Sabrina Hunter brings new perspective, says Deathe
OPINION
By Penny Deathe
Flamborough Review
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” — Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
We are excited to welcome Sabrina Hunter as the new research co-ordinator for our Ally Program.
Hunter attends the McMaster University School of Social Work and expects to graduate this spring with an honours bachelor of social work and a minor in mental health, addictions and society. Her career goals are to work in anti-violence and has experience working with violence prevention services.
She has certifications in mental health first aid and non-violent crisis intervention.
At Healthy Youth Network, we are committed to supporting young people by training and equipping them to lead change. Hunter will have the opportunity to connect with our partners, learning from their expertise, and in turn mentor younger students.
The hope is that her research will lead to changes in our schools to address gender-based violence in new ways.
When we began to make plans to launch an Ally Program at Waterdown District High School, we knew an important part of that plan was to understand what already exists by conducting research.
Steff Lang, a WDHS grad, member of our Youth Impact Team, and a University of Guelph alumnus, helped us establish what that would look like and took on the role of research co-ordinator. The intent is to conduct research on existing programs and practices including reporting practices, data collection, and policies.
The results will be used to shape our Ally Program and shared to effect systemic change. However, Lang has a demanding full-time job and so has stepped back to supporting the research role as a volunteer.
Hunter brings a new lens and perspective that will help us think what nobody else has thought.
Penny Deathe is the executive director and founder of the Healthy Youth Network. She can be reached at penny@healthyouthnetwork.ca.
