Partnerships in Community Development

By Silvina Antunes, 2nd year MDP student

Part of the business case process

Since classes finished at the end of the semester, I have been at my field placement full-time and I am able to get much more done and really engage with the work! My primary task since I began working full-time is to build a business case document for a visiting artists housing program that is going to be located in a new UWCRC owned and operated building that is currently under construction. This involved doing research on similar programs, completing financial projections, and analyzing and outlining the expected benefits that a program like this could provide.

Aside from this, I had the opportunity to sit in on meetings with Indigenous communities interested in conducting community development projects in partnership with UWCRC. These meetings were very insightful because I had the opportunity to learn more about certain issues that are important to communities as well as learn about opportunities that exist and the methods of conducting community development in when organizations and communities partner together.

All in all, I am so grateful to have completed my placement at UWCRC. I learned so much about project management, project planning, research and report writing however, I think the most important lesson I will take with me is the importance of partnerships. It sounds obvious, but it was very inspiring to see first-hand what projects and programs arise when organizations partner together to create solutions to issues that are important to both of them! 

Claire Reid (L) MDP Director and Silvina (R) at the site of the Arts District building