2022-23 Projects

Parr Centre Support: $100,000

This initiative, led by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, focuses on both Indigenous individual and community well-being. As Aunties and Uncles are the foundation of well-being within Indigenous communities, filling the role of beloved and trusted adults who are older but not necessarily officially related, this program will establish similar role(s) at Western that foster a sense of community, share personal and Indigenous knowledge, and provide access to knowledge focused on holistic wellness: the physical, mental, spiritual, and intellectual. Students will acquire Indigenous familial connections, support, and ways of learning through their Auntie/Uncle while developing healthy relationships with self and the community –both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The program also aims to help students heal their relationships with education through connection to the land of their second home at Western while fostering self-confidence around their Indigenous identity. The close collaboration between students and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers in the first year of this initiative is essential to informing the development of a framework that will evolve to support the integration of Indigenous familial relationships and cultural learning into students’ curricular requirements. Students will play a significant part in designing and developing this framework, to ensure their perspectives and experiences are integrated into its design. As there is currently no funding for cultural connections of this kind at Western and no comparable program that exists at any post-secondary institution in Canada, this initiative presents a unique opportunity to support student thriving and the whole student experience through these funds.

Parr Centre Support: $55,520

Providing impactful learning opportunities to champion EDI is crucial to creating a campus environment where all students feel welcomed, supported, respected and valued for who they are. Our students at Western bring a variety of identities, characteristics, and experiences that could increase the university’s opportunities to build supportive spaces where students thrive as they work together to achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals. However, these supportive spaces are not always present at Western, as reported by the President’s Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG) in May 2020, and the learning opportunities related to EDI for all students are scarce. To address this gap, the Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, along with Wellness and Well-being, will design an evidence-informed EDI Certificate Program. With a particular focus on providing students with skills to navigate cultural differences, communicate effectively across differences, and take actions to dismantle systemic barriers in our community, students will gain confidence and integrated wellness resources. Furthermore, the program is designed to support students in improving their motivation, engagement in learning, and mental health, while creating safer spaces where students can establish meaningful social connections to help them thrive as current Western students and leaders of the future. These modules will contribute to the academic literature on EDI Teaching and Learning at a national and international level. Proposed topics include:

• History of racialized groups in Canada and the current effects of colonialism
• Transformation of power and White Privilege
• Unconscious bias
• Prevention of microaggressions and possible interventions
• Allyship and Accompliceship

Parr Centre Support: $50,000

The Indigenous Land-based Learning initiative focuses on reuniting Indigenous students with traditional sources of learning and well-being in the land while strengthening their relationships to, and learning from, the land as a valued form of education. Currently, there is no funding at Western to support Indigenous land-based learning. As such, the use of Parr Centre for Thriving funds will support access to traditional, land-based learning initiatives across Turtle Island. Through this initiative, students will grow their social connectedness and develop an increased understanding of citizenship and nationhood, grounded in relationships with Knowledge Holders and Indigenous ways of knowing. The program will be designed in partnership with Leadership and Learning. Students will be directly involved in both the design and development of this initiative, providing them with opportunities to share their interests and gain transferable skills for the future. It will also support with the recruitment of Indigenous students to Western, as it will demonstrate that Indigenous traditions and cultures are valued at the University and that coming to Western provides the chance to connect with traditional forms of knowledge, learning and holistic well-being.

Once the Indigenous Land-based Learning program has completed its pilot year, the project leads and collaborators will design and offer a series of resources and/or workshops that support staff and faculty across campus in integrating land-based learning into their learning experiences and courses. The additional resource(s)will be shared at conferences and with colleagues across post-secondary networks as well.

Parr Centre Support: $7,000

The Western Serves Network currently exists to engage Western students from all Faculties in meaningful ongoing volunteer opportunities in the local community, which are typically offered as a one-day experience. Based on recent survey data from both Western students and local community partners, there is a strong desire for longer-term volunteer roles that enable deeper connections and greater impact. The use of Parr Centre for Thriving funds will engage students in the development of the system, resources, and training for a new and improved Western Serves Network that pairs students with longer-term volunteer opportunities, thereby increasing students’ impact, social connectedness within the community, and transferable skills for employment. It also helps community partners engage more students in their volunteer programming, and in turn, continues to build strong partnerships with the London community. Specifically, the initiative will help students build relationships beyond campus and feel a sense of connection to London as their home while providing opportunities for students to apply their knowledge, strengthen their skills, and explore meaningful career paths through co-curricular volunteering.