Three social work degree students win awards and recognition

June 5, 2013

WHITEHORSE - Debbie Janzen, Collyn Lovelace and Lindsay Roberts, final year students in the Bachelor of Social Work program at Yukon College, have each been recognized for their school work.

Janzen won a $5,000 Northern Residence Award from the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies for her research project, Exploring and Assessing Social Isolation among Yukon Seniors.

Lovelace won the $500 top prize in the Progressive Economics Forum’s annual essay contest in the undergraduate category. Her essay Obstacle to a Safe Exit: Domestic Violence & the Whitehorse Housing Crisis explores how the lack of rental options in Whitehorse impacts women fleeing domestic violence.

Roberts won the $250 Barbara Roberts Award at Athabasca University for an outstanding essay on women gender or feminism. Her essay Gold Rush Girls: Newcomer and Native Women’s Relationships during Yukon’s Gold Rush, looks at the, often overlooked, role of women in the Klondike experience.

“We are thrilled for our students. the awards help demonstrate that it is not only possible for a Bachelor of Social Work program to be successfully offered in the north, but that students from the program can distinguish themselves at a national level. Creating opportunities for northern social workers to respond to social issues is important, and these awards show that even at an undergraduate level valuable contributions can be made,” said Janice Wiens, program coordinator.

“We need to be talking more about senior issues,” said Janzen about her research project. “Seniors are a fast-growing demographic in Yukon and more are choosing to stay in the north following retirement, yet there have been few studies on the challenges to seniors in Yukon.”

Janzen has spent five years working part-time with seniors alongside studying for her degree. Lovelace similarly drew upon personal experience for her essay subject.

“As a single parent I struggled to find housing in Whitehorse and so the issue is an important one to me,” said Lovelace.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
Yukon College
867.668.8786
867.332.4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867.456.8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca