March 28, 2008 - 8:32am
Adaline Russell, a grandmother of six, never dreamed she’d be enrolled in university at this stage of life.
Russell is one of 13 students who gather each week in a classroom at the Princess Royal Family Centre in downtown Nanaimo for a free Humanities course taught by Malaspina University-College professors. Adaline and fellow students in the class face significant barriers in their lives, ranging from poverty to mental health issues.
“These are students who normally wouldn’t have the capacity or resources to attend university,” explained Dennis Silvestrone, Dean of Adult and Continuing Education at Malaspina. “They are living through some very difficult circumstances. Now through a unique pilot project called the Clemente program, the students have the opportunity to sit in a classroom and discuss a world of ideas and concepts in a Humanities course. The goal is to open the door to people's intellectual curiosity, help them expand their horizons and hopefully see greater possibilities for the future.”
The concept appears to be working. Adaline, a former graphic artist who is unable to work due to mental health issues, says the course has stimulated and opened her mind to new ways of thinking.
“I experienced a lot of depression and isolation prior to taking this course, but now I’m interacting with people about important issues and ideas that make up the fabric of our society,” she says. “I look at the bigger picture of life. My moods have improved significantly.”
Malaspina and a host of community partners launched the Clemente pilot program in January. Although the Humanities course ends in April, plans are afoot to secure funding to continue and expand the program next year.
The Humanities course is team taught by Malaspina professors from a variety of disciplines, including Liberal Arts, Political Science, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies and Criminology. Students have been referred to the program by social service agencies. Funding and sponsorships allow them to take the course for free. They also receive books, a bus pass, child minding services and lunch on the day of classes.
The idea to offer the Clemente program locally was hatched several years ago when Dr. Anne Leavitt, Malaspina’s Dean of Social Sciences, met Clemente founder Earl Shorris at a conference and invited him to speak at Malaspina. Shorris spearheaded the program in the lower east side of New York where he exposed a group of marginalized adults to a Liberal Arts education, and attached credit to their learning. He proved that people, rich or poor, have the potential to flourish. The program is now offered in 66 countries around the world.
In February 2007, Leavitt and Silvestrone convinced the Social Development Strategy Implementation Committee to sponsor the program in Nanaimo. Community partners came on board including the United Way, Nanaimo Youth Services, Ministry for Children and Family Development, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance, Vancouver Island Health Authority, City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo & Area Resources and Services for Families, Malaspina Faculty Association, and Malaspina’s Liberal Studies department and Centre for Continuing Studies.
“We’re thrilled the Clemente program is now offered in Nanaimo,” said Leavitt. “Poverty not only erodes one’s material ability to navigate the world, it severely limits an individual’s ability to engage as an informed citizen to participate in economic, cultural, social and political opportunities offered in their community. Those of us involved in this project believe that by studying the humanities through philosophy, politics, literature, art and history, students will acquire the cultural capital, capacity, written and oral communication skills necessary to improve their life situations in society.”
Even before the official launch date, the program received an Excellence in Social Development Award from the City of Nanaimo for the most innovative partnership program. But perhaps the real measure of success is showcased by the enthusiasm of students like Adaline.
“I hope the program continues,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see a variety of social service agencies work together with Malaspina University-College to facilitate access to courses for people who are normally marginalized by society. This is what community is all about.”
For information about the Clemente project, contact Mark Blackell at 619-7735.
Tags: In the Community
