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Community Partners

Join us in building a healthier and more just world through York University's Faculty of Health. We foster ethical, respectful, and reciprocal partnerships that transform communities. As a community partner, you'll connect with a dynamic network of students, faculty experts, and researchers committed to sustainable change.

Students and professionals in a conference room
Kinesiology students teaching children at soccer camp
Student nurses by a hospital bed

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We work with healthcare providers, community organizations, non-profits, and public sector agencies. Our partnerships typically involve student learning experiences that support partners' priority areas of work while providing valuable practical experience for our future health professionals.

Why Partner with Us?

The Faculty of Health values community knowledge, diverse perspectives, and experiential education. Complex health challenges require collaborative solutions, and partnerships make this possible. Together, we can:

  • Create meaningful collaborations that respect and build on your organization's expertise
  • Connect you with engaged students and faculty members whose interests align with your mission
  • Develop learning opportunities that benefit both students and community partners
  • Work together to address health and wellness challenges in our communities
  • Build lasting relationships that contribute to a more equitable and just society

We work with Indigenous communities, healthcare providers, community organizations, non-profits, and public sector agencies. Our partnerships emphasize mutual benefit, dignity, and respect while supporting positive change through education, research, and practice.

Our Commitment

  • Ethical and respectful collaboration that values partner knowledge and experience
  • Clear communication about partnership opportunities and expectations
  • Straightforward processes for engaging with our faculty and students
  • Regular check-ins to ensure positive experiences
  • Support throughout the partnership journey

What is Experiential Education?

Experiential education (EE) is an approach to learning that bridges theory and practice. Students engage in concrete applied experiences and then reflect on their experiences using the theoretical knowledge they have learned.

As an organization, you can partner with our students as they apply their knowledge and skills to support your priorities, through opportunities like:

Project-Based Opportunities- Student support a specific project that addresses a priority, challenge or area of interest identified by your organization. Students generally complete the project on their own time with guidance and oversight from you. For example, students may investigate accreditation sources and make a suggestion for your organization based on their findings.

Community-Based Opportunities- Students support a wide range of community-engagement activities (e.g. mentoring, outreach, advocacy, etc.) in your organization. These opportunities help students develop civic engagement skills while supporting your programs and services. For example, students may lead play-based collaborative games with kids in a parent-child program.

Placements/Practica - Students engage in hands-on, supervised work experiences in your organization (on-site or remotely/virtually). Students contribute a significant number of hours while practicing discipline or course specific competencies and skills. This type of EE helps students-- generally in their upper years of study-- develop professionalism and career readiness skills. Check out the Community Partner Toolkit for Placements/Practica.

Visit our Gallery to see examples of experiential education in the Faculty of Health.

It is important that EE be mutually beneficial for both the students and the community partner. The following are just some of the ways in which partners can benefit from an experiential education partnership with the Faculty of Health. Partners will:

  1. Complete projects you might otherwise have to postpone due to lack of time and limited resources
  2. Benefit from student curiosity, energy, initiative and motivation
  3. Access a source of volunteers, board members, and even potential hires (i.e., students who have worked with a partner are vetted and partially trained candidates)
  4. Engage with and inform the curriculum (from the perspective of “what is happening on the ground”)
  5. Develop your staff's coaching and mentoring skills as they supervise the student working in their organization
  6. Help students relay community perspectives in the classroom as they deepen their understanding of and engagement with community issues

How do I get started?

Ready to explore working together? Contact our Global and Community Engagement Office to start a conversation. We are available to support you through all stages of a partnership, from identifying an appropriate opportunity, to planning and structuring projects, and connecting you with our students.

Contact Us