OPIRG is represented on important campus and community partnerships that strengthen our impact and allow mutually rewarding contributions from OPIRG and our partner organizations
Get Support
Do you want OPIRG McMaster to be a part of your event? To co-sponsor? Do you need help with promotion? Need a room booking? Have a plan that needs support? If you are a campus or community group, then you are at the right place.
We support research and action in a variety of forms, including skills development training and organizing support. We also set aside funding to support other campus and community initiatives. If you think your event is in line with OPIRG McMaster’s principles, follow the steps below to request support.
STEP ONE: Read our Support Granting Policy here and/or our Room Booking Policy here.
STEP TWO: Once you’ve read the appropriate policy, please fill out our Application for Support form (linked below).
STEP THREE: You may be required to make a brief (<5 minute) presentation to our Board of Directors. After the meeting, you will be notified by a staff or board member if your support application is approved or denied.
STEP FOUR: Once your event is complete, fill out the Event Report form (linked below) within 30 days to report back to us on how it went.
About the Program
The OPIRG McMaster Experiential Learning Program gives McMaster undergraduate students the opportunity to complete a short-term project for a community-based organization and receive a stipend for their work.
OPIRG partners with community-based organizations that align with its mission to create a short-term student project. A job posting is then released to McMaster undergraduate students. Successful applicants are connected to the partner organization and receive mentorship over a set timeline (e.g., 60 hours over 6-8 weeks) to complete their project.
Once the project is complete, the student submits their deliverables to the partner organization and receives their stipend from OPIRG (ranging from $1000 to $5,000).
The Experiential Learning Program gives students an opportunity to gain real-world skills while being compensated for their work. Meanwhile, partner organizations gain the opportunity to pursue a project with highly motivated and capable students, at no cost of their own. Organizations also have the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with OPIRG and set up recurring Experiential Learning Placement opportunities.
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!
The Engage Hamilton Platform is a place where residents can learn about city initiatives that are seeking input and contribute to the planning through online surveys and other engagement opportunities.
Related Blog Posts
Help envision the future of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market! (Engage Hamilton)
Click here to brainstorm ideas about the future of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market! By Rachel Fisman-Guarascio, OPIRG McMaster Although we [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
