SSE Community Consultation - Thunder Bay
I must confess that it was my first trip to Thunder Bay, but it certainly won’t be my last. The landscape was stunning, the fall colours were in full force, AND we had smaller but talkative group who provided clear insights about the ways an SSE might work or the challenges it might face in the northern part of the province.
To begin, there is an added challenge in Thunder Bay in terms of awareness about SE. Although there are social needs in the region that would benefit from and might spearhead a new group of SEs, the group said that initial demand would most likely low due to a dispersed population and a general lack of awareness/self-identification. If the school or a program were to launch, awareness building would be vital in order to sustain intake.
Specific groups that might tap into SSE resources might be the region’s growing newcomer/immigrant and Aboriginal populations. In this case, the school MUST factor in accessibility / language / location / cost - time & financial. Someone suggested including a free daycare program.
The curriculum could include online components or resources (webinars, videos etc.) to reach remote & rural populations. Online resources could be made available to the wider community, anyone working as an entrepreneur for example, to again build awareness. The panelists had all used video conferencing and webinars in the past - it’s more commonly used than, say, in Toronto, as distances are much greater. It’s a viable way to bring people ‘together’. Panelists also said that face-to-face opportunities would be a value-add as would traveling to a major centre to meet with others, access resources and gain different perspectives. Mentorship and networking were also discussed.
It might be equally interesting for the students in urban centres to visit Thunder Bay. In fact, one suggestion was for Thunder Bay to host the SSE and become THE place in Ontario to go for social entrepreneurship education. For those who might not have a project on the go or in mind, a service learning component could provide the hands-on experience and provide some much needed help. Thunder Bay has seen some significant economic upheavals and is undergoing a bit of a renaissance these days. Although they might not see themselves as social entrepreneurs, it seems as if a number of people are carving out non-traditional or self-made niches.
The location of an SSE should be carefully considered as it would impact initial perception or notion of the school. It should definitely involve existing groups in Thunder Bay to give it credibility from the start and to minimize start-up costs. One suggestion was to start small with a seminar series hosted by different groups/orgs/institutions. The series could ‘travel’ through the city, tapping into different networks, leveraging existing areas of expertise and creating an open venue for idea-sharing.
With thanks to our panelists from:
Volunteer Thunder Bay, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, Lakehead University, Lakehead Social Planning Council, Regional Multicultural Youth Council, and Habitat for Humanity (Thunder Bay).
