MEDIA RELEASE – JULY 25, 2025 – R0086

For many newcomers, arriving in Niagara marks the start of a new chapter filled with hope but also hurdles that come with beginning life in a new country.

To help ease this transition, Brock University and Bridges Niagara have reaffirmed their shared commitment to supporting newcomers and promoting equity and inclusion in the region. The organizations came together Friday, July 25 to renew their long-standing partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Robertson Hall in downtown St. Catharines.

The new MOU builds on the foundation of a 2019 agreement that formalized the relationship between Brock and Bridges, formerly known as the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre.

The agreement was signed Friday by Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg and Marie Mouradikian, Interim Executive Director at Bridges Niagara.

“This Memorandum of Understanding is not just a formality. It represents a commitment to continue building a more inclusive and just Niagara through community-academic partnership,” Rigg said. “Together, we are leveraging our shared strengths to create a region where newcomers and equity-deserving communities feel supported, seen and empowered.”

The event saw leaders from both organizations come together to celebrate the successes of the partnership thus far and the opportunities on the horizon.

“From co-hosting cultural events and developing experiential learning opportunities, to advancing research and supporting newcomer engagement through programs like English Conversation Circles and LGBTQ+ socials, this partnership has allowed us to create meaningful and innovative pathways for newcomers to thrive in the Niagara region,” Mouradikian said.

The partnership has led to joint projects spanning research, experiential learning and community outreach.

Notable collaborations include the “Mobilizing Subjugated Knowledges for a Just and Inclusive Niagara” research initiative, which is a community-engaged research project to amplify the voices and experiences of newcomers and people of African descent through creative initiatives, and the International Student Connect program, which provides workshops to support newcomers in their transition to life in Canada.

“These projects aim to learn from and support equity-deserving groups and thus foster a more inclusive society,” said Rebecca Raby, Acting Associate Dean of Brock’s Faculty of Social Sciences. “This renewed agreement deepens current community collaborations, facilitates student success and promises exciting new projects in the future.”

Student engagement has remained a key priority of the partnership, with members of the Brock community actively contributing to placements, volunteer initiatives and community-based projects across diverse programs and areas of concentration such as Media and Communication Studies, Human Resource Management and Child and Youth Studies.

“These collaborative efforts have driven meaningful change and created a lasting organizational impact at Bridges Niagara,” Raby said.

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

*Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483 

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