A message from the Director

Ken Carter

The title of this report, Empowered by Community, was never more apropos than in 2022. Our community partnerships have truly been the foundation for our projects, our collaborations and our facilities.

The doors of the Centre for Research and Innovation opened last year; since that time this beautifully renovated facility has been filled with community organizations, undergraduate and graduate students, lobbyists, researchers, municipal, provincial and federal officials, entrepreneurs and businesspeople, and secondary school educators. The former mill human resources building is truly a nexus for idea generation, research and collaboration. Whether it's the development of a prototype in the makerspace, or research about repurposing mill waste, the activities inspired by the Centre are changing lives and the place we live in for the better. It is a physical resource in the heart of Corner Brook that will provide the tools, resources and research capacity to enable the development of sustainable and resilient communities in the western region.

The Office of Engagement at Grenfell also played a critical role in developing Memorial University's Community Hubs, a network that connects the university with communities across Newfoundland and Labrador, fostering collaboration and increasing capacity. The Hubs are located in rural areas across the island and in Labrador. These hubs are community spaces where people can access the Internet, technology, and a place to work, study, or collaborate. By working with partners (community groups, provincial organizations, governments, educational institutions, etc.) that already operate buildings in communities, the Community Hubs program is able to provide financial support for technology, Internet access, other equipment , and/or programming support to increase access and opportunity within existing spaces. As of March 2023, there are 10 Community Hubs across the island and in Labrador.

Our continued involvement in the Harris Centre's Thriving Regions program allowed us to connect with communities in the Humber Valley last year. Projects are being developed by Memorial researchers to address regional supports for social, mental and physical well-being; sustainable population and labour; and training, education and innovation.

Engaged learning continued through our City Studio program, a collaboration with the City of Corner Brook, which gives our students hands-on experience working with city staff to help Corner Brook becoming a better community in which to live. In the near future we look forward to introducing "Rural Studio," which will build on this mandate in rural areas of our region.

Engagement is central to Memorial University's mission, and in 2022, was critical to the continuity of the sociocultural fiber of our province. Actively connecting and maintaining relationships over the past year has been essential as we look towards more sustainable and innovative ways of living. The Office of Engagement would like to thank sincerely the faculty, staff and students who have worked diligently to support our mission.

I hope as you read the stories and information contained in this report, you will gain a sense of the purpose we are striving to maintain. We look forward to continuing the important work of supporting community-engaged research projects and building new opportunities in the western region.

Ken Carter
Director, Research and Engagement