Shawne Macdonald has a MSW from Wilfred Laurier University. She worked with children and young adults labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities as a coordinator of services in the child welfare sector for a number of years.  She is presently focused on supporting mental and emotional health in marginalized individuals through the promotion of creativity/arts based community interactions.  She facilitates writing groups for elderly women and a drama group for adults with intellectual disabilities.  With the support of a government grant, she provides workshops that demonstrate the neuroscience and brain benefits of creativity in older adults.  Shawne is the Research Assistant for the Toronto site of the Partnering for Change project.