Written by Joanna Pawelkiewicz
Community Advocacy Senior Coordinator
The Stop developed Community Action Training (CAT) in 2012 to engage community members by empowering them to frame their experience of living on a low income within a broader economic and political context. The architects of CAT wanted to challenge shame and internalized stigma surrounding poverty and help participants gain a deeper understanding of the systemic reasons for the hardships they face every day.
When I joined The Stop in 2018, I was excited to put my background in group facilitation and Adult Education to use and further developed the course. Aside from what it teaches, CAT also distinguishes itself by how it is taught. I am greatly inspired by Popular Education, a teaching method first developed in Brazil that inspires people to act and create social change. Since many of our community members may not have had positive experiences in formal education, CAT is very interactive; it holds space for participants to build on their existing knowledge through thought-provoking discussions and creative activities.
CAT explores important social justice issues, such as Reconciliation and homelessness, but also focuses on personal development by examining different perspective on wellness and inviting participants to reflect on their strengths by creating a ‘lived experience’ resume. Teaching CAT is always the highlight of my year and participants report an equally enriching experience.
“(CAT has been) a great learning experience regarding issues I’ve always had an interest in. I’m learning about issues that appeal to me and I always wanted to be a part of and that change is possible.”
“(Thanks to CAT), I feel more confident to advocate for me, normally I’m good at saying things for someone else, now I’m better at advocating for me.”
“(CAT has) made a huge difference for me, in terms of discipline and goal setting it’s been successful, I set a goal to attend every class, wanted to become and advocate, it’s helpful…. Led to other opportunities.”
Since its inception, more than a 120 of our community members have graduated from the course. Historically, CAT has also been a pre-requisite to becoming an Advocate, a specialized volunteer position whereby our service users leverage their lived experience to assist our community members in a walk-in office that operates 21 hours a week at both our Davenport and Wychwood Open Doors locations.
New Vision: Be(come) Your Own Advocate (BYOA)
This year, we have gone back to the drawing board and are re-vamping the course. Inspired by our Peer Advocates, the course will help participants expand their existing skills and knowledge so that they are empowered to solve their own issues. In other words, help them become their own Advocates!
This new focus aligns with one of the Community Advocacy Program’s key objectives: to increase skills and resources within the community to allow community members to support each other effectively in facing and overcoming challenges. It also reflects The Stop’s mission, which aims to maintain dignity, build health and community and challenge inequality.
New Curriculum:
The modules will reflect the issues we deal with in the Advocacy Office most frequently, such as social assistance, housing or immigration. BYOA will support participants navigating 21st Century challenges by helping them bridge the digital gap, increase their financial literacy and learn how to recognize mis and disinformation. These themes were drawn directly from our experiences in the Advocacy Office. Community members regularly seek the Advocates’ help in logging onto their MyBenefits account, understanding a bill or finding resources like government programs or social services. Learning how to discern what is a credible source of information, or how to upload a form online can make a huge impact on the life of someone living in poverty.
We are definitely keeping the aspects of CAT that past participants liked the most, like lively discussions, interesting guest speakers and engaging activities that cater to different learning styles. In order to maximize the practical learning outcomes, each class will consist of dynamic segments:
- Self-Assessment: Participants will brainstorm what they already know about the topic and what they hope to learn
- Context: Looking at the issue from the historical perspective, understanding new terms or concepts and examining key statistics
- In the Media: Examining the issue front the contemporary standpoint by looking at recent media coverage from a critical perspective
- Practical Skills: How to fill out the Ontario Disability Support Program self-report form or how to navigate the MyHousingTO portal
- Resource Sheet: A curated, up to date list of pertinent resources
- Role Play: Practising how to best communicate and advocate for yourself with landlords, employers or social assistance case workers
I am very grateful to the Volunteer Program who recruited two amazing volunteers– Cecilia Odikemere and Zoya Hussein—to help me write the new curriculum. Cecilia is a 3rd year political science student at York University and hopes to study law in the future. She is passionate about advocacy and social justice and is excited about the opportunity of contributing to a course that can help others become their own advocates. Zoya has a background in education with a degree in Science and Technology Studies. As a newcomer to Canada, they seek connection through community building and hope to find some through their volunteer work in the program. The three of us are working collaboratively on the new lessons ahead of the course’s start date. Since this will be a new iteration of the course, we will be counting on the participants to give us feedback on the course content and format so that we can make improvements next year.
Phase Two: Peer Advocacy:
We hope that all the participants will find BYOA useful and transformative. Anyone wishing to deepen their learning after the course’s completion will be able to apply for one of six spots in our practicum program as Peer Advocates. Over the course of six months, Peer Advocates will get hands-on experience in our Advocacy Office as well as other training opportunities. Those who successfully complete the practicum will receive an honorarium and be eligible to apply for future paid Peer Mentor Worker opportunities.
Want to Take Part?
‘Be(come) Your Own Advocate’ is open to anyone who is currently low income, but priority will be given to our service users. Anyone interested in taking the course must attend one of our upcoming Info & Intake sessions: click here to register for an info session.
- Friday, February 14th : 3:00pm-4pm at 1884 Davenport Road
- Friday, February 21st : 3:00pm-4pm at 1884 Davenport Road
- Tuesday, February 25th: 4pm-5pm at 1884 Davenport Road
Be(come) Your Own Advocate Details:
- Start Date: Wednesday, March 5th
- End Date: Wednesday, May 12th
- Time: 2pm-5:30pm, participants are invited to arrive at 1:15pm if they would like to eat lunch
- Location: 1884 Davenport Road
Presto tickets will be provided to those who take TTC to The Stop. All participants will also receive the necessary course materials as well as vouchers to our Good Food Market.