The objectives of the Anti-Black Racism Student Leadership Experience Grants (ABRSLEG) program are to foster student-led research and leadership skills, enhance student engagement and the student experience, and assist in the training of highly creative and motivated students. This will be achieved by supporting students from various academic disciplines who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and/ or early graduate studies through keen awareness, interest, research or discovery of: Black historical studies within the Canadian context; barriers caused by racial oppression; Anti-Black racism; and advocacy throughout Canada and globally.
Students will seek out, engage, or develop opportunities to undertake and showcase Anti-Black racism opportunities, which will advance the cause, awareness, and advocacy of dismantling Anti-Black racism on campus and in the broader community. Students can gain valuable experience and career-related transferable skills that will assist in their future career paths. The ABRSLEG has been developed to support co-curricular activities through education, cultivation, and preservation of Black culture and history in Windsor-Essex County and the broader region.
This grant opportunity is for students interested in pursuing and advancing social justice and equity in education in collaboration with a faculty supervisor. Five (5) grants will be awarded in the amount of $10,000 each and have a duration of up to 18 months.
Applications are due on or by May 2, 2021 at 11:59PM.
Eligibility
Requests are considered from any recognized student group, club or registered undergraduate or graduate student to support activities or events that contribute to enhancing student life, the campus community and the larger Windsor/Essex County community as it relates to the advancement of Anti-Black racism initiatives and education.
Eligible teams must include:
- A supervisor who:
- Self-identifies as Black OR is non-Black but working with a Black-identifying student
- Has taught and/or conducted research in the field of anti-oppression education, equity education, as it pertains to Black studies, research, and scholarship
- Actively participates in educational and cultural activities within the UWindsor campus and its neighbouring communities in the field of anti-oppression education, equity education, as it pertains to Black studies, research, and scholarship
- A student who:
- Will take the lead in planning and executing the project
- Self-identifies as Black or is non-Black but working with a Black-identifying supervisor
- Is a full- or part-time student at the University of Windsor
Eligible teams may also include:
- Supporting Faculty members and/or students
- Supporting student clubs, societies, and groups (which are recognized on campus)
- Community partners (such as local non-profits, faith groups, small businesses, etc) who are:
- Providing financial support to the project
- Providing in-kind support to the project (space, data, staff support, free consultation, contact with constituents, etc)
Eligible projects will address one or more of the following areas of interest:
- Enhancing current student engagement and educational opportunities
- Advancing the cause of education by creating programs to promote post-secondary education for Black youth through engaging programming, mentorship, and learning opportunities
- Anti-Black racism education, awareness, and community-building programs for youth in the broader community
- Challenging institutions regarding systems and practices which disenfranchise the Black community and recommendations for improvement to dismantle barriers and oppressive practices
- Developing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) pursuits, projects, or entrepreneurial endeavours by Black students and/or presentation/development of Black cultural/aesthetic programming
- Leadership development programs, which will immerse students in Black cultural studies and/or afro-centric curriculum development either through travel or teaching opportunities.
These projects must promote Black history, culture, and Black scholarship contributions to our Canadian society. Program development will be outlined, and measures are required to be put in place to gauge success. Students, faculty, and participants will be required to provide learning outcomes, so these reflection opportunities must be incorporated into the experience.
UWindsor faculty, program and student services areas will have the opportunity to submit engagement opportunity proposals for students or, students will have the opportunity to apply for funding to engage in initiatives implemented at another post-secondary institution or organization promoting social justice which promotes the work towards dismantling Anti-Black racism at the University of Windsor or within the broader Windsor/Essex County region to enhance community building.
Adjudication Criteria
The adjudication committee will score proposals on the following criteria:
- Tangible benefits to the UWindsor campus and the broader community
- Opportunities for students to set learning and achievement goals and opportunities for reflection and feedback on their experience.
- Engagement of undergraduate and graduate students, and capacity to offer them authentic research and leadership experience
- Promotion Black history, culture, and Black scholarship contributions to the Canadian academic community, or Canadian society
- Overall quality and feasibility of the proposal (can it be carried out in the allotted time, is there sufficient budget for all aspects, etc – see below)
Quality of proposal:
The project will engage undergraduate and graduate students and offer them an authentic research and leadership experience. Planned activities are consistent with intended student outcomes and clearly support student inquiry and learning. The assessment plan of undergraduate and graduate student experience is well designed.
- Innovation: The proposed project, and model for engaging undergraduate students, is novel or unique.
- Leadership development: Provide opportunities for students to set learning and achievement goals and opportunities for reflection and feedback on their experience
- Feasibility: Research or project objectives can be met within the proposed timeline, and student attainment of learning outcomes seems likely.
- Budget: There is a demonstrated need for funding. The budget is clearly justified and appropriate (e.g., priority given to student employment and opportunities).
- Capability: The project team has the relevant expertise to guide the proposed student research and demonstrated skill in mentoring students. Participating students, if known, have the capability or aptitude to carry out responsibilities.
- Training and mentoring of highly qualified personnel: Strength of plans to train and mentor participating students.
- Knowledge mobilization plan: The plan for dissemination and/or community outreach offers students real opportunities to present their work to people concerned by the issues in question. The application identifies groups of people within academia and/or in the community that will benefit from the research or project information. The strategies to share findings are a good fit for those audiences (e.g., journal articles are a good fit for researchers, but not necessarily practitioners).
- Impact or potential outcomes (benefits) of the project: The proposed project will significantly impact student learning and skill development (a priority) and potentially for the community or the discipline. Projects involving a broad range of students will have priority over those that involve a few.
- Sustainability: Strength of plans to extend or sustain the project beyond the funding period, particularly when involving undergraduate and graduate students in a sustainable fashion. This grant will support a broad range of activities, providing that the emphasis of the project is undergraduate and graduate student learning through research, inquiry, or creative activity. Students may be involved in one or several phases (s) of research, including research design, research ethics board or animal care board application development, literature review, data collection, data analysis, creative activity, or the dissemination of research findings through a broad range of media and formats.
This grant will cover a period of 18 months and a progress report will be required upon project completion.
Application Procedure
Eligible projects should be student-led and the application form and supporting documents should be completed in collaboration between the student(s) and the supervisor. Applications must include:
- A completed application form
- A 1-page supporting document outlining your project proposal for the Student Leadership Experience Grant
- A copy of the supervisor’s e-CV or resume
- A letter of support from any community or campus partners (optional)
Application forms must be signed by the supervisor’s Department Head and Dean BEFORE submission. Applications can be emailed to oris@uwindsor.ca by May 2, 2021 at 11:59PM.