The New Opportunities for Innovative Student Engagement (NOISE) project is a research-informed model for enhancing the academic success of youth from the Jane/Finch community and York University Social Work students through engaged learning opportunities that energize and support their civic engagement and psycho-social well-being.
Jane/Finch youth fellows and social work student fellows work together in community action pods on social action projects relevant to contemporary socio-political-economic conditions in the Jane/Finch community.
NOISE emphasizes multidirectional learning and accountability among all participants in the pod, and recognizes that youth, students, alumni, and faculty all contribute important skills and experiences and mutually benefit from their multidirectional relationships.
Program Goals
NOISE Goal One: Increase academic engagement by providing expanded /engaged learning opportunities and knowledge of community based participatory action research to youth and social work students. The long-term outcomes of increased academic engagement include: youth attend and complete PSE and social work students are better able to connect theory to action.
NOISE Goal Two: Enhance civic engagement by providing critical social service learning opportunities that allow NOISE fellows (youth and social work students) to critically examine root causes of social injustice and collaboratively develop interventions. Fellows develop and implement a social action project that addresses a social justice issue in the community.
NOISE Goal Three: Nurture psychosocial wellbeing by providing multi-directional mentorship that builds community across and among cohorts (youth and social work students); increases sense of belonging and trust and allow fellows to develop relationships that value individual assets and are founded upon reciprocity and mutual aid. Fellows meet weekly in pods (that include youth, social work students, social work alum and faculty) facilitated by an MSW GA and a Social Work and/or Social Service Intern.
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Learn more about the NOISE evaluation criteria!