Connecting Students to the Community — Innovation Hub at SLC

By: Olivia Foster

St. Lawrence College students recently concluded the fall 2019 Community Project Leaders (CPL) program. CPL aims to connect students with community partners to create real-world learning experiences that develop them as professionals and enables them to build essential employability skills. The emphasis of the program is on building student agency through the experience of exploring and solving a problem. Students are encouraged to push their personal boundaries and participate in work experiences outside of their comfort zone.

Thirty-five students from eighteen different programs representing the School of Business; Skilled Trades and Tourism; Justice Studies and Applied Arts; Applied Science and Computing; Community Services; and Health Sciences collaborated with peers and the City of Kingston to develop innovative solutions to one of the following problem statements:

1. The Dunin-Deshpande Smart Kingston Stream

Called on creative minds to leverage emerging technologies and develop new innovations that enhance the delivery of municipal services.

2. Demonstrating Leadership on Climate Action

Challenged students to develop innovative ideas that will address the global climate emergency through local action. This challenge involved four potential focus areas for consideration: increase climate science literacy or awareness to boost climate action; electrification of transit and personal transportation; single-use plastics and litter reduction; and a local carbon-offset program.

3. Enhancing Food Security and Sustainability

Called on students to think of creative ideas to promote food security solutions across the city. How can the City of Kingston partner with community organizations to promote food security solutions?

4. Removing Barriers and Improving Accessibility

Called on students to develop innovative ideas that will remove barriers for people with disabilities.

The participants dedicated an average of three hours per week for six weeks working independently and as part of a team to develop their solution. Throughout the process, participants sourced out and connected with subject matter experts from the community and had the opportunity to attend a Design Thinking workshop facilitated by a participant of the program, Veronica Dogbegah. The program was concluded by the participants pitching their solution to a panel of five judges comprised of business professionals from St. Lawrence College, the City of Kingston, and community organizations.

The program was designed to create a streamlined process into the 2020 Mayor’s Innovation Challenge. Students who wish to do so can now submit a proposal to the challenge to compete with other post-secondary students from Kingston for a summer internship and a budget to implement their solution.

Congratulations to all participants and good luck in the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge!