Practicums
Students who complete the practicum as part of their MA in Social Justice Studies can end up completing a wide range of projects for their host organization. Some students identify their host organization, other students work with the Program Advisor or faculty members to find the right fit. Students report transformative experiences putting their classroom learning into practice.
2024 Completions
Lesly Gunasekara
Placement 1: International Instituted for Better Data (IIBD)
Placement 2: Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment & Training Services (KKETS)
Victoria Idris Umar
Placement: Northwest Ontario Women’s Centre
Nicole Ramjewan
Placement: Poverty Reduction Plan, City of Orillia and Partners.
Mansoureh Ebrahimi
Placement: Citizens for Public Justice, Policy Development.
Breanna Reid:
Placement: Elizabeth Frye Society
Umme Hany
Placement: Office of Human Rights and Equity.
2023 Completions
Hannah Caruana (2022-2023)
NaDaMaKay Lodge
Hannah worked with Anishinabek Elders and Knowledge Keepers at a traditional learning and ceremonial space in Neebing. Throughout this decolonial practicum, they assisted with communal gatherings and supported both the administrative and land-based operations of the site.
Nadia Clarke Cordick (2022-24)
Hill Run Club--Researcher & Run Coach
Nadia played a dual role as a researcher and run coach for Hill Run Club, a Black women's running group based in Toronto. Through her work, she delved into the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of Black women in mainstream wellness conversations. Her focus was on the experiences of Black women in the realm of running, analyzing the historical factors that have marginalized this community. Nadia's goal was to provide marathon training sessions while critically examining harmful narratives surrounding Black bodies, gender, and social class. Ultimately, she aimed to empower Black women to prioritize their own wellness.
Debora Cruz (2021-23)
John Howard Society of Simcoe Muskoka
Debora assisted clients attending court, connecting with Legal Aid and community agencies; co-facilitated the anger management program and met with youth (one-on-one) seeking support in multiple areas; participated in case management and goal planning with the team and clients.
Piya Durba (2021-23)
Newcomers Legal Clinic, Thunder Bay
Durba supported multiple efforts within the clinic: client intake, public education, and expanded visibility for the clinic in the region.
J. Bianca Espinoza (2021-23)
Newcomer Legal Clinic - TFW Outreach
Bianca supported the outreach coordinator at the Newcomer Legal Clinic in finding temporary foreign workers on closed work permits. She participated in outreach efforts such as attending events (representing the Newcomer Legal Clinic), visiting community organizations that support temporary foreign workers, and assisting in bridging the gap between the community and the clinic (through research and word of mouth).
Lily Gruber-Schulz (2022-23)
Student-Athlete Wellness
Lily ran a self-lead practicum on post-secondary student-athlete mental health. She applied the theory of intersectionality to an athlete (looking at age, academic ability, athletic ability, financial status, gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.) and how they fit into the power dynamics of the athletics world. She created a Student-Athlete Life Cycle that looks at different stressors athletes face throughout the year and provides accessible resources for them and their coaches to use. She also helped in collaboration with the Student Mental Health network to create a student-athlete mental health section (currently pending a release date).
Ashley Hilling (2022-23)
L'Arche Antigonish
Through a Lens of Belonging: Promoting Self-Expression of People with Intellectual Disabilities through Photovoice
Ashley created a collaborative project using photovoice with people with intellectual and /or developmental disabilities to understand, from their perspectives, what is important to them and used this insight to form a guide for program development. She spent time supporting the collaborators taking photos and conducting interviews to understand the stories behind the images. The project outcomes allowed space for empowerment and self-actualisation while creating opportunities for community learning and engagement.
Syndey Kondreska (2022-23)
Elizabeth Fry Society of Northwestern Ontario
Sydney Kondreska led research and development on a robust, user-friendly database featuring services across 11 locations in Northwestern Ontario and 8 categories of service types, totaling the compilation of over 200 unique services for Elizabeth Fry's clientele. Here, she also participated in a number of outreach programs and events with Elizabeth Fry, getting the opportunity to meet members of the community and the wide variety of alternative legal programs available in Thunder Bay.
Charles Nunn (2022-23)
Poverty-Free Thunder Bay and connected groups
Charlie acted as a connector with several Thunder Bay advocacy groups to build a list of clear priority asks that could be taken to city hall. He worked with those same groups to build a common calendar and manage digital communication.
Kristal Strawbridge (2021-23)
Kristal spent much of this self-directed practicum educating herself on equity, diversity and inclusions issues, and then had a number of opportunities to act as a consultant with organizations looking to strengthen their EDI efforts in employment and service provision.
Isabella Szwender (2022-23)
Unique Get Together Society
Bella was a researcher and grant writer for UGTS while they sought funding for a major new project.
Prior to 2023
Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School
Cheryl Suggashie (2016-2018)
Beginning in the fall of 2017, Cheryl worked with students in Tara Vesa’s Clothing Class to design and make their own Jingle Dresses. The Jingle Dress is the Healing Dress. Each student learned new skills and techniques on the sewing machine and how to use different patterns and materials. During the winter semester students learned Jingle Dress teachings/protocols, how to dance the Jingle Style, and basic footwork. A powwow was held at DFC to feast the dresses and
welcome the new Jingle Dancers.
April Head (2017-2019) completed a number of personal and community projects in order to fulfill the Practicum requirements.
John Howard Society, Thunder Bay
Gabrielle Smith (2018-19); Wayes Karnine (2021-22)
Gabby and Wayes completed practicums with the John Howard Society in Thunder Bay, supporting the executive director and core operations of the organization. Wayes focused on panhandling policies and possible implementations.
Faye Peterson House
Jennifer Blenkarn, Eh Lay Paw, Sarah Somerville, and Megan Smith (2018-20).
In 2019-20, these four students completed practicums at Faye Peterson House, a transitional and housing support program in Thunder Bay. They worked in two teams, one team primarily conducting interviews with staff and clients on a harm reduction project, the other team working on educational and informational documents.
Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic
Mayisha Shehrin Choudhury (2018-16)
Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic in Thunder Bay hosted Mayisha in 2019-20. The Clinic provides many services and is active in the community. Students working with Kinna-aweya attend Anti-Racism Committee Meetings, Tenant-Landlord Court, support public education efforts, and are engaged in work within the office setting.
Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH)
Kristy Routhier (2018-20)
CERAH hosted Kristy in 2019-20; she worked on a timeline of mental health research in Canada, reviewed relevant materials, supported a local conference, and generally supported the social justice work of the centre.
The Unique Get Together Society (UGTS)
Jennifer Chapman and Joseph Duncan (2019-21)
UGTS hosted Jennifer and Joe in 2020-21. The students developed a "Hike for Healing" in Thunder Bay to run parallel to the UGTS "Walk for Trauma."
Northwest Ontario Women's Centre (NWOWC)
Nusrat Haider Khan (2019-21)
NWOWC hosted Nusrat, who focused on the Gender Based Violence Project that was ongoing in the fall of 2020. Nusrat also supported the Community Food Box and did independent learning modules through OCASI.
Immigrant and Refugee Law Clinic
Nusrat Haider Khan (2019-21)
Nusrat Haider Kahn spent one semester (Winter 2021) supporting the Immigrant and Refugee Law Clinic's pre-opening development. She researched similar clinics and provided means for future clients to complete complex paperwork.
Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE)
Hameed Alsumadi (2019-21)
OHRE hosted Hameed in 2020-21; he supported and conducted focus groups meetings as part of OHRE's process for developing a stronger Human Rights Policy on campus.
Choco4Peace
Rochelle Lamarche (2019-21)
Choco4Peace asked Rochelle to help their emerging organization become B-Corp Certified and to develop a Gender Equity Policy for them. She completed the work in 2020-21.
iSAW: International Smart Advancing Woman
Megan Looney (2019-21)
Megan supported the development of iSAW's LIFT Platform by making academic and specialized knowledge about gender equity issues accessible to lay readers via the LIFT Platform and App.
Thunder Bay Multicultural Association (TBMA)
Liz Ward (2019-21)
In 2020-21, TBMA asked Liz to develop some professional training for staff and volunteers to support TBMA's efforts in working with LGBTQIA refugees and immigrant. Liz produced other educational materials for the organization as well.
Unknown Neighbours (Simcoe County)
Sandy Falcon (2020-22)
Sandy took a leadership role with Unknown Neighbours, serving as the inaugural Executive Director of this new non-profit serving migrant workers in Simcoe County. Sandy secured funding beyond the practicum and has been able to continue her work with the organization.
Lakehead University's Sustainability Office.
Moin Khan (2020-22)
Moin supported Lakehead's Sustainability Officer during the Year of Climate Action (YOCA) and organized his own session with other international students on the impact of climate change on countries in the global south.