“How can residents and agencies be more effective partners in addressing needs and services within the Lawrence Heights and Neptune community?” This was the question that led to BePart, a collaborative project between residents and local agencies in Lawrence Heights and Neptune, two related social housing neighbourhoods in North Central Toronto. The project was guided by a commitment to action research, building trust and strong connections both within and between residents and agencies, and working together towards a shared vision for the future. Residents and agencies on the Steering Committee were trained in many aspects of community-based research and used multiple data collection approaches to shed light on the research question. Emerging themes and recommendations (for residents, agencies, and funders) were developed, communicated and are being currently considered in social development planning efforts.
On May 6, 2010 members of BePart Steering Committee presented their report and shared ideas and challenges for moving forward in terms of collaborative action and further research at the Toronto Community-Based Research Network (TCBRN) educational session on “Sustainability and Community Based Research” .
May 6 BePart Community Forum Presentation
For more information or to comment on this report, visit www.bepart.ca