Graduate Students In and For the Community
Registration for the 2024 PhD-CI has now closed
The PhD-Community Initiative began as a pilot program in Fall 2016. The incredible success of the pilot has led the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs to expand the initiative to seek more community partners, additional mentors, and provide opportunities for more doctoral students to be involved. The PhD-Community Initiative (PhD-CI) responds to community organizations that have identified challenges and opportunities that are meaningful to their operation or mission. PhD students bring advanced research training and critical inquiry and creative thinking skills to an interdisciplinary team to support the organization鈥檚 challenge. Working in partnership with the organization and with a team mentor, teams of students will define (or scope) the project, plan an approach, and identify the outputs to be achieved and/or delivered by the project completion date.
Questions? Please contact Heather Merla at heather.merla@queensu.ca.
What is it?
The initiative brings together PhD students from different programs of study into interdisciplinary teams of 3 to 5 members to assist community organizations in addressing a particular issue or challenge of importance to them. With the benefit of a fresh, interdisciplinary, analytical approach, the organization may receive the help needed to move forward in a positive way. Each team will be assigned a mentor who will provide guidance and advice about working as a team, managing a project, and working with partners.
The PhD-Community Initiative provides PhD students with an exceptional interdisciplinary, experiential learning opportunity that requires the application and translation of skills and knowledge gained in graduate training to address a problem outside of their area of research or scholarship.
Teams are formed in consideration of the project preferences of each participant and in accordance with the following criteria: each team will have 3 to 5 members; have representation from various discipline clusters (i.e., Social Sciences, Humanities, Physical/Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering); no more than 2 members from any single discipline cluster (no more than 1 in a team of 3); and a team cannot have more than one member from a single academic unit.
Why Participate?
Students who participate will:
- Gain experience working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
- Gain experience in developing a plan of action and deliverables from ambiguous beginnings
- Learn to apply skills and knowledge outside of the academic arena
- Build and enhance professional skills (e.g. project management, leadership, building effective teams, communication, design thinking, interpersonal and inter-professional networking)
鈥淚t's an opportunity to get perspectives of individuals that are excited to participate in it, are eager, and bring perhaps a revitalized energy to something that you just haven't had the time to attack and complete.鈥
- Sonia Nobrega, QUBS
鈥淭he workshops have given me confidence that I can add value to my local community. I have already encouraged several of my peers to register for the next session.鈥
- Michael Carter, a PhD student in geography who worked with Sistema Kingston
鈥淲hat was most valuable about the experience for me was watching a team of people who didn't know my organization actually get to know it really quickly, understand its bones, and to provide me with some new ideas and some incentives to go the next step.鈥
- Karma Tomm, Sistema Kingston
Expectations
Students who would like to participate must be prepared to dedicate 5-8 hours/week to the project over a period of 7-8 months, which includes a commitment to the following:
- Participate in person in all aspect of the project from start to finish
- Participate in preparatory workshops and meetings (for details, see below)
- Engage with the community partner
- Attend regular meetings with their team and mentor
- Actively participate in and contribute to the work of the team
- Participate in monthly progress meetings with each team presenting briefly on their progress to date
- Present the project output/deliverable at a public capstone event
- Time commitment: 5-8 hours per week (generally up to 5 hours at the start of the project and more towards its completion)
Community Partners interested in participating must identify an issue or challenge that is relevant to their organization and be prepared to identify a contact person to liaise and act as a resource for the team of PhD students aiming to address the challenge. Community Partners must commit to:
- Attending an introductory meeting to 1) present the issue or challenge that the organization faces and what you hope a team of PhD students might address; and 2) answer questions from the students
- Having a contact person who will meet with the team at the start of the project and serve as a resource as needed throughout the project period (October to April)
- Attend the capstone event
Workshops and Meeting Times
PhD-Community Initiative Information Session
For all those interested in participating in the PhD-Community Initiative. Learn more about the program and decide if you want to sign on!
Thursday, September 19, 11:00 am 鈥 12:00pm
Ellis Hall, Room 333
Meet the Community Partners
Learn about the proposed projects and partner organizations, ask questions, and identify your project preferences.
Tuesday, September 24, 5:00 鈥 6:30pm
Mac-Cory Hall, Room D201
Meeting Effectively as a Team
Thursday, October 3, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Gordon Hall, Room 302
Facilitator: Diana Drury (Director, Team and Executive MBA/Master Coaching Programs, Smith School of Business)
Description: This interactive workshop will go through the essentials of working effectively as a team and managing a collaborative project to completion. You will learn how to arrive at agreement on team practices and processes, team decision-making, project planning and scheduling, monitoring and reporting progress, and positive management of unforeseen constraints or challenges. By the end of the session, each team will have identified a team coordinator, budget officer, and a plan outlining next steps to ensure the project gets underway.
Principles of Community Engaged Learning and Research
Tuesday, October 8, 4:00 鈥 6:00pm
Stauffer Library, room 014
Facilitator: Katie Fizzell, Experiential Learning Strategist, Career Services
Description: Learn principles for ethical, reciprocal, and meaningful engagement with community organizations.
November Progress Report
Wednesday, November 13, 11:30 鈥 12:30pm
Gordon Hall, room 324
Holiday Social
Wednesday, December 11, 12:00 鈥 1:30pm
Gordon Hall, room 324
Description: Join you team, mentors, program coordinator, and SGSPA Associate Deans for a celebratory lunch to celebrate your progress to date!
January Progress Report and Skill Evaluation & Reflection Workshop
Wednesday, January 15, 11:00 am 鈥 1:00 pm
Location TBD
Facilitator: Katie Fizzell, Experiential Learning Strategist, Career Services
February Progress Report
Wednesday, February 12, 12:00 鈥 1:00 pm
Location TBD
March Progress Report
Wednesday, March 19, 11:00am 鈥 1:00 pm
Location TBD
Presentation and Media Training Workshop
April TBD
Capstone Event
May 2025
Location and exact date TBD.