What is the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the mental health of children in the Windsor-Essex area?

A team of researchers in the Department of Psychology in partnership with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Virginia Commonwealth University, is conducting an online longitudinal study to find out.

“Beyond the immediate impact of the virus itself, the global COVID-19 pandemic poses significant risks to public mental health that will persist long after the pandemic has subsided,” says Lance Rappaport, UWindsor assistant professor of psychology.

“Research on other large-scale traumas, such as natural disasters, documented extensive anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Most prior research has focused on adult mental health. The limited youth research indicates similar or worse outcomes among children whose safety, health, and psychological well-being depend on the safety and well-being of parents and caregivers.”

Dr. Rappaport says there is an urgent need to identify resources at both public and individual levels to mitigate the widespread mental health consequences that commonly follow global disasters, particularly to safeguard the mental health of children who are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in routine, acute uncertainty, and illness or death of loved ones.

Children between the ages of 9 and 13 and their parents are invited to take part in the study. Each will complete a 30-minute questionnaire about how their child has been feeling and what kinds of things he or she has been doing during the COVID-19 crisis.

Then each month for six months (July through December) — and once in March 2021 — both will receive follow-up questionnaires about the same topics that will take about 20 minutes per person to complete. Each family will receive a $12 electronic gift card for completing the first set of questionnaires and a $9 electronic gift card for each of seven follow-up questionnaires.

The results of the research will inform the development and deployment of mental health resources for children in Windsor-Essex.

For information and to participate in the study, visit www.anxietylab.ca/research.

The research is funded through UWindsor’s Office of the Vice-President of Research and Innovation and the WE-Spark Health Institute, a research partnership involving the University of Windsor, Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and St. Clair College. It is one of 21 local COVID-related research projects WE-Spark is supporting through its COVID-19 Rapid Response grant program.

The Aboriginal Education Centre has been highlighting Indigenous voices from across campus during the month of June in celebration of National Indigenous History Month, which honours the history, heritage, and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is an opportunity to recognize the strength of present-day Indigenous communities, and a time for learning about, appreciating, and acknowledging the contributions First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people have made in shaping Canada.

The centre has been featuring contributions of the following students, who have participated in the Indigenous Workways project. The project aims to help Indigenous youth develop tools to empower them in their current and prospective careers, and to help organizations be more inclusive of Indigenous employees by identifying and building on their positive experiences with interpersonal and organizational trust.

Alisha Jacobs, Bear Clan, is a member of the Delaware Nation – Moravian of the Thames, and holds a bachelor of commerce in economics and finance from the University of Guelph. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in human resource management from Fanshawe College, and is in her fourth year at the University of Windsor pursuing a double major in honours psychology with thesis, and honours philosophy.

Loyell Bigjohn is a member of the Walpole Island First Nation and has ancestry with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin, as well as the Navajo Nation of Arizona. He holds a UWindsor honours BA in history with a minor in geography, and is currently in his second year of study at UWindsor’s Faculty of Education.

Both Jacobs and Bigjohn are currently working as research assistants with Indigenous Workways.

”Alisha and Loyell’s contributions to the project are vital as they bring knowledge, insights, and lived experiences that are directly relevant to the project and therefore help to guide project activities,” says Catherine Kwantes, co-principal investigator on the Indigenous Workways project and Cultures of Trust lead investigator.

Kat Pasquach, Aboriginal outreach and retention co-ordinator, says it is important to highlight the contributions of Indigenous students on campus.

 “We took time this month to reach out to members of the community that work with the Aboriginal Education Centre to share their voices. I am incredibly proud of the commitment that our students have made towards their education and the work they are doing with the Indigenous Workways project,” she says.

“Loyell and Alisha have been an important part of the community here at UWindsor. They participate with the Aboriginal Education Centre and both have been a strong voice for students. They are fantastic leaders and role models to their communities.”

More stories and highlights can be found on the Facebook site of the Aboriginal Education Centre.

The staff team in student recruitment is seeking stories of student success to feature in its marketing campaign for fall 2021, and is looking to current members of the UWindsor community to help.

“We are on the hunt for impactful stories that make us stand out from other schools and demonstrate the experience of Windsor Proud,” says Chris Busch, associate vice-president for enrolment management.

He invites suggestions for profiles that align with one of more of the campaign’s themes:

• Power of the humanities – “You can do anything”
• College transfer – successful transition or stacking of credentials (e.g., diploma and degree) or unique pathways
• Careers of tomorrow. World of possibilities. Get future ready. Programs for the future.
• Our exceptional faculty – 3M award winners, globally recognized researchers, etc.
• Choose your own adventure – Benefits of being undecided or dual degrees (double degree = double the experience).
• Undergraduate research – tackling the challenges of the world
• Experiential Learning – “Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied”
• Windsor, our geographic advantage – opportunities, variety, benefits of our location, etc.

Busch notes that public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 pose a challenge for production and so especially appreciates submissions associated with existing creative materials.

The campaign will deploy selected stories through the full recruitment cycle. Find examples from previous years: Fardovza Kusow and Max Arvidsson.

To suggest a student story, complete the brief online form.

Libero Steven Abrams of Lancer men’s volleyball has been named to Canada’s national junior team for the sport — the first-ever UWindsor athlete selected to the squad.

“Our whole team of players and coaches are very pleased and proud at seeing this news,” said Lancer head coach James Gravelle. “Steven has all the tools to be an elite libero and it is exciting for him that the Canadian national team has identified his talent.”

In his first season with the blue and gold, Abrams earned an Ontario University Athletics all-rookie berth, ranking seventh in the league with 106 digs.

Read the entire story at goLancers.ca.

Lancer Recreation has launched a four-week challenge to get students involved in wellness for the month of July.

Each week has a different theme: physical activity, positive sleep habits, exploring spirituality, and reconnecting with nature.

Participants post to Instagram tagging @LancerRec and using the hashtag #LancerRecSEC. Each entry will be placed into a draw for a chance to win a prize. Get more details at goLancers.ca.

The Office of Open Learning is offering its five-day course, “Introduction to Teaching Online,” July 6 to 10.

Part of its work to support the transition to web-based teaching and learning, the course consists of live sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, with Tuesday and Thursday reserved for self-paced activities.

Originally intended for those completely new to the world of online teaching, sessions to date have seen participation even from those with a lot of experience, says Ashlyne O’Neil, one of the course facilitators.

“A few weeks ago, we had a participant who had been teaching online for 20 years. She still learned a lot and found the course to be a valuable experience,” O’Neil says. “One of the reasons for that, I think, is that we really focus on the conceptual differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face. It’s not really a technology problem, but more about the fundamental differences in the way we teach, learn, engage, and communicate in this new environment.”

Mark Lubrick, who co-facilitates the course, says he is pleased with the level of engagement from instructors and staff across campus.

“We try to make the course work for folks from various backgrounds, disciplines, and concurrent responsibilities, providing opportunities for participants to engage synchronously and asynchronously,” he says.

The team plans to offer “Introduction to Teaching Online” at least four more times this summer: July 6 to 10, July 20 to 24, Aug. 10 to 14, and Aug. 24 to 28.

Register for this course and other workshops on the Office of Open Learning website: https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/23/.

Provost Douglas Kneale has announced that Jess Dixon has accepted an appointment as acting dean of the Faculty of Human Kinetics, and Sarah Woodruff has accepted an appointment as acting head of the Department of Kinesiology, both taking effect Aug. 1.

“I want to thank Jess and Sarah for agreeing to step in at an important time in the life of the faculty and the University,” Dr. Kneale said. “I look forward to working with both as we navigate the uncharted waters that lie ahead in fall 2020 and winter 2021.”

Dr. Dixon has been a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology, where he teaches and mentors students in sport management and conducts research in strategic management and human resource management in sport, since 2006.

Dr. Woodruff joined the UWindsor faculty in 2009. A multidisciplinary researcher who strives to advance the health and wellness of Canadian children and adolescents, she has engaged the broader community in her work on nutrition, physical activity, and body image.

There’s more than one way to co-ordinate meetings using Microsoft tools.

Watch Information Technology Services team member Laney McVeity demonstrate how to use Outlook to schedule meetings — including Teams meetings — everyone can attend in this 146-second Tech Talk video.

If you want more information about Outlook Calendar, click on the link in the Comments section below the video.

Tech Talk is a presentation of IT Services. More Tech Talks are available at www.uwindsor.ca/its/tech-talk.

—Ericka Greenham

The next edition of DailyNews is scheduled for Monday, July 6.

The University of Windsor’s e-newsletter will not publish on July 1, 2, or 3. Canada Day is a statutory holiday; president Rob Gordon declared July 2 and 3, 2020, university holidays last week in appreciation for work by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Editor Kevin Johnson says he knows some readers will miss finding DailyNews in their inboxes for the rest of the week, but notes the publication has been busier than usual this year.

“We usually slow down for the summer months, maybe producing two or three issues a week,” he says. “So far this year, we have continued with a daily schedule.”

By way of comparison, Johnson says, he published fewer than 150 stories in May and June 2019, while the same months in 2020 have seen 225 articles, an increase of more than 50 per cent.

“As long as correspondents keep contributing at this record pace, we’ll keep doing our best to inform our readership,” he says.