strategic plan<\/a>, which emphasizes fostering community engagement and impactful collaborations.<\/p>\nBethesda CEO Paul McGowan said the partnership is reflective of a shared commitment to supporting community.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is the culmination of years of collaboration and partnership, demonstrating how we are better together and how together we can change people\u2019s lives,\u201d McGowan said. \u201cOur two organizations share many strategic goals from advancing research and fostering inclusive and supportive environments to building deep and meaningful relationships with our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The partnership builds on a foundation of joint achievements, including the launch of the PECSperts initiative in 2020, a collaborative project involving Brock\u2019s Department of Applied Disability Studies, Bethesda and Pyramid Educational Consultants. The initiative focuses on developing innovative teaching models for children and youth with autism.<\/p>\n
Julie Koudys, Associate Professor in Brock\u2019s Department of Applied Disability Studies and a project lead for the partnership, highlighted the impact of connecting researchers with front-line staff working directly with community members.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership formalizes years of meaningful collaboration between Brock and Bethesda, creating new opportunities to bridge research and practice,\u201d Koudys said. \u201cBy working together, we\u2019re not only advancing knowledge but also making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
The partnership has also facilitated hands-on learning opportunities for Brock students across multiple disciplines, including education, nursing, psychology, business, applied disability studies and applied behaviour analysis, while contributing to Bethesda\u2019s mission of providing holistic, inclusive services.<\/p>\n
Students from Brock\u2019s Department of Applied Disability Studies (ADS) who are specializing in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs have played a central role in this collaboration, with many graduate-level ABA students completing placements at Bethesda and often transitioning into full-time roles within the organization.<\/p>\n
Since 2012, Bethesda has been a key partner in supporting the growth and development of Brock co-op students, offering meaningful opportunities for students to apply their academic knowledge while making a difference in the community. Brock students have taken on impactful co-op roles such as development support worker, occupational therapy assistant, purchasing assistant and behaviour counsellor.<\/p>\n
In recognition of its contributions, Bethesda was honoured with Brock\u2019s Co-op Employer of the Year Award (Nonprofit category) in 2019.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Bethesda demonstrated its dedication to experiential education by supporting two iHub-funded projects, providing Brock students with innovative, hands-on opportunities to bridge academic theory and professional practice.<\/p>\n
Brock Professional and Continuing Studies has also provided professional development training for Bethesda since 2022, including supporting the organization\u2019s senior leadership team in creating a professional development plan for its managers and supervisors. These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to advancing knowledge and empowering Bethesda\u2019s employees to better serve the community.<\/p>\n
Under the formalized partnership, plans include new research collaborations to evaluate the impact of recreational activities for people with developmental disabilities and expanded professional development opportunities for Bethesda staff.<\/p>\n
In March 2023, the partnership also resulted in the establishment of the Bethesda-Brian H. Davies Bursary, a $5,000 annual award presented to a student in Brock\u2019s Master of Applied Disability Studies program.<\/p>\n
McGowan noted many of Bethesda\u2019s employees are Brock graduates, reflecting the strong connection between the two institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is due not only to geography but also to the calibre of Brock graduates,\u201d McGowan said.<\/p>\n
The MOU event was attended by community leaders, government representatives and staff from both organizations, underscoring the regional impact of the partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an inspiring example of how research, when applied effectively, can empower communities and improve everyday lives,\u201d Koudys said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Years of collaboration between Brock University and Bethesda reached a milestone Friday with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will guide work to better the lives of local residents and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":98828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9794,7484,13793,3319,4052,4767,1,38],"tags":[244,3215,14180,13740,14181,9498,8398,522,11881,998,31],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98826"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98826"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98983,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98826\/revisions\/98983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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