Creating videos for Artemis Place Society as part of ENG 407
When Errin Johnston-Watson saw that she had the option of working with Artemis Place Society, a non-profit that 0ffers a space for young women, all trans youth, and/or young women who are pregnant or parenting, in her Professional Communication course, she jumped on it.
“I emailed Sara [Humphreys, the course instructor] within 5 minutes and was like, please, please, please! I want that [community partner]! And she agreed. I was lucky!” That enthusiasm carried through the rest of her semester and fuelled a positive community-engaged learning experience.
Pivoting during the pandemic
Like many instructors this past year, Sara Humphreys had never run her course, English 407: Digital Communication and Social Media entirely virtually.
Wanting to still retain a community-engaged learning option for students despite the Covid-19 conditions, Humphreys worked with the Community-Engaged Learning Office to see which community partners could accommodate hosting a student given the new reality we were all facing.
Artemis Place Society – an organization that assists young women, young moms, and trans youth finish their high-school education in a safe, inclusive space – agreed to participate as a community partner.
Aligning goals
This was the first time Johnston-Watson, a fourth-year English major and professional communications minor, had participated in a community-engaged learning (CEL) course and was particularly excited about the opportunity to work with Artemis, as her values aligned with those of the organization.
"CEL genuinely really made my class and probably my semester…I didn’t realize just how invested I would become with the project itself!”
While partnered with Artemis, Johnston-Watson (along with a classmate) made two videos—a short trailer and a longer documentary—centring on the community garden the students were working on with the Compost Education Centre.
The two UVic students also facilitated a workshop on internet safety for the Artemis students. These projects further developed Johnston-Watson’s skills in editing, filming, interviewing, and fostering relationships with the community.
“My favourite part was being able to interact with everyone…and how involved I could be with everyone and how well I got to know the people who were [working on the garden].”
Alison McLean, a teacher and Occupational Therapist at Artemis, noted how the videos Johnston-Watson made continue to be utilized by Artemis to reach broader audiences “about the broader intentions behind this youth initiative!”
Developing professional skills
Additionally, Johnston-Watson was interested in exploring communications as a possible post-grad career path, which she was able to explore further during her time with Artemis.
Johnston-Watson acknowledged her newly-gained confidence in working outside of an academic setting. The skills she learned during her undergraduate studies seamlessly moved her forward into a professional setting.
“[The CEL experience] kind of let me realize I have some skills I can use, and some that I feel totally confident dealing with now, whereas before I was like, ‘I think I can do this.’ This experience definitely made me feel like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m almost done this degree and I have these skills I can use!’”
“Ididn’t realize how much I would appreciate that [CEL] is an option for classes until I did it. The biggest thing about the CEL part was that it was the first time that I felt like I got real experience and an understanding of what any of my classes were actually for."
About English 407
English 407 is a course in the Professional Communications program in UVic’s English department that teaches students the skills for communicating in today’s social media landscape.