A Hamilton-based non-profit group called Empowerment Squared has partnered with McMaster for the first time to offer a community engagement course inspired by the African philosophy of UBUNTU: “I am because we are.”
The course – Community Engagement in Practice with Empowerment Squared – gives students practical skills while they learn culturally responsive approaches to engaging with newcomers to Hamilton. Empowerment Squared, founded by McMaster alumnus Leo Nupolu Johnson, helps Hamilton youth and supports a Learning Centre and youth mentorship programs in Liberia.
“Developing this course in partnership with Empowerment Squared offered opportunities to practice consensus-based agreements, collaborative learning and transformative experiential learning grounded in McMaster’s principles of community engagement,” says Emily Scherzinger, postdoctoral fellow, McMaster Children and Youth University.
During the fall 2025 term, McMaster students worked with children and youth in Grades 1 through 12 in the Empowerment Squared after-school program called Homework Circle.
We asked Hamada, a fourth-year student in McMaster’s Arts and Science program, about her experience in the new CMTYENGA 3E03 course and how it inspired her to “reimagine a better education system.”
What were you hoping to learn in this course?
I hoped to learn not only pedagogical theories but also how to apply them in my communities. I’m heavily involved in non-profit work at home in Sudbury, Ont. specifically involving youth empowerment. The classrooms I grew up in felt unwelcoming, and I know they’re part of the reason I put up so many walls up as a child and was afraid to speak up.
This inspired me to advocate for better education systems, as well as pursue a career in teaching. I looked forward to the interactive aspect of CMTYENGA 3E03, where I would gain more experience working with children in a way that aligned with my values.
What most surprised you?
Something that surprised me was learning about the Code Red Project in Hamilton, and how socioeconomic disparities affect newcomer children, such as the ones who attend Homework Circle. At a glance, Homework Circle is a one-hour tutoring program in the heart of downtown Hamilton.
But in reality, Homework Circle makes such a difference in these kids’ lives. A lot of these students may not have consistent support in their lives, which can be really crucial to their upbringing. Through Homework Circle, we became that consistent support in their lives.
This was about so much more than their academic development. We supported them in their personal development by being on their side and learning with them but also playing with them.
Share a concrete example of how the UBUNTU philosophy inspired your community work?
UBUNTU is an African word that means “I am, because we are.” On Fridays, I volunteer in two kindergarten classes, providing support for the students. One day, I was monitoring play time, and I noticed some kids trying to build an elaborate marble run.
It started with one student trying to build towers and bridges that kept falling apart. I watched another student come and help them, figuring out that the tower needed to be taller, or the bridge needed to be taller.
But once they built their marble run, they couldn’t test it because another student was hogging all the marbles. I talked to the student, encouraging him to share the marbles so they could all play together. He eventually shared the marbles, and I facilitated them taking turns. I even made the marble run longer, holding it up as the students passed the marble around.
This may be a small experience, but it’s times like this that help lay the groundwork of community in children. These students learned the importance of UBUNTU, and how they were able to enjoy the marble run with the help of each person in the class, demonstrating how each individual exists only in the context of the larger community.
What impact did the McMaster student involvement have on the community?
At the end of our last class, I learned that before CMTYENGA 3E03, there weren’t always enough mentors for the students. After the introduction of the course, there have been times when there are too many mentors per student. Having a larger number of mentors really benefited the students because it allowed them to have multiple mentor figures in their lives and understand concepts from different perspectives.
Not only did we make an impact on these students, fostering their personal and academic development, but it also allowed us, as students, to learn from one another. I remember a time where I couldn’t seem to figure out a “complex” Grade 6 math question, but with a fellow mentor, we were able to help the student figure it out.
Overall, the students in CMTYENGA 3E03 made a large impact on the community by educating the students and allowing them to grow and learn from another.
How has the experience shaped you personally or professionally?
This course shaped me by making me reimagine a better education system. It gave me hope that the classrooms I hope to teach in don’t have to be the same classrooms I grew up in. It taught me how to be a better educator through engaging in holistic and experiential learning.
Something that’s really stuck with me is that in order to teach others, I also need to take care of myself. This has reminded me to focus on my well being, the same way I encouraged a student to recognize what her body needs and take breaks every once in a while.
Even if I become a teacher one day, I will forever be a student.
Click here to learn more about Community Engaged Teaching and Learning Day