In 2024, LSPIRG supported the research project "Increasing LGBTQ+ resilience on and off-campus" by Emily Rank, Christopher Hewitt, and Ketan Shankardass. This planning study investigated places within Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus neighborhood that elicit stress or support for LGBTQ+ students for the purpose of contributing to a more resilient environment for current and future students. This thesis project is part of Smart Citizens Enabling Resilient Neighbourhoods (SCERN) and used the engaging method of participatory mapping. Participatory Mapping is an approach to resilience planning and involves the creation of maps by local communities through collective knowledge and priorities.

To learn the key findings of where LGBTQ+ students found supportive and stressful and the researchers' recommendations for creating meaningful change, please check out the StoryMap below created by another student, Georgina Tsaparis.

To review the key results, please click the image to read the report below.