Research Assistant – Summer Student

POSITION: Research Assistant (Summer)
For the Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance initiative

Background

The Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council (ESCC) brings people, ideas, and information together to build collaborative approaches to services, support and circumstances affecting older adults.

The ESCC plays a leadership role in empowering the Edmonton seniors’ sector to become more collaborative, connected and coordinated. In its role, ESCC convenes tables of thought leaders, experts, changemakers, program developers, and grassroots activists to support older adults. This network comes from diverse sectors that are working together to reimagine aging in Edmonton. Collaborative efforts to benefit older adults are taking place at all levels—from providing services and programming to advocating for systems-level change.

ESCC is the backbone organization supporting several programs and initiatives including the Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance (EAFA), a network for the well-being of older adults. EAFA helps make our city more age friendly by recognizing diverse needs of seniors, and actively supporting their inclusion, engagement and well-being.

Position Overview

ESCC is looking for a curious and detail-oriented youth (15 to 30 years of age) to conduct literature reviews, primary research, and summaries on topics important to the senior sector, such as seniors food security and the contributions of seniors centres. This work will support EAFA’s four priority focus areas: Supporting Aging in the Right Place; Enhancing Capacity in the Community-Based Senior Serving Sector; Reducing Ageism and Advancing Inclusion. This position will work closely with ESCC staff supporting EAFA (Executive Director, Age Friendly Community Connector, and Strategic Manager) and others. Excellent Microsoft Office 365 skills, strong research, communication, and organization skills will be essential for success in this role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Understanding the Current Context: scanning the literatures for existing and promising initiatives to support older adults through EAFA’s priorities, and with the guidance of the ESCC team, capturing stories from seniors and senior serving organizations. This work includes diverse older adults including seniors, newcomers, refugees, 2SLGBTQI, persons with disabilities, visible minorities.
• Sharing findings: working with the ESCC team to collate evidence and stories and develop knowledge mobilization products for various audiences.
• Supporting community events: working with the ESCC team to support EAFA’s local community events like Seniors Week Kickoff which may include cultural events, arts, entertainment, and promoting events at seniors centres which support arts, entertainment and recreation.
• Other duties: shall be assigned as required.

Desired Skills, Competencies & Attributes

• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proficient oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including MS Teams and office 365.
• Knowledge of the seniors sector and/or not-for-profit organizations.

Education (degree or diploma, or working towards one in):

• A relevant discipline which could include: sociology, political science, human ecology, social work.

This position is funded in part by the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) Program. As such, a successful candidate must meet the following criteria:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period,
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment, and
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.
• Must not be employed in more than one CSJ funded job at the same time.
• *International students are not eligible participants. International students include anyone who is temporarily in Canada for studies and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada. As the objective of the CSJ program is to support youth entering the Canadian labour market, the temporary nature of an international student’s time in Canada does not allow for a long-term connection to the labour market.

Additional Information:

• Compensation: $20/hr.
• Hours per Week: 35 hrs.
• Duration of Employment: 10 weeks
• Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 11:59 pm
• Submit Applications to: info@seniorscouncil.net
• Start Date: Monday, May 25, 2025