thinking, which recognizes the interconnections between environmental, social, and economic injustices. Similarly, food systems scholars are increasingly engaged in participatory action projects seeking to make productive linkages between academic research, policymakers, and community organiza­tions in search of tangible food systems change (...

Kitchens and Pantries—Helping or Hindering? The Perspectives of Emergency Food Users in Victoria, Australia

In high-income countries, people affected by food insecurity may seek out free/subsidized food from charities. Their perceptions of the food programs provided and preferences for alternative strategies are underresearched. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the users’ experiences of food insecurity and gain evidence for effective responses in the future. Twelve semistructured interviews with a sample of users, who were also charity volunteers, were conducted in Victoria, Australia. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was undertaken. The results show that users have complex needs. Charities have both the capacity to hinder and help people maintain dignity, social inclusion, and health. Alternative community and policy food security strategies were proposed by interviewees. In the future, perspectives of affected community members must inform strategies that seek to improve people’s access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food. A human right to food framework is discussed as a mechanism to help realize food security in Australia