Supporting Researchers in Community: CERi Community Scholars Program Spotlight: CityHive

This Q+A is taken from an interview conducted by Tara Mahoney (SFU CERi) on the collaboration between CityHive and the Community Scholars Program. The interviewees included Heather De Forest and Dana McFarland from the Community Scholars Program and Joanne Nellas and Giulia Belotti from CityHive. The interview has been edited for brevity.

In partnership with Vancouver Island University, the University of Northern British Columbia, the University of British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of the Fraser Valley, the Simon Fraser University Library coordinates the Community Scholars Program to help organizations meet their research needs through SFU library online collections. The program also provides research consultations, workshops and grants to support the research needs of participating organizations. CityHive is on a mission to transform the way that young people are engaged in shaping their cities and communities. Despite being on the frontlines of environmental, social, and economic crises, young people are too rarely involved in local planning and decision-making. Through youth-led and youth-run programs including civic education programs, innovation labs, and consulting work, CityHive is working towards a more youth-engaged future. 

The collaboration between CityHive and the Community Scholars Program resulted in Enhancing Youth Leadership and Agency: A Toolkit for Successful Leadership Programs, a shareable document that details the best practices for youth engagement programs. The document can be viewed here.