OPIRG is represented on important campus and community partnerships that strengthen our impact and allow mutually rewarding contributions from OPIRG and our partner organizations
CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS
Active Transportation Staircase - University Gardens
Supporting local residents in the University Gardens Neighbourhood in their goal of having an active transportation set of bike-friendly stairs installed to provide safe, year-round access between their Dundas Neighbourhood and McMaster’s west campus.
Do you love art? Are you looking for a rewarding experience to volunteer directly with community members? If so, we welcome you to volunteer at the Corktown Community Paint-in event powered by OPIRG McMaster, on Saturday, June 25th!
Event report coming soon!
Disable the Difference is a student group dedicated to helping disabled youth through programming, research, policy advocacy, and friendship
We are committed to providing accessible and free virtual programming for youth with disabilities to combat loneliness, foster friendship, and facilitate academic growth during the pandemic. We are currently running two programs, a buddy program and a tutoring program, and we are so grateful to have a community of over 200 disabled youth and volunteers involved.
We also aim to promote the meaningful and equitable education of individuals with disabilities as well as advocate for individuals and families whose voices are not being heard. Through special education research and policy advocacy, we aim to improve special education locally and provincially.
Lastly, we are passionate about raising awareness about disabilities through blog posts and podcast discussions with youth, parents, academics, educators, and policymakers. We hope to educate folks about how to be better advocates and active supporters of the disabled community.
To engage with our work, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram @disablethedifference!
Related Blog Posts
Bike Stairs in West Campus
One step closer to bike stairs? An OPIRG supported neighbourhood effort to have bike-friendly stairs added to connect McMaster's west campus to the University Gardens neighbourhood after resident (and McMaster professor) Angela Zheng [...]
Bike-friendly stairs in West Campus
A step closer to bike-friendly stairs Presentation to Hamilton Conservation Authority Board VIDEO - Click here to watch University Gardens resident Angela Zheng present to the Hamilton Conservation Authority Board of Directors, Thursday, [...]
Volunteer with Corktown Paint-In!
Do you love art? Are you looking for a rewarding experience to volunteer directly with community members? If so, we welcome you to volunteer at the Corktown Community Paint-in event powered by OPIRG McMaster, [...]
PREVIOUS PARTNERSHIPS
Hamilton Street Tree Project
A pilot project in 2013, the Street Tree Project developed into a five-year partnership with the city of Hamilton’s street tree programme so the project could target communities with higher than average poor air quality in a door to door campaign to sign people up for a free street tree.
OPIRG hired a student to coordinate the door to door campaign each year. Thanks to the work of McMaster students Jonathon Valencia (2013), Krista Kruja (2014), Harshal Patel (2015), Hannah Walters-Vida (2016) and Chelsea Lowes (2017) we garnered 278 Street Tree requests from residents in the lower city with a four year average of 82% of the requests planted!
Beyond the partnership with the City of Hamilton Forestry department, the Street Tree Project also created valuable connections with:
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- Environment Hamilton where we joined the Air and Tree Taskforce made up of community groups like the Hamilton Naturalist Club as well as City of Hamilton staff from Forestry and Climate Change departments et al
- McMaster’s Research Shop conducted research for us on best-practices with door-to-door campaigning
- City Councillors in wards three and four (Councillors Bernie Morelli, Matthew Green and Sam Merulla)
- Neighbourhood hubs in Keith and Crown Point, et al
- And the volunteers and people in the neighbourhoods who helped create a greener and cleaner airshed
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COMMERCE 4SG3 - Corporations and Society
Brent McKnight’s class worked with OPIRG McMaster to developing ways to increase our project impact, and onboard new projects.
Centre3 Rebrand Project
Hamilton Community Foundation annual Living the Environment Conference
Malhar Group – Shelley Porteous
Atzin – Shelley Porteous
Restore Cootes: “Lot M” Project – Randy Kay
Cootes To Escarpment Stakeholder Advisory Group – Randy Kay