Report

The purpose of this project was to gather the collected data, organize it into an effective series of documents, and analyze it for significant trends. One of the documents generated consists of two spreadsheets. The first contains all of the biker and pedestrian numbers collected to enable an easier comparison of the numbers from each location. The purpose of the second spreadsheet is to estimate how many bikers pass through each of the locations in a day, a week, a month and a year, based on how many were counted in the two hour blocks.

This community-based research project evaluates the Trent Vegetable Gardens (TVG) and the effectiveness of their community outreach and educational programming. The current project is Part 2 of a three-part project, of which Part 1 was completed in 2016. The purpose of this project is to conduct an impact assessment of current educational programming at the TVG, which will identify strengths and weaknesses of the garden and ways to improve its experiential learning and outreach strategies. The methodology used for this research project consists of email surveys, which were distributed to past and present garden participants. Four groups of TVG participants including, community gardeners, regular/drop-in volunteers, workshop participants, and service placement students were surveyed and sent group-specific surveys. The purpose of the survey was to indicate by what degree TVG participants are satisfied with their experience and what they are looking to gain out of garden programming and participation. Overall, we found that participants were pleased with their involvement with the TVG and were enthusiastic about sharing their suggestions, which demonstrates the positive community dynamic within the TVG and the success of current programming. After evaluating participant feedback from workshops and other experiential learning opportunities at the TVG, we offer recommendations on how the Trent Vegetable Gardens (TVG) can improve educational programming within the context of their mandate. Our recommendations include new events and programming at the gardens, better advertising, and new partnerships. Part 3 of this three-part research project can apply our findings and conduct further research on key concepts.

This is the study of an institution which stood as a monument of authority for about one-hundred sixty years and then unceremoniously sat dormant for fourteen1. It was structure that saw grave histories like the execution of six men, and the incarceration of people dealing with poverty, addiction and mental illness.2 Therefore, the following is a brief introduction to what is a massive piece of local history.

On any given winter night in Peterborough, Ontario, there are approximately 120 homeless people on the streets and in the emergency shelters like the Warming Room. The Warming Room, through numerous volunteers, provides meals, a safe place to sleep, comfort and support to its guests. This research addresses the Warming Room's goal of providing the volunteers with a more personal relationship with those who experience homelessness, and thereby giving them a deeper understanding of the depth and complexity of this subject. The Warming Room has approximately 50 overnight volunteers who facilitate overnight shifts and are the only volunteers who engage directly with the guests. We utilize quantitative research in the form of an online survey to which we received 36 responses, and qualitative research through the facilitation of 11 interviews to assess the impact that volunteering at the Warming Room has on volunteers. We found that volunteering at the Warming Room transformed individual's attitudes and opinions regarding homelessness, and that many volunteers desired to engage further, but were unsure how to do so. Through our research, we have made recommendations for the Warming Room to promote civic and political engagement in the form of collaboration, policy involvement and future research that focuses specifically on addressing how the Warming Room can provide opportunities for further engagement.

The purpose of this project was to analyze three regional Situation Tables located in Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough. A literature review was conducted to explain the history, working practices and Provincial guidelines of Situation Tables. Data that each regional Situation Table records was analyzed in order to identify trends among the three regions in regards to which human services and justice organizations are most involved and what risk factors are most commonly present. Surveys and interviews were completed to capture the experiences and opinions of individuals who participate at each regional Table and gather their ideas for improvements. Findings include that police services are heavily involved in both the referral process and intervention responses across all three regional Tables. Mental health services are also very commonly involved in the intervention responses as mental health was found to be the most common risk factor discussed and actioned at all three regional Tables. Ideas for improvements such as ensuring a more fulsome understanding of Situation Tables among all members are presented. Additionally, possible missing agencies for each regional Table are suggested based on the survey and interview responses of participating Situation Table members. Potential future research and limitations in this study are also discussed.

This paper explores the impact of the Sexual Consent Conference that was held in June of 2016 at Trent University. This conference was hosted by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre. The conference took an inter-sectoral approach to discussing the complexity of sexual consent. It was funded by the Status of Women Canada and was a response to a needs assessment that was conducted by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre. The present study answered three questions: 1) Did the conference provide a learning experience that was relevant to the attendees' role in the community, 2) In what ways did the conference enhance the attendees' knowledge and skill set around consent, and 3) In what ways did the attendees modify their approaches to service delivery. I found that the information was relevant to 92.86% of the attendees, 60.60% of the attendees stated they learned something from the conference, and 30.95% of them changed the way they deliver their services. Some recommendations for another conference are to specify what changes want to be seen in the community in reference to sexual violence and consent, and how to implement them through interactive sessions. This could enhance the networking aspect of the conference while determining what specific changes can be made to help the community. Some future research could be considering if the results of this research is specific to the topic of sexual violence or if the results are similar to other conferences on different topics. One limitation of this research is the interpretation of the survey questions, some of the attendees may not have understood what was being asked in full.

With the anticipated development of a new casino in Peterborough, the Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee (HSJCC) is interested in determining the affect that its opening will have on social services within the city. The HSJCC works with individuals that experience mental health and/or addictions struggles and come in contact with the justice system. The HSJCC also coordinates communication between health care, developmental services and the justice system. This research surveyed organizations from Peterborough that would likely be affected by a new casino in the city, including mental health and addictions support, financial support services, the justice system, youth shelters, housing services and family counselling services. Similar organizations were surveyed from Ajax and Belleville, two cities with newly opened casinos. Research shows that social services dealing with addictions and addiction by-products, such as financial stress and relationship difficulties, are expecting an increase in client base or referrals following Peterborough's casino opening. While all were in agreement of an increased reliance on them, none of the social services in the city have taken measures to prepare for the casino's opening and the expected increase in clients. Prior to casino development in Belleville a problem gambling counsellor was allocated specifically for the casino's expected repercussions, and 2% of the profit from the casino was allocated to mental health and addictions research by means of the provincial government. The research concludes by discussing the potential for further research on the topic of casinos and social services, and recommendations for preparation in Peterborough.

The purpose of this project is to look at the area surrounding Sadleir House in Peterborough Ontario and determine what the level of interest in a food service is. The area surrounding Sadleir House does not offer adequate food service options, and this research aims to see if adding a food service option in Sadleir House would add or alter the level of usage of the building. This research draws on different methodologies such as, conducting a literature review, looking into the area of Peterborough and the issue of food security, as well as what different food service provider type options are available. Another methodology used is surveys, which were analyzed to see if students at Trent University are interested in a food service and what type. This research also consisted of interviews of food service providers, drawing on the challenges and benefits of specific types of food services. It is determined that there is a strong level of interest in a food service. This research determines that a café style food service is a best fit for Sadleir House.