Here is a story of how an action research partnership between a university and a community organization came to highlight the positive effects of community development. In this particular case the research has showcased how, over time, youth resilience can be strengthened through community- based empathy and civic support.
It began when Richard Maclure, a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa, approached the staff of Britannia Woods Community House to see if they would be interested in participating in a research project. Professor Maclure shares an interest with many community developers in shedding light on the connection between developing ‘social capital’ (i.e., the supportive connections, shared values, and mutual understanding that enable individuals and groups to trust and act together) and the cultivation of youth resilience (that is, the ability to respond to difficult situations from a position of strength).
With funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a documentary of the project, entitled A Special Place: Britannia Woods Community House, shows this connection between social capital and youth resilience. Check it out . . . and see how the staff and volunteers at Britannia Woods, like other Community Houses across the city, are contributing to the creation of spaces where youth can learn, grow, contribute and be valued.
A second short film that compares community work in Britannia Woods with similar neighbourhood activities in Managua, Nicaragua also reveals the link between community connections and youth resilience. Entitled Enhancing Youth Social Capital: A Story of Two Low-Income Neighbourhoods, the film can be viewed on YouTube.