Research symposium showcases student projects that explore important community issues

How can technology help older Canadians live in their own homes longer? What can be done to better support early childhood educators at the onsets of their careers? Why do so many volunteers experience stress and burnout?

Students in Sheridan's Honours Bachelor of Social and Community Development, Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership and Honours Bachelor of Community Safety programs have spent the past two years exploring questions like these as degree capstone projects that showcase knowledge and experience they’ve gained in their program. Last week, they gathered in the Creativity Commons of Hazel McCallion Campus to share their findings during the second annual Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies (FAHCS) Research Symposium.

"As a research psychologist who has worked with adults who were incarcerated and whose area of expertise is domestic violence, the research we are seeing today is so close to my heart," Sheridan Dean of Research Dr. Vicki Mowat told the students during the event's opening ceremonies. "This is about human beings and, in a lot of cases, the most marginalized, in need, at risk and vulnerable human beings in our communities. Don't ever underestimate the importance of the research and evidence you've created, and keep pushing the boundaries to challenge and improve supports and services you will ultimately be delivering in your careers with these populations."

Read on to learn more about projects completed by students in each of the three programs that participated in the FAHCS Research Symposium. (A full summary of all projects can be found on the event's webpage.)

Social and Community Development: Championing equity, inclusion and community wellbeing

Technology has the potential to enhance and prolong independent living for Canada's aging population, but only if it's accessible.

"Close to 80 per cent of the older adults I surveyed realize how valuable technology can be for enhanced social connectivity, safety and support," Karrol McBurnie said after researching the topic through her capstone project Aging in Place: How Technology Impacts the Quality of Life for Canadians over 65. "However, 48 per cent of them also found technology challenging due to font sizes, complex apps and other factors."

“Technology isn't just for young people; it's for older adults as well.”

– Social and Community Development student Karrol McBurnie

Struggles with technology also increases the likelihood of falling for financial scams and fraud, something McBurnie observed during her previous career as a banker. "This is a vulnerable population that is living longer and needs better supports," said McBurnie, who took a "leap of faith" during the COVID-19 pandemic to enrol in Sheridan's Social Service Worker (SSW) - Gerontology program, then upgraded her diploma to a degree via the Honours Bachelor of Social and Community Development.

For the knowledge mobilization portion of her capstone, McBurnie created a blog that highlighted opportunities for improvement in this space, such as simplified technologies, senior-friendly educational workshops and expanded community transportation. "Technology isn't just for young people; it's for older adults as well," she said. "Whether it's tablets, cell phones, computers or other devices, our policymakers, service providers and technologists need to ensure we're creating inclusive environments that empower older adults to thrive independently."

Other Social and Community Development capstone projects centered on the needs and perspectives of older adults included the use of AI to support healthy aging, the efficacy of community food support services, transitions into long-term care facilities, and how universal and accessible design can support aging in place. International students were another population group considered in projects that explored such topics as vulnerability to sexual violence, mental health, academic accommodations, human trafficking, the impact of Ontario’s housing crisis, and the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) program. Several other projects focused on sexual violence and underfunding for sexual assault centres.

The Honours Bachelor of Social and Community Development is designed for students who have completed a diploma in Social Service Worker (SSW), SSW - Gerontology, Child and Youth Care, Community Work or an equivalent program. In as little as two years, students can upgrade their diploma to a degree while developing high-demand skills such as project management, social innovation and creative problem solving, non-profit governance, research and grant writing, social entrepreneurship, and community leadership and advocacy. Graduates of the program have gone on to pursue master's degrees in social work; adult education and community development; counselling psychology; aging and health policy; policy and digital strategy; justice studies; and conflict resolution and peace studies.

Early Childhood Leadership: Exploring solutions that support children, families and educators

Entering the workforce after college can be an intimidating and stressful experience for anyone. It's particularly challenging for Early Childhood Educator (ECE) graduates suddenly tasked with overseeing a class of young children.

Emma Scharfe explored that issue through her capstone project, Enhancing Readiness for 2nd Year Early Childhood Education Diploma Students to Enter the Field. Themes that emerged from interviews with past and current ECE students included the importance of developing communication skills, nurturing confidence working with a diverse set of families and children, and enhancing supports in the field for new educators.

"Knowing how to manage the behaviours of everyone in the classroom is difficult because there is no one-size-fits-all approach. For example, literature I read during my research indicated that less than 20 per cent of early childhood educators felt well prepared to work with children with disabilities," said Scharfe, who went directly into the third year of the Early Childhood Leadership degree in 2023 after graduating from Sheridan's ECE diploma program. "As an educator, you want to provide the best care and support that you can, so if you don't feel confident or knowledgeable, that can be intimidating and difficult."

“Knowing how to manage the behaviours of everyone in the classroom is difficult because there is no one-size-fits-all approach... As an educator, you want to provide the best care and support that you can.”

– Early Childhood Leadership student Emma Scharfe

In addition to generating ideas of how to better prepare and support ECEs as they transition from student to educator, the project also taught Scharfe the value and power of research. "I'll be able to use these skills going forward to improve the practice of myself and those around me," she said. "My goal is to eventually work in administrative capacities, and this opportunity gave me insight into how fun and enlightening research can be."

Other Early Childhood Leadership capstone projects explored the impact high turnover rates among ECEs have on children’s mental wellbeing; parents’ perception of their young children’s use of technological devices at home; the early social and language development of children born at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; educators’ perspectives on play-based learning, risky play, digital play, music-based activities and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) integration; and social inclusion in educational settings for young children with exceptional abilities.

The Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership is designed for students who already have an ECE diploma, building on that foundation by developing knowledge and expertise needed to work as innovative leaders in early childhood education and care. Students can complete the program in as little as two years, all core courses are taught online (as of May 2025), and part-time studies are also available. Many graduates of the program have gone on to seek advanced positions within the field, while others have pursued post-graduate studies such as Bachelor of Education (teacher's college) and/or master's degrees in a related field.

Community Safety: Reimagining community safety through research and lived experience

As a volunteer, Deon Belle has often experienced the frustrations of being assigned roles that didn't cater to her interests and strengths, weren't clearly defined, or were even too much to handle.

Through her capstone project A Qualitative Exploration of Individual Motivations to Community Volunteering, Belle found opportunity for community groups to improve recruitment and retention by better aligning volunteer aspirations with organizational goals.

"Stress and burnout are main challenges faced by volunteers, often because they end up being asked more than they anticipated," said Belle, a SSW graduate who joined Sheridan's Honours Bachelor of Community Safety years later to apply her passion for creative problem-solving towards resolving community issues. "But most of the volunteers I interviewed during my research focused more on the benefits and rewards of volunteering — skill development, career direction and networking —and they all said they'd want to volunteer again. This demonstrates an absolute need to include and listen to the voice of volunteers in any research done in the community development planning space.

"This project gave me language and ways to understand what the community wants to say. I've had a lot of experiences that I didn't know how to express, but research is a pathway to do that," she added. "By understanding community issues from the perspective of the people who are experiencing the issues, we can build solutions that improve community outcomes."

“By understanding community issues from the perspective of the people who are experiencing the issues, we can build solutions that improve community outcomes.”

– Bachelor of Community Safety student Deon Belle

Other topics explored by Community Safety students included former police officers’ views on the usage of body-worn cameras; real-world impacts of peer mentors; cybersecurity awareness among college students; social media’s impact on the perception of community safety and on students’ attitudes towards law enforcement; perceptions of the unhoused population; student attitudes towards food insecurity; and student-directed evaluation of the Bachelor of Community Safety degree.

The Honours Bachelor of Community Safety is the first degree program of its kind in Canada, addressing a need for new ways to look at community safety with a focus on prevention, preparedness and social justice. The program teaches about government, law enforcement and emergency planning; building partnerships between police and community groups; speaking up for traditionally marginalized groups and vulnerable people; and empowering citizens to build safer and more resilient communities.

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 Pictured at the top of the story is this year's graduating cohort in the Early Childhood Leadership degree, gathered on stage to display their capstone projects.