Georgian College

projects by having expertise from more than one area," says Freeman. "The neighbourhood assessment would be an example of that. My students have the technical know-how, but really the whole idea and concept behind the project came from the Human Services and Community Safety areas." Since the launch of this initial project, Dr. Gittens' students have worked with the OPP on a number of other research projects, including a study that also involves the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) that looks at how long-term care facilities in Orillia utilize police emergency calls. The research team has also responded to a request by the Orillia detachment of the OPP to assess the effectiveness of its foot patrol strategy. "I think this research is a crucial aspect for Georgian and the OPP because they get our expertise and to interact with possible future police officers. They also get a product or information they can use," says Dr. Gittens. "It's also great for us at Georgian because it gives our students an exceptional experience that is beyond valuable for them personally, as well as for future job opportunities." SOCIAL INNOVATION RESEARCH AT GEORGIAN COLLEGE • community safety and social justice - technology and crime prevention - community engagement in neighbourhood safety - mental health supports • social entrepreneurship - building capabilities at non-profit organizations - entrepreneurial skillsets for social enterprises - understanding how the social ecosystem supports social innovation Rich Freeman, Interactive Media Design – Web program faculty Applied research project documents impact of Ambassador Dog program Georgian professor Dr. Howard Bloom – together with Dr. Deborah M. Scharf and Garrett Hilborn from the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) – completed a collaborative applied research project titled Implementation of the Sweet Charity Ambassador Dog Program in Simcoe County District School Board: A Pilot Study. A report on the findings was submitted to the leadership team at the SCDSB. "The purpose of the project was to document the implementation and impact of the Sweet Charity Ambassador Dog program in two SCDSB secondary schools to determine whether and how the program could be offered at other schools in the future," says Dr. Bloom. Key findings: • students and staff expressed that the dogs were helpful in several ways, including improving communication between students and staff and reducing student anxiety and problem behaviour • challenges to the program were also identified, including student and staff dog allergies, student and staff dog fears, program training time for staff, dog hygiene and behaviour-related issues Since the study was completed, the SCDSC senior administrators have agreed to expand the Sweet Charity Ambassador program in more schools. In addition, the Sweet Charity organization has been awarded a Trillium Foundation grant to expand their work in schools and with people with diabetes. Part of this grant will support further applied research in collaboration with Georgian. GeorgianCollege.ca/CARI 11

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