For Community

Acadia has a strong tradition of community-engaged research. Acadia’s 100 year history of tidal energy research is just one example of how Acadia faculty, staff and students have worked closely with community partners to address the environmental implications of harnessing tidal power in the Bay of Fundy. A wonderful example of a community-engaged research and service program is the Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E^TM) program.  This program, developed in 1982 in collaboration with educators from Kings County, now partners over 100 Acadia student volunteers with an equal number of Kings County special needs school children to provide an environment of fun and play for children and youth while developing leadership skills and civic awareness for Acadia students.

On a global scale, Acadia faculty, staff and students are involved in research projects that address global issues such as climate change, cancer, food security, malaria, workplace stress, etc. Acadia Chemistry professor Dr. Amitabh Jha recently received two awards from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Care Nova Scotia for his work on several new compounds designed to fight breast cancer and osteoporosis. Learn More   Dr. Michael Leiter, Canada Research Chair in Health & Wellness, is one of the world’s leading experts on workplace stress.  As the Director of the Center for Organizational Research & Development (COR&D), Dr. Leiter and his research team strive to enhance the quality of organizational life for people, and have worked with organizations throughout the world, including various healthcare providers in Nova Scotia. 

In addition to research activities, Acadia offers a diverse range of programs, services and resources to enhance regional economic, cultural and social development.  By fostering regional development in a number of different ways, Acadia helps to strengthen our community, provide jobs, train highly skilled workers to fill these jobs, and ensure that there is a broad scope of training opportunities to serve the needs of employers and their workforce.  Acadia is also deeply involved in our schools, and with various levels of government to develop and improve policies that affect us all.  For much of southwest Nova Scotia, Acadia serves as the community hub for a wide variety of cultural, sporting, and scholarly events, including the local farmers market!  Picture?

Acadia is an integral part of your community. Please contact us to find out more.