Algonquin College Partners with CityStudio Ottawa

Students at Algonquin have the chance to collaborate on real-world projects that have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of residents within the Ottawa region.

Algonquin College has entered into a partnership contract with CityStudio Ottawa, a globally-recognized framework for students to collaborate on civic engagement through experiential learning with faculty, city administration, and community partners.

Algonquin demonstrates commitment to experiential learning

Through its community relationships, CityStudio Ottawa provides a framework for knowledge exchange as students cross-collaborate on real-world projects that have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of residents within the Ottawa region.

“By joining CityStudio Ottawa, Algonquin College is demonstrating our commitment to experiential learning with an emerging research focus on community engaged learning,” said Kristine Dawson, Associate Vice President, Experiential Learning and Innovation.

Initiative to increase applied research focused on community-based research

“The CityStudio partnership is the first step in advancing our strategic vision for increased applied research focused on community-based research. This exciting partnership will provide new opportunities for our students and faculty to support city building activities that advance our community in a positive way.”

As part of this initiative, Kevin Holmes from Algonquin College’s Applied Research Social Innovation Lab will join as a co-investigator on a multi-year Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant to study the impact of community-campus engagement on population health and serve on the CityStudio Ottawa executive team. The aim of the CIHR grant is to evaluate whether, how, and to what extent community-campus engagement’s two distinct settings improves population health outcomes. It brings together city staff, campus leaders, and community stakeholders in Thunder Bay and Ottawa.

Creating sustainable solutions with a focus on applied learning

Launched in November 2022 between the City of Ottawa and University of Ottawa, CityStudio Ottawa focuses on projects that prioritize Ottawa’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan, connecting academia, local government, and community partners to address municipal challenges and create sustainable solutions with a focus on applied learning.

“Ottawa’s ability to be a world-class city starts with our incredible post-secondary institutions. It is great to see that we are now partnered with representatives from three of our post-secondary institutions. You are all fantastic ambassadors for #TeamOttawa, as you are our strong pipeline of talent for the City of Ottawa. I am so very excited about what’s to come. I think about how much Ottawa has changed in the past decade. And I think ahead 10 years and imagine the results of what we are planning to build today. It’s amazing to know that we have your valuable contributions to get us there,” said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

Carleton University has also joined CityStudio Ottawa, expanding opportunities for students to collaborate in community-campus engagement using a city-wide approach. Algonquin College has recently launched their first cohort of CityStudio Ottawa projects and Carleton University will begin their projects in January 2024.