LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sharing a vested interest in using sport and recreation to promote healthy youth development, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work’s Sport Social Work Research Lab (SSW-RL) has partnered with Brock University in Ontario, Canada, supporting future research collaborations and educational opportunities.
The partnership between the SSW-RL and Brock University’s Centre for Healthy Youth Development Through Sport creates meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn and collaborate in innovative ways.
Dr. Tarkington J Newman, director of the SSW-RL, spearheaded this partnership, in collaboration with the UK International Center and Dr. Corliss Bean, associate professor within the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and Director of the Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport at Brock University.
“Sport and recreation systems are very different between the U.S. and Canada, from community recreation to collegiate athletics,” Newman shared. “Learning those differences and coming together to address barriers using both knowledge bases creates valuable cultural learning exchanges.”
Currently, the University of Kentucky has 234 international agreements and over 7,000 international co-authorships, supporting UK’s mission to advance global learning, understanding, and connection by leading, supporting, and inspiring global engagement.
Instrumental in the development of this new partnership with Brock University was Dr. Mitchell Snider, International Agreements and Data Manager with the UK International Center. Working behind the scenes with faculty and staff to produce partnerships, Snider was a key asset in developing this new opportunity for the SSW-RL.
“These international partnerships improve our understanding of issues that are not bound by national borders—conflict, global health, resource scarcity, AI, cybersecurity, migration, among others” Snider shared. “These are global issues, and international partnerships better prepare students to engage with global issues and faculty to conduct research with broader impact. These and other outcomes also positively benefit the University of Kentucky and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Looking ahead, Newman hopes to continue to build new relationships with international partners and expand the global footprint of the SSW-RL. In addition to the partnership with Brock University, the SSW-RL established a partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Porto last fall.
“Research, practice, and the world are increasingly international,” Newman said. “These partnerships help us leverage global perspectives to better understand and address community-based issues and uplift community strengths. Working with partners around the world helps us understand how to make meaningful change.”
For more information and to get involved with the Sport Social Work Research Lab, please contact Dr. Tarkington J Newman at tarkington.newman@uky.edu. For more information on the UK International Center, please visit their website.
