Education

14 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT • SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 EDUCATION GUIDE A ccording to the United Nations, approximately 55 per cent of the world's population cur- rently lives in urban areas or cities. This figure is set to rise to 68 per cent over the coming decades. While this kind of statistic may appear mundane, the implications of such a vast transition to urban living are far-reaching. Often, as in many Canadian cities includ- ing Winnipeg, urban regions are marked by complex social diversity, striking contrasts of wealth and poverty, and a challenging array of planning and environmental dilemmas. There- fore, as more and more of the world moves to urban living, knowing how cities function and understanding their social, economic and po- litical complexities, and the current and future concerns of their residents becomes more and more important. This is where Booth UC's new Community and Urban Transformation (CUT) program comes in, yet with a slightly different focus. "We are emphasizing a transformational approach," explains Dr. Aaron Klassen, Assistant Profes- sor of Sociology. "Not only will we be encour- aging students to study and experience cities, to understand issues like poverty and health, BOOTH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Transformational approach to urban studies SUPPLIED Booth UC's new Community and Urban Transformation program emphasizes a transformational approach. SUPPLIED Dr. Aaron Klassen is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Booth UC. we want them to be able to contribute some kind of change." Urban Studies is a vibrant and growing area of study in many universities. Booth UC's CUT program is a four-year, interdisci- plinary Bachelor of Arts degree. Courses such as the Social Life of Cities, the Indigenous Experience in Winnipeg's Inner City, and Per- spectives on Theology of Social Justice cover a myriad of topics. There are also applied options which allow students to work in the field in various communities of Winnipeg. "Being located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg gives Booth UC a particular advan- tage for an Urban Studies program," says Dr. Michael Boyce, VP Academic and Dean. "If your starting point is a complex inner-city neighbourhood as diverse as ours, you can't help but learn from such a dynamic environ- ment." Winnipeg's inner-city is home to many people, neighbourhoods, cultures and com- munities. Yet, it also faces many poverty-re- lated conditions like lower graduation rates, higher unemployment, homelessness and systemic barriers. Children and youth make up a large portion of the population, as do In- digenous, recent immigrant and low-income families. CUT program students are chal- lenged to think critically about the political and economic decisions being made that di- rectly affect the inner-city. "It's pertinent," concludes Dr. Klassen. "In the last 20 years there's been so much devel- opment, and while development is good for the city, a lot of times it's being done in the guise of making things better, but we need to stop and ask who that 'better' is for." Booth UC's CUT program aims to connect students with the people and organizations who live and work in the inner-city, teach students about the stereotypes, barriers and marginalization experienced by the commu- nity, and give students opportunities to build relationships and help bring about change and reconciliation. For more information, visit boothuc.ca. Because I want to transform my city COMMUNITY AND URBAN TRANSFORMATION E D U C A T I O N F O R A B E T T E R W O R L D BOOTHUC.CA

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