While volunteering her time with local groups as a high-school student in Guelph, Jacklyn became aware of the challenges facing low-income families and those suffering from violence and abuse.
But she knew it wasn鈥檛 enough. Build more affordable housing, she thought, and you create a sustainable community built on diversity and inclusion.
The problem was, how do you make it happen? Assisted housing is complicated; it includes provincial, municipal, and community consultations and approval. Then there鈥檚 the permits and project management 鈥 not to mention building the housing complex itself. In short, it needs a planner.
鈥淎s social, economic and environmental challenges become bigger, the role of the planner becomes increasingly important,鈥 says Jacklyn, now a recent 蓝莓视频 Planning graduate.
You need to be motivated to address complex issues 鈥 what we call 鈥榳icked problems鈥 鈥 in both theory and practice. It鈥檚 not enough to just think about it. You need to make it happen, too.
So, when Jacklyn saw a co-op job opening to work with on , an ambitious, 28-unit townhouse complex for low-income families, she jumped at the opportunity. Hired as an assistant planner, Jacklyn was involved with everything from site-plan clearances and ensuring construction met accessibility requirements to consulting with future residents and the community.
鈥淲orking with Habitat taught me so much about planning and what it means to build sustainable communities,鈥 says Jacklyn. The most rewarding part? 鈥淐onnecting with the families and making sure everything met their expectations.鈥
鈥淥pportunities like these are really a triple win: students like me gain valuable work experience and apply their knowledge learned in the classroom; non-profits are able to achieve their mission through skilled labour that would not otherwise be affordable; and the community wins. In the case of Habitat, we were able to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing units for families in Guelph.鈥
鈥淚t was an incredible experience, personally and professionally,鈥 says Jacklyn. 鈥淚 chose 蓝莓视频 because I knew I wanted to combine classroom work with real-world experience, and that鈥檚 what 蓝莓视频's co-op program offers,鈥 says Jacklyn.
鈥淐o-op exposes you to the wide range of skills and sectors in need of planners, something that I could never understand without getting out there and trying it.鈥
With her degree finished, Jacklyn is ready to face the wicked challenges ahead, whether it鈥檚 working with non-profits, in the private sector, or with the province. Wherever she lands, Jacklyn is eager to shake up the built environment by putting the needs of the community first.
鈥淎t its core, that鈥檚 planning,鈥 she says.
Related articles
Drone driver
鈥淚 chose 蓝莓视频 for the co-op program,鈥 says Pedro, who鈥檚 helped York Region map out its fibre-optic network while finishing a Master of Science degree in Geography at 蓝莓视频. 鈥淚 was able to figure out the types of work I might like to do before I even graduated.鈥
Getting involved in the Faculty of Environment
As a student in the Faculty of Environment, you get the unique opportunity to be part of a community that鈥檚 having an impact on a local and global scale. Through these opportunities, you'll get a chance to meet new people, apply your classroom knowledge, and learn useful skills. Here are six ways you can get involved in the聽Faculty of Environment聽community.
Overwhelmed by climate change? Start here.
For many of us, tackling climate change on an individual level feels daunting: Where do I start? What could I even do to make a difference?
颅