Anja Novkovic

Anja was a graduate student in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment and she is one of 10 Experiential Learning Grant recipients in 2019. She was hired by the Office of Community Engagement using the grant to develop the Embrace the City Map, a digital platform that displays university-based community-engagement initiatives interactively. Through this project, Anja helped to create potential connections between projects and stakeholders around the university's research and partnerships.

This online interactive map showcases the wide array of projects that Concordians are undertaking across the City of Montreal in collaboration with city constituents. "I've contacted nearly one hundred Concordia-based researchers to ask them to participate. This searchable map allows us to share information, to inspire new connections, and to clarify pathways for individuals and groups wishing to get involved in the initiatives that are already underway."

"The EL grant gave me to opportunity to work on the planning and implementing of an outreach strategy where I communicated with faculty, students and staff at Concordia. As a result, I gained valuable contacts in the arena of urban thinking, and discovered fascinating projects that further inspired my work (my own project, Alley Atlas, ended up on the map, too!). One very beneficial part of my experience was the development of a relationship with 4th Space, where we had a table map for people to explore. Working with Maude Lecourt was particularly beneficial to me, as she provided guidance in contacting people and helped guide me in working with the map." Part of her job was also to work with developers to ensure the readability and accessibility of the map. "Communicating with the web design firm involved knowledge of how the back-end of digital map platforms work. This expanded my cartographic skills by giving me the chance to work with digital--rather than print—maps.’’ Finally, she worked with a videographer, Julien L'Écuyer, to develop a promotional video for the map.

"This was one of the highlights of my experience, as I used my narrative writing skills to create a story around the project. Overall, as a social researcher, my position at the Embrace the City Map project allowed me to work on my participant acquisition skills by reaching out to people in casual environments, especially at 4th Space. My time with Embrace the City was wonderful and I thank Maude for her guidance."

Visit the Embrace the City Map platform to see where Concordians are conducting research in the city.