Concordia opens a new space dedicated to community engagement and social transformation
Concordia has created a street-level home on the Sir George Williams Campus for the SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation and the Office of Community Engagement.
Intended as a fertile ground for social transformation, the space will welcome researchers, students and community-builders to inspire and learn from each other.
The SHIFT Centre is a place to network, collaborate and learn more through community engagement. It seeks to motivate people to address societal challenges and create a more just, inclusive and broadly prosperous Montreal.
The SHIFT Centre was made possible thanks to a $10 million gift from the Amelia & Lino Saputo Jr. Foundation and the Mirella & Lino Saputo Foundation.
“Since its beginning, Concordia has had deep roots in the community around it and has been committed to community-driven social transformation,” Anne Whitelaw, provost and vice-president, academic, explains.
“This new space was created to scale up and amplify our impact by welcoming diverse people, institutions, ideas and expertise for participatory research, experiential learning and project development.”
Susan Edey, interim senior director of community engagement and social impact, looks forward to opening the doors to the SHIFT Centre.
“We will offer space for both intentional and spontaneous collaboration,” she says.
“We look forward to welcoming our community partners, colleagues, students and alumni in the space, as well as opening our doors to Montrealers who are passionate about social change. We hope that this new multi-functional and dynamic space will facilitate skill-sharing and collaboration on complex challenges that we face both inside and outside the university.”
Susan Edey: “We will offer space for both intentional and spontaneous collaboration.”
Upcoming open house events
During the open house week, SHIFT will profile some of the transformative community-engaged projects that were selected through its funding and support programs, which are contributing to systemic change on campus and across the city.
The SHIFT Centre will be joining other community-facing spaces on the main floor of the J. W. McConnell (LB) Building, including 4TH SPACE, the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, the J.A. DeSève Cinema and the Webster Library, which are all open to the city around it.
Discover the new SHIFT Centre during its upcoming open house week:
- Monday, October 31: SHIFT Centre public hybrid launch event
- Tuesday, November 1: Lunch & Learn – SHIFT Learning Community showcase
- Wednesday, November 2: Public conversation – From symptoms to systems: What does social transformation really mean?
- From Monday, October 31, to Thursday, November 3: Daily guided tours: visit the new collaborative space in the heart of Concordia!
Learn more about Concordia’s SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation and Office of Community Engagement.
