Platform Partners

Our goal is to create long-term collaborative relationships with Platform Partners. Typically, the mandates of partners align with the research strengths of our faculty and they have strong local, regional and/or national networks, increasing the scalability and impact of projects. 

Hamilton Public Library (HPL) serves the communities of Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook and Stoney Creek. HPL operates 23 branches and 2 bookmobiles which serve a diverse community with a range of cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds; HPL members rely on the library for numerous services, such as access to books, movies, music, WiFi, technology, and quiet study and meeting spaces, and for a variety of virtual and in person programming.

YWCA of Hamilton is a non-profit multi-service agency that supports the health, wellbeing and advancement of women, girls, and gender diverse individuals. For over 130 years the YWCA of Hamilton has been responding to the evolving needs of the local community. Each year thousands of women and girls participate in a range of programs and services such as crisis counselling and emergency shelter support, transitional housing with wraparound supports, accessible health and fitness classes for all ages and abilities; post-partum support for mothers and their babies; settlement services for newcomers to Canada; and employment, entrepreneurship and leadership training initiatives. Through these critical programs the YWCA strives to help build a society where women and girls have the rights, resources, and opportunities to shape their own lives and define their communities. 

Canadian Mental Health Association of Hamilton (CMHA) is a non-profit community organization providing mental health services to adults with serious mental illness. CMHA supports the wellbeing of close to 12,000 Hamiltonians each year through a variety of services including primary health care, intensive case management, court support, housing support, crisis counselling, social and recreational programming, and mental health promotion.  CMHA collaborates with local hospitals, health networks and a diverse range of community partners to coordinate care, facilitate cross-referrals and provide holistic support to address mental health challenges. CMHA Hamilton belongs to a broad provincial and national mental health network through its affiliation with CMHA Ontario and Canada.

John Howard Society of Ontario (JHSO) is a not-for-profit organization of 19 local offices dedicated to effective, just, and humane responses to crime and its causes. Local offices deliver more than 80 evidence-based programs and services focused on prevention, intervention, and re-integration across the province. JHSO promotes practical, equitable policies while raising awareness of the root causes of crime and calling on Ontarians to share responsibility for addressing them. Within the system itself, JHSO advocates for the fair treatment of every individual. JHSO’s Centre of Research and Policy bridges the gap between analysis and frontline service delivery. The Centre’s team of analysts and researchers develops policy positions that reflect the needs of each community, advances those positions to governments and other organizations, educates the public on the critical issues, and evaluates program efficacy to guide future work.

Centre 3 for Artistic and Social Practice (Centre [3]) is an artist-run centre that uses the visual and community arts to promote social change. In addition to providing space and equipment for creating contemporary art, Centre[3] curates and displays the work of local, regional, and international artists, thus contributing to Hamilton’s cultural vitality. As well as offering specialized courses and workshops for artists, youth, the public and marginalized communities,  Centre[3] conducts research, fosters innovation, and provides opportunities for critical discourse. Centre[3] encourages experimentation and collaboration through contemporary art by engaging with the broader community through social practice.