Office of Engagement develops new public engagement toolkit

Dr. Mery Perez, seen in the foreground, was instrumental in the production of the Public Engagement Toolkit. Here she pictured with community partners at a public engagement session in St. Anthony.

A project recently undertaken last year by a team at Grenfell Campus's Office of Engagement aims to assist faculty, staff and students as they venture into the exciting and, at times, challenging, world of "public engagement."

Led by Dr. Mery Perez, a former post-doctoral research fellow who worked closely with the engagement office, and Jennifer Buxton, Grenfell's Regional Engagement & Experiential Learning Coordinator, the project has culminated in a Public Engagement (PE) Toolkit.

The toolkit draws primarily on Memorial University's Public Engagement Framework as well as Grenfell Campus's five-year strategic plan, Committing to Communities.

"Obviously one single document cannot cover everything there is to know about engagement, so this toolkit will include links to additional resources and contacts," said Dr. Perez, who is currently the project co-ordinator for the soon-to-be-completed Centre for Research and Innovation in Corner Brook, which was announced last July. "We hope that this toolkit is a helpful guide for all who want to follow the path of engaged scholarship and projects."

One of the main goals of Grenfell's Office of Engagement is to create spaces and provide supports to make this happen.

"Recognizing the strength of relationships among Grenfell Campus, Memorial University and the broader community, we're striving to implement significant engagement and collaborative initiatives, including engaged research and experiential learning among faculty, students, and staff. This toolkit is one facet of that learning component," said Ken Carter, director, Research and Engagement, Grenfell Campus.

The toolkit, which will be featured in a new publication being produced by the Office of Public Engagement, include the following sections:

As mentioned by Dr. Perez, the toolkit compiles additional resources that may help researchers and staff members implement best practices in their initiatives.

"We're hopeful the toolkit will also bring to the forefront some familiar challenges in engagement as well as provide ideas on how to address these," said Dr. Perez, adding the toolkit lists contact information for various units and departments within Memorial University for assistance on important topics.

For more information, contact Grenfell's Regional Engagement & Experiential Learning Coordinator, Jennifer Buxton at jbuxton@grenfell.mun.ca.