Last Friday, I had the opportunity to travel back to Waterloo, Ontario to help celebrate the grand opening of the Wilfrid Laurier   Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action (CCRLA). The CCRLA strives to forge a strong university-community partnership with the Waterloo Region and allows for student involvement as part of the community psychology program. The opening event featured keynote speaker and community-based research pioneer, Dr. Budd Hall. Hall, the director of the University of Victoria’s Office of Community-Based Research, is internationally known for his work developing the field of participatory, community-based research.

Psychology professor Dr. Terry Mitchell, who is also director of the CCRLA, hopes that the new centre will ignite an interest in community involvement and allow for knowledge to be shared. She explained her hope “that we will no longer be defined as the ivory tower, but really [as] true community members.” With a board comprised of Laurier faculty, students and community members, the CCRLA will work closely with Waterloo Region in efforts to solve social problems, such as poverty and homelessness, and utilize academia to initiate change.

Congrats Laurier, Waterloo, and the Community Psychology program!

Click the link to view the news article:
http://www.cordweekly.com/cordweekly/news?news_id=2401