Since 2017, Writers Collective of Canada (WCC) has worked with Dr. Kelly McShane and her team at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, formerly Ryerson University) to conduct an independent evaluation of our program.

Funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation, the objective is to explore the personal, health and community impacts of WCC workshops in the lives of WCC writers and facilitators.

Key Findings

Key findings of the study include:

Attendees of WCC workshops experience positive changes:

Positive change was documented in the areas of: hope, self-expression, well-being, resilience, creativity, empowerment, leadership, self-esteem, mood, sense of community, writing skills, connection, distress, and stress.

Attendees consistently report other improvements:

Including in the following areas: social isolation, self-expression, healing and recovery, self-worth, empowerment of voice, and resilience.

Facilitators of WCC workshops experience positive changes:

Facilitators reported positive change in the areas of: sense of purpose, career exploration, leadership, compassion, creativity, emotional intelligence, communication, sense of community, self-care self-efficacy, satisfaction, writing skills, and open-mindedness.

WCC facilitators consistently report other improvements:

Including in the following areas: satisfaction, sense of purpose, empathy, facilitation skills, listening skills, organizational skills, professional development, career development, and sense of accomplishment. In addition, 9 of the facilitators were originally participants in the workshop.

Both participant writers and volunteer facilitators report improvements in:

Well-being, sense of connection, confidence, and writing skills.

Sharing Our Knowledge

WCC is at the leading edge of new evaluative frameworks and innovative research. Our learnings equip us to continuously evolve and we prioritize sharing this knowledge for the benefit of others.