FSS Challenge: Accessing Community Services in the City of Ottawa

Help Rethink How Ottawa Residents Access Community Services

For many Ottawa residents, navigating the support they need can be challenging. Rising costs of living, housing pressures, and employment uncertainty can make it harder to find the right services and connect with the right resources.

At the same time, Ottawa has a strong network of community services, Employment Ontario supports, community organizations, and major development initiatives. How can these resources work better together? Where are the gaps, barriers, or missed opportunities?

In this Challenge, students will explore real-world case studies to understand how services are currently connected, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop innovative ideas that could make it easier for residents to find and access the support they need.

This is your opportunity to put your university skills into action. Working as a team, you’ll draw on research, community engagement, policy analysis, partner mapping, and program planning to tackle a complex social challenge.

Your challenge: Understand the system. Identify the gaps. Imagine what could work better.

Your ideas could help uncover practical ways to create a more connected and accessible experience for Ottawa residents.

Schedule

Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Attendance at all three days is mandatory.

Additional details

• The challenge will be held in French and English.
• Lunches on Saturday and Sunday will be offered.
• The course outline will be available on Brightspace to registered participants.

Eligibility

To participate, you must:

• Be enrolled full-time in a program in the Faculty of Social Sciences.
• Have completed at least 24 credits.
• Be in good standing with your tuition fees by October 3, 2026.

Registration

Deadline: There is no deadline, but places are limited, so register early!  (Please note that completing the form does not guarantee registration. Selected students will receive a confirmation starting October 15.)

Participants will be paired in teams of 4 to 6, depending on their language of use. The teams will be created among all registered students after the registration deadline.

All participants will receive 1.5 credits via microcredit FSS 3302: Specialized Workshop in Social Sciences II, provided they meet the following requirements:  

• Complete pre-event readings or homework.  
• Participate in all three days of activities.  
• Submit one written paper (report) per team.  
• Present the final project with their team.  
• Submit a self-reflection after the Challenge.  

Important note: Course grading will be based on S (satisfactory) or NS (unsatisfactory). Students must be present for the entire duration of the competition to receive the microcredit.

Need more information?

Please read through the FAQ below, or reach out to [email protected].