(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – April 6, 2022): CityStudio Global is excited to announce a partnership that has brought civic innovation and city-campus collaboration to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie, led by Algoma University in collaboration with the City of Sault Ste. Marie is the 12th CityStudio to launch in Canada and the fifth in Ontario. 

CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie joins a growing number of municipalities across Canada and the world engaging communities to strategically collaborate with their local post-secondary institutions and students for civic benefit, ultimately helping communities become more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The CityStudio Network was first launched in Vancouver in 2011 and is a transferable and adaptable partnership model that has been adopted by 13 cities across Canada, two in Australia, and one in Norway, with more CityStudios in development around the world. Learn more about launching a CityStudio in your city here.

In only two semesters, CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie has reached over 150 students, eight faculty and ten city staff to support over thirteen projects addressing social, cultural, environmental and economic challenges in our community. Cross-cultural learning between Indigenous communities and other communities is at the heart of the student learning experience at Algoma as outlined by its Special Mission, and is demonstrated in CityStudio projects. As a teaching-focused university with an emphasis on the north, CityStudio projects give undergraduate students a way to contribute to community growth and wellbeing as a part of their academic experience. 

CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie will help increase the problem-solving capacity of city staff by leveraging the skills, knowledge, and creativity of Algoma U students and faculty. Together, students and city staff will co-create projects that contribute to key strategic goals and priorities of Sault Ste. Marie in an effort to advance sustainability, increase engagement and make the city more liveable, equitable and joyful. For students, this is a unique experiential learning opportunity to work directly with city staff to solve real-life challenges, gain valuable employment skills, and become more engaged citizens.

CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie will be celebrating the work that students, faculty, staff and community members have done over the past two semesters in a virtual HUBBUB on April 8th from 1-3 PM. This showcase is a free virtual community event with an opportunity to learn more about the projects, chat with the students and give insight on some priority areas for the upcoming semesters. To register, click here. 

Quotes

“We are very excited to welcome the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma University to the CityStudio Network. As a new kind of social infrastructure across Canada, CityStudio provides researchers, faculty and students the opportunity to innovate, learn and contribute directly to a healthier region and society. With the next decade shaping up to be the most pivotal of our lives, we look forward to supporting and learning from CityStudio Sault Ste. Marie.” 

•  Duane Elverum, Executive Director and Co-Founder of CityStudio Vancouver

“The collaboration between students and city staff through CityStudio has been a great success. It’s exciting to see the unique perspectives and problem-solving skills the students bring to addressing important community issues. I think it’s fair to say that all staff that have been involved with the program are looking forward to a continuation of the CityStudio project.” 

• Travis Anderson, Director of Tourism and Community Development

“It is absolutely incredible to see the growing engagement by the university community and the city staff in these projects. There is a real dedication to the work and seeing these projects through. We are extremely excited to see what’s next for our students and our community.” 

• Taylor Jaehrling, CityStudio Innovation Hub Coordinator

“CityStudio is an amazing opportunity for Algoma University students. Students are able to apply their creativity and skills to real-world challenges in the community. CityStudio projects are integrated directly into academic courses, bringing experiential learning and civic engagement into the overall student experience.”    

• Dawn White, Director, Experiential Learning and International Affairs

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