Day of Active Learning brings community to campus

Last Thursday (June 28), Dalhousie welcomed 45 youth between the ages of 9 to 15 to campus In partnership with United Way Halifax.

The “Day of Active Learning” was a one-day camp for youth from organizations across Halifax, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Halifax, Family SOS, the Take Action Society, Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre and Veith House.

The day started at Halifax Central Library with a special workshop from SuperNOVA that explored science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a variety of activities. Lunch followed at Dal’s dining halls, after which the group divided to spend the rest of the afternoon either in the Dalhousie Planetarium learning about the universe, or at the University of King’s College gymnasium for activities with the Special Tigers Sports Program run by Dal varsity athletes.

“It was exciting to be able to offer this one-day camp,” says Jasmine Walsh, assistant vice-president of Human Resources. “We are so proud to use Dal resources to provide a fun and accessible educational opportunity for youth in the community.”

This event, the second in Dalhousie’s Growing Communities series, is part of Dalhousie’s 200th anniversary celebrations, as well as the university’s Strategic Priority 3.2 to promote a culture of service and engagement by contributing to the community. Dalhousie’s Human Resources department and Dalhousie Professional & Managerial Group created this series as a shared vision to service the needs of the community through access to Dal’s resources, services and partners.

The 2017 Growing Communities pilot served new Canadians and immigrants to help them find career success in Nova Scotia. Each year, the event theme will vary and will be tailored to the immediate needs of the community.