mobilizing homelessness research toronto - february 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Mobilizing Homelessness
Research
Toronto - February 2011
Presenters
Stephen Gaetz Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, York UniversityDirector, Canadian Homelessness Research Network (CHRN)
Allyson MarsolaisProject Manager, CHRN
Stephanie VaskoManager, Homeless Hub
Outline
1)Presentation• Mobilizing homelessness research• The Canadian Homelessness Research Network (CHRN)• KMb – The Homeless Hub• KMb – Media and Marketing Strategy
2) Workshop • Designing a marketing strategy• Key messages• Content development• Using social media
Mobilizing Homelessness
Research
In an effort to create and nurture effective
responses to homelessness . . .
. . . how do we strengthen the
impact of homelessness
research?
RESEARCH
• Decision Makers• Service Providers• General Public
Impact on Homelessness
RESEARCH
• Decision Makers• Service Providers• General Public
GAP!
KEY CHALLENGE:
Homelessness research has NOT had the impact on policy, practice and advocacy that it should.
HOW DO WE CREATE THE IMPACT?
Canadian Homelessness
Research Network
SSHRC Strategic Knowledge Cluster Grant Program
1. Collaboration: Provide opportunities for collaboration among the diversity of groups and researchers involved in homelessness across Canada.
2. Knowledge Mobilization: Make existing research on homelessness more accessible and reduce the geographical, sectoral, and socio-economic divisions that impede knowledge exchange.
3. Public Engagement: ‘Make research matter’ by exploring ways that research can more effectively engage the general public, policy makers & other decision-makers in the homelessness sector.
Our goals:
If the goal of KM, then, is to make research relevant
to policy makers, service providers and the general public, it is arguably most
successful when:
• Research is valued
• Research is accessible
• Different kinds of knowledge are respected
• Mobilization strategies reflect the needs of different kinds of learners
• Barriers between stakeholders are reduced, and partnerships are facilitated.
• Research is Applied, leading to tangible outcomes.
KMb
Relationships Building links between researchers and the users of research
KMb
The “PUSH” Getting the message out to your audiences.
thehomeless hub
www.homelesshub.com
Our Audiences
Service Service ProvidersProviders
News News MediaMedia
General General PublicPublic
StudentsStudents
ResearchersResearchers
Policy Policy MakersMakers
2008 … Now• Partnership with U.S. sites• 30,000 resources• Large audience for Canadian content• New features• Use of social media
Key Features• Home page• Library page• Education section• Experiences• Gallery section• Doing Research• Events Calendar• Personal pages
Home page
Library
Education
Experiences
Doing Research
Events
Networking
Added features:• French Hub• Webinars• Enhanced networking section• Trends in social media
New sections:• Service Providers• ‘Solutions’ to homelessness
Evaluation…Continuous Improvement
Homeless Hub Next Steps
Marketing & Communications
StrategyCreating new content
Social Media
New content:
e-Newsletter
New content:
Research Summaries
New content:
Blog
Social Media:
• Facebook Page
WHYSocial Media?
Social Media
Social Media
Questions?. . . And then . . . And then
on to the on to the workshopworkshop
Exercise 1Plan a social media campaign around the exampleprovided: The Family Reconnect report. To consider:
1. Who is your audience(s) (i.e. who do you want/need to know about this report)?
2. Who are your partners/allies (i.e. who can help you get the word out)?
3. What are the elements of your strategy? Consider the elements CHRN uses and feel free to add others not mentioned.
Exercise 2Continuing with the Family Reconnect report, what would the title of your blog post be? What would be contained in your first paragraph? To consider:
1. A title is used to grab people’s attention and will determine whether or not they choose to read your blog post. Being provocative (but honest) is an essential strategy in creating blog titles.
2. The first paragraph is used to set the tone for the rest of the blog, but also keep people’s attention and entice them to continue reading.
Exercise 3Compose 2 or 3 “tweets” that can be used to promote and raise interest in the Family Reconnect report. To consider:
1. Tweets can be no longer than 140 characters, including spaces, punctuation and the link you provide to the report, which is usually about 15 characters.
2. Consider the use of “hashtags”. A hashtag is a tag embedded in a tweet and consists of a word prefixed by a hash sign (i.e #homelessness).