Students to work closely with community organisations

University of Canterbury commerce students to work closely with community organisations

April 23, 2014

University of Canterbury is seeking to strengthen its engagement with the Christchurch community by launching a special project in September for many business students to work closely with up to 40 organisations.

In collaboration with city and district councils, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and various community organisations, the university is offering a course where up to 150 second-year management students go into the community to meet with leaders and carry out projects that help these organisations.

The scope of the project will be determined by each organisation’s leader and will be carried out in September to fit with the university timetable.

Organiser and Canterbury management lecturer Tom Matthews says the students will play a part in helping strengthen community-led recovery by working on projects that add value to community organisations.

``This project will expose students to leaders and expose students to experiences where they have to lead. We want them to help build knowledge and skills in community. They will get to understand psycho-social recovery and ways to care for people.

``We anticipate strong community uptake of this offer and all students involved will have an interest in leadership, will be taught through the course content skills emerging from the fields of positive psychology, positive leadership, building resilience & wellbeing, and building engagement.

``In the past, student groups have helped organise fundraising events, community events and helped market organisations. We want this projects to meet a need that will benefit the community to assist our students understand the complexity of roles and leadership required to make a positive difference in the community.’’

Matthews says they want students not to just learn leadership in a lecture theatre but also go into the community and see leadership in action, by working with community leaders.

This is the fourth year the university has been meeting the need of the commerce students and the communities, and the course credits the students 15 second year points.

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