ENGAGE . INSPIRE . CONNECT
PROJECTS
Katy has collaborated on projects in various sectors, including health, sport, arts, and education. Here is a sampling of some of the projects she’s worked on:
1. After School Sport and Arts Initiative (ASSAI) – BC Government
The After-School Sport and Arts Initiative is a provincially funded program supporting kids and youth with barriers to participation to access high quality art and sport programming. Katy worked with school districts, schools, community organizations, and government to increase engagement and to facilitate meaningful learning opportunities for all children and youth. For this project, the team was recognized as a finalist in the Innovation category for the BC Premier’s Award in 2011/12.
2. School Connectedness Growth Tool – Dedicated Action for School Health in BC (previously, the Directorate of Agencies for School Health - DASH BC)
The School Connectedness Growth Tool was created to track changes and increase engagement in school connectedness for children and youth participating in the After-School Sport and Arts Initiative. For this project, Katy led the development of a user-friendly, accessible tool to support connectedness, collaborated with community and school partners, and researched evidence-based studies on school connectedness.
3. Healthy Living Guide for Teens – BC Government
Katy conducted focus groups with teens to get their feedback on a draft version of the Guide. She provided recommendations to the BC Ministries of Health and Education to have the Guide be more accessible and engaging for teens. https://healthyschoolsbc.ca/media/22221/hlf-teens-english-final.pdf
4. Alzheimer’s Drug Therapy Initiative - Seniors Medication Study - University of Victoria
Katy conducted focus groups with doctors and interviewed specialists to guide the study design. Additionally, she served as project liaison with prospective and participating doctors and developed stakeholder communications materials.
5. Community Engagement Guide – BC Government
Katy worked with the BC Ministry of Education to create the Neighborhood Learning Centre (NLC) Community Engagement Guide for use in schools and school districts. Additionally, Katy researched community engagement models from around the globe and interviewed school administrators in the province who were implementing NLCs.
6. Self-Care Study with COPD Patients - University of Toronto
Katy facilitated focus groups with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients across Ontario. She analyzed findings and co-authored Self-care issues from the perspective of individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease published in Patient Education and Counseling.