Nancy Steckley, MEd (2012)
Adult Education and Community Development
I was thrilled when I got a job in community development at a community health centre just a few months after I graduated with my M.Ed. Prior to my current position, I worked in the human resources field for more than ten years, a field of work I enjoyed very much and from which I learned a great deal. But I always wanted to work directly with communities, and although I had done significant community work in the past, I wondered if my recent work history would be a deterrent for getting a job related to my new career focus. At Parkdale CHC, my learnings from the Adult Education and Community Development program at OISE are ‘coming together’. The knowledge and experience I gained through the courses provided me with the framework I need to put into practice community capacity building initiatives. Now I’m working with an amazing community whose innate leadership qualities and interest in citizen participation amaze me every single day. For me, this is very challenging work, given my recent career change, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m inspired by the wealth of social capital in the community that I work with, including service providers. It makes my work meaningful, relevant and, very exciting, since every day there is something different.