Anita Ha - BSc Human Ecology in Family Sciences (3rd Year)
Melissa Smith - BSc Human Ecology in Family Sciences (3rd Year)
Aeryn Sher - BSc Human Ecology in Family Sciences (3rd Year)
Alyssa Welz - Criminology (4th year)
Our partner was Autism Edmonton, and the project involved designing a program for autistic youths. We planned different activities that weren't overwhelming sensory-wise and encouraged them to make friends at the same time.
One of our takeaways was making connections on a personal level and having a good relationship with community partners. Given that we are designing something for them, it is obvious that we want to earn the trust of the organization. Collaboration also ties in with building connections with community partners, especially having clear communications of the organization's goals and expectations. Clear expectations and goals can help us make a successful plan.
One thing that we learned in our class was that we need to think outside of the box a bit when it comes to considering the needs and wants of specific demographics. We also did a good job thinking of others from their perspectives when we designed our project. The knowledge and skills could be super helpful for us in our future careers within our field of study as well as future practicums. There are two individuals in the group who worked with individuals with special needs, so the newly gained skills can be handy.
Aeryn
Anita
Melissa