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YUFA Community Projects Committee Activities & Events

28 Nov 11 – In addition to support for ongoing programs – York’s Transition Year, for instance – a number of projects emerged out of our meetings with local community representatives last Spring. Topics planned thus far include:

  • Workshop on Optimal Nutrition for Sport and Performance. The focus will be on nutrition for athletic training and performance. The debunking of common myths around nutritional supplements is particularly salient here. The target audience is students involved in high school sports in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood.

  • Workshop on Family Nutrition and Healthy Eating. This session will present information that families will find useful for planning meals in a way that highlights healthier options. Grocery stores in the area that cater to nutritional choices will also be featured. Pending interest, grocery store tours are planned where small groups may ask questions and work on meal planning with a nutritionist.

  • Workshop on Recognizing and Challenging Oppression. This workshop will be offered on campus and will bring together community leaders and faculty and librarians with an interest in community-based service, learning, and/or research.

  • Symposium on Social Unionism and Community Engagement. This major event is scheduled for March 2012, which marks YUFA’s tenth anniversary of organized community involvement. The focus will be on coalition-building as a central component of effective political participation. Speakers will include faculty members and librarians involved in community-based research, social union activists, community activists, and representatives of student or youth groups.

  • Workshops on Educational / Employment Opportunities. The dearth of employment opportunities that provide both financial support and experiences conducive to preparing Jane-Finch students for productive working lives is clearly a significant barrier to educational access and equity. YUFA-CP is committed to exploring ways to create research and work-related opportunities for students on campus. We encourage faculty members and librarians to contact us should they have ideas or resources relevant to these concerns.

  • Tutoring for Middle and Secondary School Students. Support for tutoring programs during “down” periods when regular tutors are not available (December and March breaks, University exam periods) was identified as a longstanding pressing need. We are exploring ways of addressing this need, including tutor training, supervision programs, and peer mentoring.

  • Training in CPR and First-Aid. Certification in CPR and first-aid is frequently a requirement for employment, even though the cost of such training tends to be prohibitive. YUFA-CP is organizing courses that will be provided off campus in a community-accessible location.

  • Swimming Lessons. The Jane-Finch community has limited access to sport and recreation facilities. The scarcity of public swimming pools was flagged as particularly difficult problem for camps and programs geared to children and youth. YUFA-CP is providing access to the TAIT pool for ongoing, community-based programs.

For too long, York University ignored injustices and opportunities in our own backyard. YUFA-CP is a pioneering effort to change all that. Suffice it to say that now, as we as we approach our tenth anniversary, our commitment to dialogue remains unflagging and we are very much open to new energy and new suggestions.