Community Animation: Enabling and Facilitating Community Building on Campus Jolanta Lekich, Program Director, Global Campus Initiatives UBC Gloria Eid,

Community Animation: Enabling and Facilitating Community

Building on Campus

Jolanta Lekich, Program Director, Global Campus Initiatives UBCGloria Eid, Program Lead, Jump StartEve Court, Program Advisor, Global Campus Initiatives

Before we start…

What are your main obstacles to community building?

Animation

as opposed to programming is about enabling community rather

than directly trying to create it.

“to make more lively;move into action

or breathe life into something”

Conventional Model vs. Community Animation

Student Community

Student Leaders

Student Leaders

Learning Communities

Community Animators

Fee

dbac

k m

echa

nism

Community Building Initiatives

Programming

Staff Staff

The Global Lounge

Community Animation Model Applied

Global Lounge Staff

Community Animators (6)

Jump Start

Jump Start Staff

Community Animators (10)

Global Lounge Officers (40)

Global Lounge Network (1000+)

Community Building Initiatives

Orientation Leaders (100)

Learning Communities (1400+)

Community Building Initiatives

BENEFITSof Community Animation

STAFF…

* Get more done with less.* Create authentic, student-generated initiatives.* Use model to diffuse authority and expertise.* Build a trustworthy feedback mechanism.

STUDENTS…

* Develop initiatives instead of supporting a staff program.* Gain more ownership over work and earn accountability.* Develop leadership and managerial skills.* Facilitate meaningful relationships that foster deep intercultural interactions.

Best Practices in Community Animation

1. Take notice.

2. Create connections / third space. (Oldenburg, 1999)

3. Take an inventory of strengths.

4. Don’t keep it a secret!

How can we apply the model?

In small groups • Share obstacles to community building • Discuss how the Community Animation model can be

applied to these obstacles• Choose one example to share with the larger group

• Budget• Hiring Guidelines• Letting Go • Engagement

Limitations and Obstacles

The Community Animator Experience

“The independent work that we do helps us develop skills we would not be able to build otherwise … helps maintain motivation for the job as we get to implement ideas … and enjoy the results. Being given the responsibility of the space and letting us decide how to animate it … gives us the feeling that as students, our opinions matter and voices are heard.” - Narissa D., Global Lounge

The Community Animator Experience

“… the change to community animation over staff programming was an empowering move. As a community animator, it allowed me to define my own goals based on my work with the community rather than just working on a checklist. Communities are dynamic and constantly changing … structure allows a lot of space for flexibility and spontaneity … more cognizant of what is happening around me … cater to what the community actually needs.” - Jeremiah C., Global Lounge

“Create connections. Don’t keep it a secret!”

Eve Court – [email protected]

Gloria Eid – [email protected]

Jola Lekich – [email protected]