Loyalist College awarded NSERC funding for Intergenerational Home Sharing Program

Belleville, Ontario, May 19, 2020 – Loyalist College has been awarded a $359,793 grant through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program and College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) for its ‘Intergenerational Home Sharing Program: College Students Co-living with Older Adults’ project proposal.

The three-year pilot project will develop an alternative housing model which promotes intergenerational living for Loyalist students and adults 55 years of age and older in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. In particular, it will aim to pair international students who have been living in Canada for at least a year, with seniors who are home providers. The objective is to address housing availability and affordability issues, while exploring the potential to improve both students’ and seniors’ quality of life by reducing isolation and increasing their sense of belonging. The project will provide a unique opportunity for Social Service Worker students to participate as part of their program practicum and to learn about program planning and implementation, partnership development, assessment and counselling, conflict resolution and program evaluation.

Three community partners provided support for this project proposal, including Hastings Quinte Paramedic Services (HQPS), Hastings County Community and Human Services, and Quinte Immigration Services.

Quotes

“This innovative applied research project is based on the all-important premise of helping others. It creates an excellent opportunity for Loyalist to expand its regional partnerships and engage the community at large in our core values of caring and inclusivity. Together, we will help a potentially vulnerable population – students and seniors – by facilitating meaningful social connections and mutually beneficial living situations. Thank you to NSERC for their generous support, and congratulations to June MacDonald-Jenkins, Loyalist Dean of Health, Human and Justice Studies; Dr. Kim Bergeron, Principal Investigator; and their teams on this tremendous achievement.” – Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President and CEO

“Colleges play a pivotal and unique role within their communities by providing cutting-edge applied research expertise and state-of-the-art facilities that drive local innovation. These R&D collaborations contribute not only to the development and commercialization of new products and services for Canadians, but also the creation of new quality jobs and valuable training experience for our future generation of workers.” – Alejandro Adem, President, NSERC

“We know how damaging loneliness can be to our health, and how important connection is to our overall well-being, particularly when someone is starting a new life in a new country. A community-based solution like this will go a long way towards making life more affordable for many, and keeping Hastings and Prince Edward Counties growing and welcoming to everyone.” – Meghan Beatty, Senior Program and Client Services Manager, Quinte Immigration Services

About Loyalist College

Loyalist is Ontario’s Destination College, empowering students, faculty, staff, and partners through experiential, industry cluster-based education, training and applied research programs. The College provides job-ready graduates for, and knowledge transfer to, industry and the community. Of 2017-18 Loyalist graduates, 88.5 percent were employed within six months after graduation. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, the College is perfectly positioned between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Loyalist offers more than 70 full-time diploma, certificate and apprenticeship programs in biosciences, building sciences, business, community service, health and wellness, media studies, public safety, and skilled trades. Continuing education options are available through LoyalistFocus.com, including hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, and through the College’s 100+ university transfer agreements. Loyalist is a key driver of social and economic health in eastern Ontario. It contributes 5.8 percent of the Gross Regional Product, representing $465 million annually to the regional economy – based on an October 2018 report by Emsi. For more information on Loyalist’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses and Port Hope satellite location, visit YoureGoingPlaces.com.

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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing, Communications and Recruitment
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistcollege.com, 613-969-1913, ext. 2536