McMaster Students:
McMaster University courses, CMTYENGA 2MC3 & 2MD3 offered through the department of Community Engagement are in partnership with the McMaster Children & Youth University (MCYU). MCYU offers programs for children, youth, and families to help share the ground-breaking research happening at McMaster with the Hamilton community. These accredited courses will train you to develop and facilitate fun and educational workshops for children and youth in schools, libraries, and community centres.
COIVD-19 FALL COURSE UPDATE (CMTYENGA 2MC3):
HOW WILL A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COURSE OPERATE ONLINE?
THE MAIN GOAL OF 2MC3 is to produce an engaging learning experience for young people in the Hamilton community.
This year, this will take the form of an online workshop.
Students can continue to expect to learn about subjects that will have value in this class and beyond, such as:
- the best practices for engaged pedagogical design
- the principles of community-engagement (whether in person or online);
- the art of knowledge translation and communication.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to have discussions with:
- an interdisciplinary group of faculty and staff from all corners of the University
- virtual meetings with community members, including elementary school teachers and students.
CULMINATING PROJECT
All of this work will culminate in a group submission of an engaging online workshop that will become part of the MCYU digital collection and potentially be seen by youth around the world.
THE TOPICS OF THE WORKSHOPS will be decided upon by your groups and should connect in some way to research areas from McMaster.
Aside from the curriculum, you will also gain experience:
- working with kids
- teamwork
- communication
- leadership skills
Please let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you in the fall!
Course Instructor: Dr. Becca Collins-Nelsen – collir2@mcmaster.ca
Both courses are open to students in level 2 and above from all faculties.
FALL 2020
CMTYENGA 2MC3
Design and Creation of Engaged Learning for Community Youth
3 units
COURSE OUTLINE
McMaster Children and Youth University (MCYU) creates and delivers inquiry-based learning activities for youth aged 7 to14 and their families in all areas of STEAM. In this introductory course, you will learn the best practices for pedagogical design, the principles of community-engagement, and the art of knowledge translation and communication. In small groups, you will create an engaging online workshop that will become part of the MCYU digital collection and potentially be seen by youth around the world. Enrolment in CMTYENGA 2MD3, during the winter term, will permit students to deploy their interactive community projects developed in 2MC3 to schools and libraries.
Schedule: One term, Mondays, 7:00pm-10pm; T13/127
Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level II or above; Permission of the instructor
Course is open to students in level 2 and above from all faculties.
WINTER 2020
CMTYENGA 2MD3
Community-based Learning with MCYU
COURSE OUTLINE
In partnership with the McMaster Children and Youth University (MCYU), students will take inquiry-based learning activities into the Hamilton community, including community centres and libraries. In this course, students will learn how to communicate research effectively to a younger audience and practice leadership and knowledge translation skills. Completion of CMTYENGA 2MC3 prior to CMTYENGA 2MD3 is recommended. Returning facilitators from previous years can enroll with instructor permission.
Schedule: One term, Mondays, 7:00pm – 10:00pm; TEAMS (when scheduled)
Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level II or above; Permission of the instructor
Please note, APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED. Course is open to students in level 2 and above from all faculties.
School of Interdisciplinary Science
MEET THE INSTRUCTORS of CMTYENGA 2MC3 – Design and Creation of Engaged Learning for Community Youth
DR. SANDEEP RAHA
Department of Pediatrics
Co-Founder of the McMaster Children & Youth University
Biography
Dr. Sandy Raha – Co-Founder and Director of MCYU
Position at McMaster: Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. Co-Founder & Director of MCYU
What will your role in this course be: As the Founder and Director of the McMaster Children and Youth University, I will be describing the ethos and objectives of the program. I will also describe the process of topic selection and how CMTYENGA 2MC3 and 2MD3 integrate to provide a unique experiential learning opportunity.
What will students take away from this?: Students will learn about the “big picture” ahead of designing their community engagement projects.
Can you share a career highlight of yours with us? Careers don’t always evolve linearly: I am biochemist by training who did product development in industry and switched to clinical research and now have switched to developing novel educational strategies.
Fun Fact: The answer to the meaning of life is “Soccer.” Don’t believe me…challenge me.
DR. BECCA COLLINS-NELSEN
HEAD INSTRUCTOR
Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
Dr. Becca Collins-Nelsen – Head Instructor
What are the main skills students will gain through your instruction: My instruction always prioritizes critical thinking and student engagement. This class is also unique in so far as there are several other faculty providing their expertise on pedagogical design, community engagement, and knowledge mobilization so students will get the opportunity to learn about these important skills from a variety of instructors’ perspectives including my own.
Can you share a career highlight with us: My career highlights have come from positive feedback when it comes to teaching. In particular, I am encouraged by students who have shared that my instruction has helped them think more critically about the world around them and/or ignited a passion in the subject matter.
Fun fact about yourself: I am an avid sports fan who grew up playing several different sports including competitive basketball (despite my short stature). I can still be found playing in hockey and basketball leagues around the city!
DR. JOHN MACLACHLAN
INSTRUCTOR
Faculty of Sciences
Biography
Dr. John MacLachlan – Instructor
Dr. Machlachlan also teaches Earth Sciences, Environmental Science and Geography. His research interests include Pedagogical study of advancing the use of technologies into classroom teaching and learning; Exploration of the spatial distribution of quaternary landforms and sediments of glacial origin in southern Ontario.
PROF. SHEILA SAMMON
GUEST INSTRUCTOR
Co-Director of Community Engagement
Biography
Professor Sheila Sammon – Guest instructor
Position at McMaster: Co-Director of Community Engagement and Professor Emerita from the School of Social Work.
Can you describe what you will be teaching the class? I will be working with he students to build on their knowledge of communities and how to ‘engage’ with community members in ways that are truly useful to community members and educational for students.
What are the main skills students will gain from your lessons? The skills that will be emphasized are observation, communication, reflexivity.
Can you tell us about a highlight from your career? As part of an award winning teacher team, we were invited to present a paper to a national conference. Instead of reading a paper, we developed a skit parodying ‘This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ (even the stiffest academics laughed and said they learned).
What is a fun fact about yourself? I LIKE ROLLER COASTERS!
DR. JAMES SIKKEMA
GUEST INSTRUCTOR
Department of Philosophy
Biography
Dr. James Sikkema – Guest Instructor
Position at McMaster: Assistant Professor (CLA), in the Department of Philosophy.
Can you please describe what you will be teaching the students in this course?: In addition to becoming conversant in some of the problems in the philosophy of education, students will learn some of the basics of the philosophical enquiry method.
What are the main skills students will take away from your instruction? Students will learn how to set up a stimulus, adopt an open-questioning mindset, distinguish between open and closed questioning, and develop dialectical facilitation strategies.
Fun Fact: Dr. Sikkema recently launched Project Why, which introduces kids to philosophical enquiry.
DR. KATIE MOISSE
GUEST INSTRUCTOR
School of Interdisciplinary Science
Biography
Dr. Katie Moisse – Guest instructor
Position at McMaster: Assistant Professor of Science and Science Communication in the School of Interdisciplinary Science
Can you please describe what you will be teaching the students in this course: I will focus on communicating science through stories, with the goal of making science accessible and engaging for all children.
What are the main skills students will take away from your instruction? Students will build a toolkit for speaking and writing about scientific concepts and conundrums clearly, concisely and creatively.
Career Highlights: Katie brings a unique background to this role. After finishing her Ph.D. in Pathology at the University of Western Ontario, she got her Masters in Journalism at Columbia University in New York. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, The Atlantic and Spectrum, and she was Health Editor at ABC News.
Can you share a fun fact about yourself: When I’m not at work, I love to talk science with my kids: 5-year-old Gus, who loves dinosaurs, and 3-year-old Lou, who plans to be a “kitty cat scientist” when she grows up.
PROF. HARTLEY JAFINE
GUEST INSTRUCTOR
Faculty of Arts & Science
Biography
Dr. Hartley Jafine – Guest Instructor
Position at McMaster: Facilitates theatre and arts-based courses in the Arts & Science Program.
Can you please describe what you will be teaching the students in this course: Theatre skills are life skills. My area of the course will explore the performance of presentations and how theatre and improv can improve presentation skills and the communication of complex ideas.
What are the main skills students will take away from your instruction? Creative thinking, presentation skills, communication skills, and adaptability.
Can you share a highlight from your career with us? I spent a month training in a theatre lab oratory in the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria.
What’s a fun fact about yourself? I never learned how to ride a bike.
CHRISTA MORRISON
GUEST INSTRUCTOR
Biography
Christa Morrison – Guest instructor
Position at McMaster: Digital Pedagogy Specialist
What will your role in this course be: Guest Instructor, Digital Storytelling and Online Instructional Design.
What are the main skills students will gain through your instruction?
Digital storytelling formats, the use of new media production tools, interactive online instructional design.
Can you share a career highlight of yours with us? Having my students create chatbots and collaborating with students in Africa. See https://twitter.com/capeflatsyouth/status/876132550460284929
Fun Fact About Yourself: Boitumelo is the African name that was given to me, it means “Happiness and Joy”.
QUICK STEPS TO ENROLL IN OUR COURSES ON MOSAIC
Here’s a quick guide for locating these courses, adding them to your planner, and enrolling on Mosaic:
1. Login to Mosaic (https://epprd.mcmaster.ca/psp/prepprd/?cmd=login)
2. Make the following selections: Student Center > Academics > Plan.
4. Select “Browse Course Catalog” and choose your “Academic Career” (E.g. Undergraduate) and “Term” (E.g. 2020 Fall), and then select “Search.”
5. Select the letter “C” from the alphabetized catalog (further down the page).
6. Scroll down the list of results and click to expand the course options found under “CMTYENGA – Community Engagement.”
7. Select (place a check-mark in the box) 2MC3 and/or 2MD3 (we recommended taking both!).
8. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “Add to Planner.”
9. Select the “Plan” tab near the top of the page (this will show courses you added to your Plan).
10. Add the courses to the Shopping Cart and ensure you complete the process to Finish Enrollment.
Notes:
For the Fall term 2020 the last day for enrolment (registration) and changes, for all academic levels, is Wednesday, September 16. For the Winter term 2020 the last day for enrolment is Thursday, January, 14.
See the Sessional Dates for Fall/Winter term 2020-21 to confirm when your course enrolment (registration) period begins.
For further details on course enrolment, here is a guide by the Office of the Registrar on how to Enrol using Mosaic.
MCYU Event Calendar
- 23
Lecture: Factories, Air Pollution, and the Effect on Animals (with Dr. James Quinn)
** COVID-19 Update: You may have heard that McMaster University has cancelled all classes for the rest of the academic term and has urged the cancellation of non-essential events. In keeping with this policy, MCYU will be cancelling its on-campus lectures for April and May. We are in the process of adapting the March, April and May lectures for online. To support families with their at home learning we are developing virtual challenges and activities that children and youth can do at home. We’ve also put together a list of online resources for parents. You can find this info in our Kid Zone here.Lecture Description:
Factories, Air Pollution, and the Effect on Animals – Factories can make a lot of poullution which gets shared with EVERYONE, including animals. Do you ever wonder what the costs are to use and our animal friends? From changing our DNA to changing our climate, discover how air pollution impacts us all!
Let’s Talk Science will conduct a hands-on activity immediately following our lecture, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.
Ages: 7-14 (whole family welcome)
Cost: FREE
