|
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
Putting Research Into Action |
Putting research into actionResearch is a powerful tool for creating social change. It is a process of investigation that helps us learn about ourselves and our community.
Research tells us where we are now and gives us the information we need to plan for the future. It highlights our strengths and shows us where we need to improve. Research helps us use the power of knowledge to enhance the quality of life in our community.
Research and UEY MaltonAs part of the UEY Malton project, we are conducting research into the issues affecting early childhood development in the Malton area. Studying our children, families and neighbourhoods gives us a better understanding of the relationship between the development of our children and the environment in which they are raised.
Using the results of this research, we can develop practical, affordable solutions that specifically target the needs we have identified in our community. Our goal is to ensure that every child in Malton enters school with the best possible chance of success.
The information that we gather during the research process is very important and we use it in many ways to support our young children and their parents.
Research helps us to:Increase support of decision-makers – Improving children’s services in Malton requires the commitment and support of many people and organizations, including our local service agencies, business networks and community leaders. When we make recommendations that are backed by high-quality research, provincial and municipal decision-makers are more likely to take those recommendations seriously. By clearly demonstrating – with facts and figures – that our children have real needs and that our proposed solutions address those needs, we stand a much better chance of making positive change happen in our community.
Understand our community – Children do best when they live in families and communities that meet their developmental needs. Gathering information about our community tells us whether or not we are providing the resources and support that our children need for a successful future.
Identify community strengths – Research helps us to understand what we are doing well in Malton. Through surveys, interviews and community asset mapping, we can document the support services that are already in place in our community and identify the benefits they offer to our children and families.
Identify community needs – Research helps us to identify the gaps in our programs and services. By examining how ready our children are to learn when they go to school, we can find out where they need additional support to help them in their journey to success.
Set priorities – Every neighbourhood in our community has different needs. By mapping our neighbourhoods and analyzing our research results, we can determine where those needs are the greatest and where our children are most vulnerable. Once we have that information, we can set priorities that are right for our community and use our resources to achieve the greatest benefits for our children.
Make informed decisions – Research helps us make decisions that are based on fact, not guesswork. By reviewing the results of our research, we can clearly identify the needs of the children and families in our community. We can use that knowledge to create an action plan that maximizes our resources and improves the quality and accessibility of our children’s services.
Research data helps us determine where intervention programs are needed to help children improve their learning skills and where prevention programs are required to ensure that children enter school ready and eager to learn.
Create strong alliances and networks – Research gives us the information we need to take a “whole community” approach to our action plan for children’s services. Once we know what resources our children need, we can work with our network of provincial and municipal officials, community and faith leaders, local program directors and social service agencies to improve the efficiency and quality of local community services. We can help the many service providers in our community find cost-effective ways to collaborate, so that families can easily access the programs and services they need.
Research helps us to see the big picture, so that we can be more creative with our resources and find innovative solutions to enhance the well-being of our children.
Links on this page |
