For Substance Use Awareness Week, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Prince Albert Campus is hosting a special series of speakers.
Nola Bremner, a Wellness Counsellor with the Students Wellness Centre at the USask Prince Albert Campus, said the events will be held at noon each day in various rooms across campus. The series is titled Beyond the Buzz.
“The Saskatoon campus has done this in the past,” Bremner said. “This is the first year that we’re running speakers at the PA campus.”
She said that the campus is excited to host the speakers in person. On Monday, Bradley Campbell from Addiction Services with the Prince Albert Health Region spoke about harm reduction.
“It’s to build connection with community, understanding for our students around harm reduction and addiction,” Bremner said.
On Tuesday, the speaker is Derek Simonson of the Prince Albert Police Service Community Policing Section entitled “Zero Tolerance: THC Driving Session.” On Wednesday, the speaker is Tracy Lynn from Victims Services who is also a MADD volunteer speaking on history, advocacy and Victims Services among other topics. On Thursday, the final speaker is Sasha Sukkhu from the Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee.
She said the high schools in Prince Albert were also invited to take part in the Lunch and Learn.
“I sent out invitations to all of our local high schools and invited them to bring students so that they also have access to this education, this information, understanding of community resources,” she said.
This also serves a second purpose to let students know that the option of the USask Prince Albert Campus also exists.
“This is an option for you. This post-secondary is here for you. (It) gets them into the building so that they also feel comfortable with what their possibilities and opportunities are for their future,” she said.
“The big part about education is just always building connections and opportunity. I think that’s the base of it: education and opportunity and connection.”
Bremner said USask students study for a variety of careers. Ideally, this speaker series will give them more information about the resources and services available should the need arise down the road.
“At university, you’re pursuing a career, whether it be as a nurse or as within dental therapy, whatever it might be, so our students access this information for themselves individually, but (it’s)also to arm them with more compassion understanding as to the population that they support,” she said.
Bremner is happy to host the event because it shows community supporting community.
“This is all happening because community members are volunteering their time and believe in educating our community, which is beautiful. It’s just community investing into community.”
The event is not open to the public but is open to USask students and invited high school students.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
