Advancing health through community partnership

Attending the inaugural Community Engagement Day at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine felt less like a formal academic event and more like stepping into a living ecosystem of ideas, people, and purpose. 

Held on March 26 in the Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, the event brought together students, faculty, staff, and community partners, all united by a shared commitment to improving health equity through collaboration.

“We wanted to create a space where people could come together around a shared commitment to improving health and well-being in our communities,” said Jen LeBlanc, co-director of the Office of Community Engagement. “Community Engagement Day is about celebrating the partnerships that make this work possible, while creating new opportunities for collaboration, learning, and relationship-building.”

Grounding research in community voices

The afternoon began with a poster and community partner showcase, where students, researchers, and community organizations came together to share their work.

The strong presence of community partners alongside academic teams signaled a meaningful shift toward more collaborative, community-driven approaches. While the projects explored topics ranging from global health and social determinants of health to local interventions, what stood out most was how deeply they were rooted in lived experience and real-world needs. The atmosphere felt less like a series of presentations and more like an open exchange, with community voices playing an equally important role in shaping the conversation.

Natasha Handspiker is the manager of Community Development & Support at Northwood. She was in attendance at the community partner table, and says community partnerships help create  meaningful opportunities to connect education with real world experience.

“At Northwood, we value opportunities to share our experiences while learning from others who are equally committed to improving the lives of the people we serve. Bringing together students, faculty, and community organizations strengthens our collective ability to support healthier, more inclusive communities, and we were grateful to be part of that collaboration.”  

Recognizing partnership, impact, and leadership

Formal proceedings were hosted by Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, whose leadership in equity, diversity, and inclusion was evident throughout the evening. The presence of distinguished guests, including, His Honour The Honourable Mike Savage Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Her Honour Ms Darlene Savage, added significance to the occasion, highlighting the broader societal relevance of community-engaged work.

Recognition was given to those whose work has made a meaningful impact through community engagement. Importantly, awards went beyond traditional measures of academic excellence, celebrating partnership, impact, and a sustained commitment to working alongside communities. Recipients included Ms. Nicoletta Dini, honoured with the Dr. Ronald Stewart Student Award; Dr. Kathleen MacMillan, recipient of the Dr. TJ Jock Murray Resident Award; Dr. Nabha Shetty, who received the Dr. John Savage Memorial Faculty Award; and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), recognized with the Community Partner Award.

“The awards are an important part of Community Engagement Day because they highlight the many ways individuals and community contribute to a more socially accountable Faculty of Medicine” says LeBlanc. “By recognizing these contributions, we celebrate the values of collaboration, inclusion, and community partnership while inspiring others to engage in work that improves health and well-being.”

Community Engagement Day award winners (L-R) Paula Knight (ISANS, Community Partner), Dr. Nabha Shetty (Faculty), Dr. Kathleen MacMillan (Resident) and Nicoletta Dini (Student).

The evening concluded with the Dr. Tarunendu Ghose Visiting Scholar in Global Health Lecture, delivered by Dr. Teresa M. Chan, founding Dean of the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine. Her talk offered a powerful close to the day, shifting the focus from individual projects to systems-level change. She spoke to the importance of reimagining medical education through an equity-centred lens, underscoring that community engagement should be a foundational principle—not a peripheral consideration—in shaping health systems. Drawing on her experience building a new medical school, she illustrated how centring community voices from the outset can influence priorities, curricula, and outcomes in meaningful ways.

Together, the day unfolded as a clear and compelling narrative—from community-led work, to recognition, to broader systemic thinking. Community Engagement Day reinforced a simple but powerful message: meaningful change in health begins with communities and must be carried forward through leadership, policy, and education.