MacEwan University and Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS) are taking a significant step forward in their longstanding relationship with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The agreement is designed to strengthen the collective impact of both organizations by creating opportunities to enhance community well-being through collaboration.
”This agreement is important to the university and to Boyle Street. But I believe it is equally as meaningful to the communities we are a part of. We are both ‘in the mix’ downtown and are key to building thriving communities,” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, MacEwan’s president and vice-chancellor.
The opportunities outlined in the MOU expand on research and knowledge transfer opportunities, as well as work-integrated learning opportunities for students, which enhances their educational experience before they embark on their careers.
The MOU provides a framework to deepen understanding and support for Edmonton’s vulnerable communities through applied research designed to create responsive solutions to real-world problems faced by many of the people that Boyle Street serves. At its core, this agreement is intended to create mutual understanding and meaningful connections through sharing knowledge, perspectives and experiences among community members, students and faculty.
Many of those connections have been in place for years. Many MacEwan graduates have gone on to make a difference in the community through careers with Boyle Street Community Services. Faculty, staff and students have collaborated with Boyle Street on initiatives including cold-weather clothing drives and the annual Life Kits project, which provides backpacks filled with donated items that help the vulnerable survive Edmonton’s winter months.
“This partnership is about committing to walk alongside one another, to keep learning and to create spaces where everyone belongs,” said Jordan Reiniger, executive director of Boyle Street Community Services. “Boyle Street is excited to re-affirm our relationship with MacEwan. Dr. Trimbee and MacEwan have set the standard for what meaningful and sustainable engagement looks like, and we’re grateful to continue building this work together.”
This is an important time for Boyle Street and the communities it serves. This fall, it will move its operations to okimaw peyesew kamik, the King Thunderbird Centre, which will focus on providing innovative health and healing services. Boyle Street estimates it will serve approximately 8,000 people annually at the new facility.
“MacEwan is growing,” says Dr. Trimbee. “And an important part of that evolution is to develop partnerships that contribute to the growth, success and wellbeing of the communities that we are a part of.”