Niagara University Students Partner With Community Agencies to Impact the Lives of Others

As the revitalization of the City of Niagara Falls continues, the importance of human capital in that endeavor cannot be understated. Niagara University and its students consistently participate in initiatives that are fostering this transformation. Some of the work toward this effort was highlighted during a social media advocacy mini-conference on Dec. 9.

The session was the conclusion of a collaboration between the senior social work students in Dr. Rolanda Ward's macro social work in organizations course and the first-year students in Dr. Yonghong Tong's Vincentian social justice course. The students worked with area community organizations to create short educational videos on critical social justice topics and to design innovative technology-based solutions that address some of these key issues.

"One of the things that is important for us is that our students connect the knowledge from the classroom to real problems," said Dr. Ward. "Ultimately, what makes us a Vincentian institution is that we have a willingness to use the talents, the resources, and the knowledge that we acquire here to actually do good."

The participating organizations-Community Missions of Niagara Frontier; Heart, Love & Soul; Create a Healthier Niagara Falls; the Alzheimer's Association; and the Community Health Center of Niagara Falls-are members of the Niagara County Coalition for Health Equity. Dr. Ward, who serves on that committee, invited them to partner with her class to identify important social justice topics that the students could research to develop an intervention.

Among the shorts produced by the students was one that promoted PATH (Presenting Alternatives for Treatment and Healing), a newer program connected to Community Missions.

"The video will be used to further promote our program throughout Niagara County," said Joshua Anderson, a recovery advocate with the PATH program. "The students who created our video put us in a good light, focusing on what we do well-connect with others. In this field, this, I believe, is key. The impact (of this video) will be positive."

Another showcased the work and vision of Create a Healthier Niagara Falls.

"The short highlighted our three focused pillars of activity, social connection, food access and physical activity," said Brian Archie, who explained that the video will be used as a method of outreach and communication to invite others to join and reengage with the organization. "From an equity lens, resources are scarce in this city. Residents need to understand how to overcome barriers together and forge a path forward that helps develop a healthier and more sustainable environment for all to thrive."

Senior social work major Olivia Harrington was one of the students who worked on the Create a Healthier Niagara video. "The collaboration opened up my eyes to the importance of one's environment and how starting from one's concerns at the micro level empowers individuals when they are listened to. This experience will help me with my career due to experiencing macro level social work practice and finding an interest in social justice issues at the systemic level, which impacts the individual at the micro level."

Another social work major, Holly Soyka, and her team worked with the Alzheimer's Association of Western New York on a project to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and to promote the organization's 24/7 support hotline. She said that the project gave her a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by caregivers and families navigating a dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis.

"Conducting interviews with individuals affected by these conditions was particularly enlightening," she said. "As someone who has been a caregiver for my mother, who has multiple sclerosis, I found I could relate to many of their experiences. While MS is not the same as dementia or Alzheimer's, one common theme resonated deeply: the significant shift in relationship dynamics. My experience helped me better understand the profound impact this has on families and the resilience required to navigate these changes."

"It was refreshing to see the perspectives of younger adults as it relates to dementia/cognitive impairment," said Courtney Sipes, director of community engagement at the Alzheimer's Association. "There was a misperception about what the Alzheimer's Association does and how it supports the community. This can be used as a tool to educate."

Soyka said that the experience also reinforced the importance of empathy, active listening, and advocacy in social work practice and sharpened her skills in communicating complex issues in an impactful way, "an essential skill for raising awareness, educating others, and advocating for vulnerable populations," she said.

"Most importantly, it solidified my commitment to advocating for those experiencing life-altering diagnoses and their families," she added. "It reminded me of people's resilience and the role a social worker can play in empowering them through support, resources, and understanding. This opportunity strengthened my passion for social work and my commitment to advocating for individuals and families navigating life's most challenging moments. I'm thankful for the chance to make a small but meaningful impact and for the lessons I will carry forward into my future career."

This year, the project was enhanced by the participation of students in Dr. Tong's class, who were asked to propose ways AI can be used as a resource to promote mental health awareness or to increase access to healthcare.

"The course focused on hands-on, real-world problem-solving," said Dr. Tong. "Each student team worked with a local organization, analyzing issues and brainstorming solutions using creative and critical thinking. They then proposed IT and AI solutions to help address social justice challenges and improve the organization's services."

Technology-based projects included MonitoRing, an app that gathered information, such as air quality, in correlation with resident health concerns to help map solution-based campaigns, and My.Therapist, an artificial chatbot app that could quickly provide personalized therapy solutions and crisis prevention services to users, as well as teach life skills to young adults.

Rachel Wilson was part of a team that proposed a website called supportandconnect.org for Community Missions to help people easily access the mental health help and resources that are available online. The site would include direct links to existing chat-bot therapies and emotional wellness apps. Wilson especially enjoyed working with Community Missions because "their values and ideas of creating a space where it's okay to be vulnerable about your feelings coincides with my values of mental health," she said. The experience also helped her to better understand NU's Catholic and Vincentian traditions and the importance of community involvement, she said.

Both Dr. Ward's students and Dr. Tong's students worked on projects for Heart, Love & Soul. One group created a short social media video showcasing the organization's Daybreak facility, its services and staff, while the second group proposed adding a chatbot feature to the organization's website to make its digital resources more accessible to its guests.

"Many of our guests rely on our website to learn about available resources, but navigating the web isn't always straightforward, especially for individuals who may not be tech-savvy or are in crisis. A chatbot could provide quick answers, guide users to the right pages, and make the experience more efficient and user-friendly," said Michael Jones, marketing and communications manager.

The assignment gave Dr. Ward's students a better understanding of what social justice looks like while building their competency in the ways they engage, assess, and intervene around a social justice issue, she said. It also gave them a chance to serve and provide the participating organizations with a tool that promotes their missions. The experience built on other community engagement projects that they completed in Niagara Falls throughout the semester, including a day of service during the first week of classes, and a voter education and outreach activity that registered 43 new voters.

Dr. Tong's first-year students gained "valuable problem-solving experiences and skills in supporting Vincentian social justice through IT and AI," experiences that will inspire and encourage them to succeed at NU and in their future careers, he said. "It has been a great opportunity partnering with Dr. Ward's class, and this interdisciplinary collaboration will be beneficial for both groups of students, enhancing their overall learning experience."

The project was beneficial for the community agencies, as well.

"Collaborating with the students from Niagara University was a positive experience," Jones said. "They brought fresh energy and a genuine passion for social care to the table. It's always inspiring to see young people so dedicated to making a difference in their communities."

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