Student Life

The first few days of a new school year can be as frantic as they are exciting – but for several international students at the ��Ƶ, there was an extra wrinkle: a new country.

The students are featured in a 22-minute documentary called International Students: First 48 Hours in Canada, which is directed by Cal Campos and was shot at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

It uses a combination of the students’ own footage and sit-down interviews to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the excitement of packing, traveling and finally setting foot on each of U of T’s three campuses.

Obinna Ezeani (supplied image)

Obinna Ezeani, who is featured in the film and spent 17 hours traveling from Lagos to Toronto, says he is thrilled to see the final product come to life.

“It’s an opportunity to relive those moments and memories from a year ago and remind myself why I embarked on this journey,” says Ezeani, who is working on a master’s degree in health informatics and recalls his first few days in Canada as “exciting.”

A joint partnership between U of T’s Centre for International Experience and the Innovation Hub in the division of Student Life, the documentary is being screened across the three campuses in October and November – with the first screening scheduled at U of T Scarborough this week.

It will later be available for streaming on YouTube.

Julia Allworth, the Innovation Hub’s manager of innovation projects, says the goal of the project was to shine a light on the multitude of diverse global perspectives that make up nearly a third of the university’s student body.

“We wanted to zoom in on what it’s like for students when they first arrive in Canada. What challenges do they face as they step off the plane and into Canada? What decisions do they need to make along the way?” says Allworth.

“International students bring tremendous value to the university.”

The biggest challenge, according to Campos, was figuring out how to show the diversity and complexity of student life at U of T in just 22 minutes.

Jo Antonia Sepulveda Guzman (supplied image)

“The beauty of documentary is you think it’s going to go in one direction, and then it goes a totally different way,” says Campos, who was selected to helm the project for their thoughtful approach to equity and diversity.

Jo Antonia Sepulveda Guzman, who is from Chile and is working on a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, says she is looking forward to sharing the doc with her family.

“[They were] so excited when I told them I would be doing the 48 hours project,” she says. “My sister started giving me tips on how to record and took me to change my phone screen protector so that the camera was not blurry. My mom is expecting to cry.”

Sepulveda is nostalgic about the experience.

“The person I was then is completely different from the person I am today. I worked so hard to come here. Remembering the beginning will be emotional for me.”

Shraddha Prasad, associate director, international student experience and global fluency at the Centre for International Experience, says she couldn’t be prouder of the year-long project, which received support from U of T’s International Student Experience Fund.

“International students have such impact in the U of T community through the perspectives they bring to the university through their lived experiences and their cultural backgrounds,” she says, noting that funding is already underway for a second film project titled International Students: Life After Graduation.

“Being able to elevate these stories has been a huge highlight for us.”

U of T expands housing options for students via partnership with home-sharing platform

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:41:27 +0000

U of T expands housing options for students via partnership with home-sharing platform

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 07/15/2024 - 14:41

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From left to right: Jackie Tanner, SpacesShared’s chief experience officer, Rylan Kinnon, SpacesShared’s CEO, and Arlene Clement, U of T’s director, Housing and TCard services (photo by Sydney Maddock)

Topic

Subheadline

SpacesShared facilitates home-sharing arrangements between students seeking affordable housing near campus and older adults looking to earn rent from their spare rooms

As part of its efforts to provide more access to student housing, the ��Ƶ has added a unique option that also helps address a community need near its three campuses: matching students in need of housing with older adults who have extra space in their homes.

The innovative offering is the result of a partnership between U of T and SpacesShared, an online platform that facilitates home-sharing agreements using a combination of algorithms and dedicated support staff.

Based in Toronto, SpacesShared was co-founded by U of T alumni and helps with every stage of the home-sharing process – from matching students and hosts to providing a platform for secure communication, carrying out background checks and processing rent payments

The partnership will enable U of T students to use SpacesShared to search for housing options near all three campuses, with U of T Housing Services encouraging homeowners in the Toronto area to sign up and help students secure a comfortable living environment – all while earning rental income for themselves.

“We’re excited to partner with SpacesShared and expand affordable housing options for students as well as offer older adults a way to leverage a spare bedroom for some extra income, company and companionship,” said Arlene Clement, director of Housing and TCard services at U of T Student Life. “This is addressing a need that we see in terms of affordable, safe housing and community connection.”

She added that homeowners and students interested in signing up for the platform can do so on the SpacesShared website or contact U of T Housing Services for guidance.

The partnership comes as U of T continues to seek out new ways to help students find suitable housing. In February, U of T announced that it acquired a 20-per-cent stake in the CampusOne residence building located near the St. George campus in a deal that gives the university preferential access to as many as 890 beds.

The university has also made headway on a number of new student residence buildings including Harmony Commons, which opened at U of T Scarborough last fall; the Oak House residence on Spadina Avenue, which is currently under construction; and the Phase IX Residence at U of T Mississauga, which is expected to be open in summer 2026.

As for SpacesShared, the platform provides yet another housing option for students while fostering mutually beneficial intergenerational interactions. SpacesShared also offers students the option of receiving discounts on their rent in exchange for helping with specific household tasks and chores.

“Home-sharing allows us to use the capacity that already exists in the community,” said Jackie Tanner, co-founder and chief experience officer at SpacesShared, who earned her master’s degree at U of T’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Older adults get to put their spare bedrooms toward earning extra income and getting a little bit of extra help around the house, and students get to find safe housing close to campus.”

After being vetted, both students and potential hosts set up a profile sharing information about themselves, including interests, hobbies and expectations around use of shared spaces in the home, guests, dietary restrictions and other lifestyle preferences. When a student reaches out to a prospective host, the pair can exchange messages and have video chats on the platform, with SpacesShared providing a comprehensive discussion guide to help determine the best fit. If the pair agree on a home-sharing arrangement, SpacesShared drafts an agreement for both parties to sign. Students then pay first and last months’ rent as a deposit – with the amount only forwarded to the host after the student confirms move-in.

SpacesShared then follows up with regular check-ins, with both hosts and students able to contact customer service for support.

“By pairing up these two demographics who have so much to offer one another, our aim is to provide a new way to facilitate a very old concept – home-sharing,” said co-founder and CEO Rylan Kinnon, who earned an honours bachelor of arts with a political science specialist and a minor in philosophy and history at U of T.

“We’re excited to be working with U of T to create housing relationships that are beneficial to both students and older adults.”

From the oil sands to politics: New grad Eli Rose aims to use his voice to empower others

siddiq22 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 20:29:21 +0000

From the oil sands to politics: New grad Eli Rose aims to use his voice to empower others

siddiq22 Tue, 06/20/2023 - 16:29

Cutline

Eli Rose says his undergraduate experience taught him how to articulate his ideas as an advocate (photo by Shayla Anderson)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Innis College

Political Science

Student Life

Subheadline

Getting involved in student leadership helped underscore U of T political science graduate's interest in building community

Eli Rose has a reputation for asking challenging questions – and he intends to continue asking them, as an advocate for those who cannot.

A longtime mentor and community organizer, Rose – a member of Innis College – graduates this week from the ��Ƶ with a degree in political science.

As he leaves the undergraduate life and prepares for graduate school, Rose spoke with Faculty of Arts & Science writer Cynthia Macdonald about how his many leadership activities have prepared him for his ultimate ambition: a career in politics.

How did you come to study at the ��Ƶ?

I had a full life before coming to U of T, having graduated from college with a marketing diploma. I worked in the oil fields of Alberta, then went back to school for another certificate. But it was always my dream to go to U of T. When my mom’s sister, to whom I was close, passed in 2018, I decided to dedicate the next part of my journey to honouring her.

You’re going to do a master’s degree in political science in the fall. Why did you decide on that field?

I have my own political aspirations, actually! Being in government has always seemed very interesting to me. I grew up in Malvern, in the northeastern part of Toronto. It’s a part of the city with many issues such as street violence and a lack of essential services. I was advocating for solutions to problems like that even before I knew that I could be an advocate professionally. I was already thinking about different ways to make life a little more just for people there, supporting communities that needed a bit more help.

But it wasn’t until I came to university that everything came together. I started to see who I am and what I wanted to do – the kind of change and impact I’d be able to create.

You’re the winner of a student leadership award and you’ve improved the student experience at your college and beyond. What initiatives did you participate in?

I first got involved with the Association of Political Science Students. That led me to get involved with the undergraduate chapter of Black Future Lawyers, where I was vice-president of finance and helped the founder recruit the rest of the board.

But where things really took off for me was when I became a student mentor at Innis College at the tail end of my second year. I helped with training and offered support. I met a lot of good people and found I was able to empower others, especially first-year students. From there, I started building relationships and worked on the Innovation Hub to help redefine the student experience.

All these experiences gave me the confidence and the courage to go after things I wanted, or even just to voice my opinion. One of my ideas was to create an identity matching system for mentors: aligning students with mentors who matched their backgrounds and interests. I was also one of the first two Black orientation coordinators and was on the working group of the Black Student Experience at Innis, making a point of ensuring that the group would be sustainable after its founders had graduated.

You seem to have a real focus on empathy, identity and the empowerment of individuals, whether at school, work or elsewhere.

I think that comes from my own experience of feeling undervalued – showing up to the workplace in a way where I’m not bringing my true self. There’s a lot of overlap between my working world and my academic world – it’s just different language.

As a young teenager growing up in my neighbourhood, I saw how power dynamics could negatively affect my friends. Now that I’ve gone through university, I’ve been able to better articulate and visualize ideas in order to find solutions.

Why have you decided to pursue a future in politics?

My senior thesis really changed me. I chose to research political career structures – in particular, how identity conditions people’s lived experiences and careers. Working on that gave me the clarity to proceed with where I’m going next.

We’re in an era of political mistrust and multiple truths – and that’s a barrier for those who might consider a career in politics. But if you really want to effect change, the political arena is the best place to do that. We elect people to represent us, and those are the people making the decisions. Why wouldn’t I want to have a seat at the table, especially to act for those who haven’t been represented?

Opening myself up to criticism will be difficult – but that’s okay, because I’m coming at public service from a space of truth and care and support. And I want to use my experiences – as a mentor, as a team lead, as a facilitator of discussions around identity – to help empower others and give them a voice. And this is the way I know how to do it.

Fancy footwork: Dance takes centre stage at Hart House

siddiq22 — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:01:50 +0000

Fancy footwork: Dance takes centre stage at Hart House

siddiq22 Wed, 04/26/2023 - 11:01

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This spring, Hart House is home to all kinds of dance – from championship events to performances and classes to learn a wide variety of genres (supplied image)

Topic

From a popular dance festival to hosting the qualifying round for Canada's national breakdancing championship, the ��Ƶ's Hart House is centre stage for dance this spring.

U of T will welcome some of the best breakdancers (known as "breakers") in Canada on April 29 when Hart House Theatre hosts the Ontario Open – the qualifying rounds of the Canada DanceSport (CDS) National Championships, which will be held in Vancouver in June. The winner of that series will progress to the World Dance Sport Federation's World Breaking Championship, taking place in Belgium in September.

The event comes as the status of breaking (also called "b-boying" and "b-girling") is steadily rising – the sport will even be included in the summer Olympics for the first time next year when the Games are held in Paris.

Geoff Reyes, lead organizer of the
Ontario Open breaking championship at
Hart House (supplied image)

Geoff Reyes, a graduate of U of T's civil engineering program in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been involved in the Canadian breaking scene for many years – the former Varsity athlete and dance instructor, who is the breaking sports director for CDS and the president of Breaking Canada, is the lead organizer of the Ontario Open at Hart House.

For Reyes, the founder of Ontario-based breaking groups How Hip Hop Helps and You Be ILL, returning to Hart House will be like a homecoming.

“During my time at U of T, Hart House meant community and gathering. I taught breaking with the U of T Dance Club and hip hop dance at the Fitness Centre," Reyes recalls. "My dance group, as well as my students, performed at the Hart House U of T Festival of Dance."

Hosting the Ontario Open is just one of many ways Hart House has supported and showcased the art form of dance over the years.

“There’s a substantial dance community at U of T, and Hart House Theatre is a key part of this,” says Doug Floyd, Hart House Theatre's director of theatre and performance art.

The theatre often hosts and collaborates with dance groups of all genres, including student-led ensembles such as the Silhouettes Dance Company – one of the largest U of T dance troupes on campus – who will perform at Hart House Theatre later this year. Another student-run dance group, the Only Human Dance Collective, often rents the Hart House Theatre to run classes for students of all experience levels.

The ��Ƶ Dance Team – which won three consecutive dance competitions in March against 28 teams across Canada, are another campus group taking to the Hart House Theatre stage to wrap up their season, presenting some of their best dance pieces in a performance on April 29.

Such collaborations are key to Hart House's ongoing commitment to programming dance, says Michelle Brownrigg, Hart House Theatre's senior director and chief program officer.

“Community and academic partnerships are so important,” she says. “For example, we have several collaborative workshops with U of T's Institute for Dance Studies, with most recent support to their keynote on disability and dance earlier this year."

Kiki Ballroom Alliance (supplied image)

Some of those partnerships include the one with Breaking Canada, rehearsal space for vogue dance group Kiki Ballroom Alliance and initiatives with Dance Immersion that focus on the African dance diaspora in tap and jazz dance – a connection that was fostered by Seika Boye, director of the Institute for Dance Studies.

Hart House Theatre's longstanding association with dance is highlighted each year through the annual Hart House U of T Festival of Dance – one of the largest university dance festivals in the country, the showcase offers a wide variety of performances across genres, including jazz, ballet, ballroom, modern, hip hop, musical theatre, Irish, Latin, belly dancing and k-pop. This year's event ran from March 31 to April 1 and included 60 different dance numbers.

“Some dance groups have their own large shows, but some don’t – so the festival is even more important for those smaller companies," Floyd explains.

“With such an abundance of dance groups associated with U of T, participation in the festival is a great opportunity for dance groups to interact, collaborate and promote their own work and ventures.”

Breaking Canada holds a class on breakdance at the Hart House Fitness Centre (supplied image)

Dancers don't have to be onstage to enjoy some fancy footwork at Hart House, which offers several popular classes at the Fitness Centre, including Zumba, cardio dance party, Afro cardio dance, Bollywood and k-pop.

Those who get inspired by the breakdancing competition can take a new breaking class this spring. Breaking Canada, in partnership with Canadian Women & Sport, will be offering B Thee Rise, a national b-girl initiative where participants will learn the fundamentals of breaking with guidance from leading b-girls.

“Whether you’re a novice to breaking or looking to improve your abilities, this program is inclusive, safe and most of all, fun,” says Vanessa Treasure, director of fitness, wellness and recreation at the Fitness Centre.

With its focus on experiential learning through the arts and active living, Hart House's longstanding pas de deux with dance offers something for everyone on campus – from showing off skills in the spotlight to learning new moves for the first time.

U of T community members mobilize aid for Türkiye and Syria earthquake survivors

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:17:50 +0000

U of T community members mobilize aid for Türkiye and Syria earthquake survivors

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:17

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Ayşenur Ince, a graduate student in a program offered conjointly by U of T and Emmanuel College at Victoria University, is counselling residents and rescuers following the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria (photo courtesy of Ayşenur Ince)

Topic

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

When a catastrophic series of earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria, graduate student Ayşenur Ince knew she had to do something to help alleviate suffering in the wake of a tragedy that has now left more than 50,000 people dead, thousands injured and millions more without homes and other necessities.

Ince, who is in the first year of a master of pastoral studies program offered conjointly by U of T and Emmanuel College at Victoria University, is currently living in Istanbul. Seeing shock and grief all around her, she decided to put what she was learning about spiritual care and counselling into immediate practice.

“The devastation is so widespread that even though the government is exhausting all the power they have, we still need civilian help,” Ince said by phone from Istanbul. “I started doing counselling for people, including those who have worked in the rescue operations, because they’re really unwell – these are people who had to triage; to pick and choose who they saved. Many others have earthquake nightmares – there’s a lot of post-traumatic stress right now because they're constantly scared that an earthquake will happen again.”

Residents walk amid the rubble in Hatay, Türkiye (photo by Yavuz Ozden/dia images/Getty Images)

Ince is just one of many U of T students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni who have pitched in to help raise awareness and funds, as well as mobilize resources to help in the aftermath of the earthquakes – from fundraisers by student groups to donation drives by individual programs and faculties.

In a statement on Feb. 6, Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international, urged members of the U of T community to support each other and to reach out for help if needed. Student Life units at the university have been touch with student groups and individuals from affected regions to offer support.

Ince, who completed her undergraduate degree at U of T Scarborough, says she drew on the skills she was learning in her master’s program and sought the advice of her professors about how best to counsel people going through so much trauma.

“When this first happened, I was in fight-or-flight mode. And then I reached out to my professors to ask them what I should do and to send me some sort of training specific to crisis management,” Ince said.

“At the college, I had classes that gave me a universal approach to everything – I even had the chance to take some disaster training. At the time, I felt like, ‘When am I ever going to need this?’ But being here when this actually happened, I felt like I was prepared. I keep wondering what I would have done if I hadn’t started the program.”

Tents errected by the Turkish disaster and emergency management organization (AFAD) for earthquake victims in Kahramanmaraş (photo by Yan Zhigang/VCG via Getty Images)

One of the professors Ince contacted was program director Nazila Isgandarova, who was able to advise her on trauma resources and connect her with peers who also wanted to help. “The damage due to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria is beyond any imagination. Ayşenur met many people who suffered and continue to suffer from earthquake-related experiences and losses,” Isgandarova said. “As a psychotherapy student, Ayşenur volunteered to help people not only with trauma-focused counselling and spiritually integrated grief counselling, but also tried to arrange support for people who faced financial hardships.”

Ince received financial donations from her fellow students, which she used to purchase dozens of portable coal stoves for those left without electricity following the earthquakes. Emmanuel College also sent boxes of nonperishable food overseas and held a vigil a week after the disaster to remember the victims.

Efforts to raise funds to assist people in Türkiye and Syria and increase awareness about the scale of the disaster continue across U of T on all three campuses, particularly among student groups.

Bake sales and fundraising drives by the tri-campus chapters of the Turkish Students’ Association (TUSA), Syrian Students’ Association, Muslim Students’ Association and Amnesty International, among others, have raised more than $25,000 to date – much of which is being matched dollar-for-dollar by the student groups.

Immediately following the disaster, the Turkish Students’ Association at U of T Scarborough began collecting funds and in-kind donations on campus, raising close to $9,000 and 18 boxes of donated goods, said TUSA-UTSC co-president Yasmin Din.

“Staff and students have generously contributed to our campaign,” Din said, adding that student volunteers can be found overseeing the donation location with their schoolwork in tow. “There are no words to describe this level of dedication and support.”

From left to right: Turkish Students Association members Lilaf Salman, Irem Demirel, Selcuk Maslak, Elif Baran, Yasmin Din and Sedika Salman at their donation table at U of T Scarborough (photo supplied)

A fourth-year psychology student, Din first heard about the earthquake from her father, who was in Ankara, Türkiye’s capital. While her family in the region remained safe, Din lost a friend in Malatya, one of the most-affected provinces, and heard from another U of T graduate whose father was among the casualties.

“She had to patiently wait for 11 days for the rescue teams to recover her father’s body,” Din said. “At the same time, as there was no electricity in the city, she and her husband had to stay in their car at night or rest in the semi-collapsed buildings, which was very tough because aftershocks were constantly happening. So many millions of people have been affected by this mega-quake – for them, life will never be the same.”

TUSA has been working with the Turkish Consulate General in Toronto to arrange for airlifts of the donated goods – including winter clothing, hygiene kits, baby formula and diapers – to the region, while cash contributions will be transferred to organizations in Türkiye who are managing the situation on the ground, including Turkish nonprofit Ahbap. Din noted that some of the financial support will go toward temporary shelter and repairing damaged homes in the region, which is crucial to rebuilding while so many are living in makeshift housing following the earthquakes.

Providing shelter is also a major issue in neighbouring Syria, which has been destabilized by a 12-year-long civil war.

“There is still a great need for housing for those who have been displaced, as well as the allocation of medicines and other requirements. This is especially important in Syria, where the infrastructure has been greatly strained,” said Oya Mercan, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering who received her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.

Kenana Al Kakouni

“If the building safety assessment indicates that the structural components – the beams and the columns – of a building are not damaged, it will be cost-efficient to fix the damage to the nonstructural components such as the partition walls. As such, it is an important initiative to raise funds and awareness for this purpose.”

The Syria Solidarity Collective (SSC), co-founded by U of T PhD graduate and staff member Kenana Al Kakouni, is also raising funds at St. George campus to assist with rebuilding homes in Syria, among other aid efforts. Funds raised will go to the Molham Volunteering Team, an international organization that works in northern Syria to rebuild homes for displaced people.

Al Kakouni, who currently works as an imaging facility lead technician in the department of cell and systems biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, said while her relatives in Syria are safe, they are mourning the loss of a family who were their neighbours.

The earthquake only further exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria after more than a decade of conflict in the country, Al Kakouni said.

“People there were already suffering from lack of food, heat, medical supplies – right now, what we’re hearing is that what is most needed is tents, given that so many are still without shelter.”

At U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Dean Erica Walker, advancement staff and the OISE Alumni Association Student Advisory Committee (SAC) organized an in-kind donation drive for non-perishable food, winter clothing, equipment such as tents, blankets, sleeping bags and thermoses, as well as hygiene items including menstrual products and diapers. The donation bins will be available in the OISE lobby until March 6.

“OISE has a really diverse student body, and we wanted to not only send a message of hope to our U of T community, but also to take action,” said SAC chair Seema Hooda, a graduate of OISE’s master of education program. “The donation drive is an extension of our purpose and mission, and it has been a joint effort from both students and staff. It’s a way to show support for our Turkish and Syrian peers – and also to engage people to make a contribution that could help save lives.”

From left to right: OISE staff Sim Kapoor, Latifa Soliman, Helen Huang, Dean Erica Walker, Perry King, Reesa Barkhouse, Biljana Cuckovic (photo supplied)

SSC co-founder Al Kakouni urged U of T community members looking to support aid efforts on campus to follow student groups’ social media accounts for upcoming fundraisers and other initiatives, write to political representatives to raise awareness of the disaster, and donate to reputable organizations such as the White Helmets and Syrian American Medical Society in Syria, as well as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders internationally.

For Türkiye, TUSA co-president Din recommends donating to Ahbap, the disaster and emergency management organization AFAD and search-and-rescue non-profit AKUT.

Students have also recognized the need to support their peers who may have been affected by the disaster, creating a “solidarity space” for reflection and connection at the Multi-Faith Centre on the St. George campus.

“The students' idea was to allow students from the region to get help in their own languages: Arabic and Turkish,” said Adrien Zakar, assistant professor in the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations. “With the support of the department, the Turkish Students’ Association and the Syria Solidarity Collective, more than 50 Turkish- and Arabic-speaking volunteers from U of T received health and wellness training to provide further guidance to visitors.”

In addition to donating money and goods to help people affected by the earthquake, it’s equally important for those far away from the region to recognize and amplify the sheer scope of the disaster, Emmanuel College student Ince said.

“The aftermath of this is going to be huge. We can see physical injuries, but no one sees psychological wounds,” she said. “Right after the earthquake, one of my professors, Angela Schmidt, changed the whole subject of her class to focus on the issue – it was just what I needed. She explained what to do when you face certain situations. After a situation like this, we have to think about how to view calamity. Why do bad things happen to good people? It really makes us question everything in life.”

Resources for U of T students, staff, faculty and librarians:

Student groups can post their fundraisers and other events on the Student Organization Portal to broaden awareness
The university has emergency funding available for students in need, which can be accessed by completing the U of T grant application:

Undergraduate students

Graduate students

Students can access mental-health supports through:

Mental Health Portal

My SSP (24/7 support via phone or chat)

Faculty, staff and librarians may contact the Employee and Family Assistance Program at 1-855-597-2110
The Scholars at Risk Award Program, established in part in response to the Syrian refugee crisis in 2016, remains open for applications each year from students who are accepted to U of T

'It's OK to ask questions': Four tips for new and returning U of T students

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 14:26:14 +0000

'It's OK to ask questions': Four tips for new and returning U of T students

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/07/2022 - 10:26

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ASKme Anything booths and volunteers, which can be found across U of T's three campuses, aim to create a friendly and welcoming community for new and returning students (photo by David Lee)

Topic

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

��Ƶ students are kicking off the fall term this week with in-person classes and orientation events across the three campuses.

It’s the biggest-ever back-to-school season as incoming students – and some upper-year students who have attended university remotely until now – arrive on campus for the first time.

U of T News has rounded up a back-to-school starter kit of four key things new or returning students should know to help start the 2022-2023 academic year off on the right foot.

Need help navigating campus? Just ask!

How and where do I get my TCard? What are some gym and recreational activities at U of T? Where can I meet new people around campus? For new students, navigating campus can initially feel a little daunting. Fortunately, U of T’s ASKme Anything booths and ambassadors are here to help.

The program is aimed at creating a friendly and welcoming community for students across all three campuses.

On the St. George campus, there are four booths set up near the Koffler Student Services Centre, the main campus gates on College Street, Sidney Smith Hall and Robarts Library until Sept. 23. There will also be hundreds of individuals on campus wearing an orange ASKme Anything button, who are ready and willing to assist students.

“ASKme has become somewhat of an icon of the back-to-school season,” says Ashley Yim, an ASKme program assistant and student ambassador. “Our booths and student ambassadors not only make everyone feel welcomed on campus, but we also make everyone look forward to the new school year.

“The welcoming atmosphere is especially important for new students who are on campus, or even in Toronto, for the first time.”

At U of T Scarborough, ASKme Anything booths will be located by the bus loop outside Highland Hall, at the front of the Student Centre and at the front of the Instructional Centre. There will also be ASKme ambassadors with orange buttons around campus to help students out. Some staff and faculty will participate by displaying ASKme signs in their offices.

On the U of T Mississauga campus, there will be individuals wearing ASKme Anything buttons from Sept. 3 to Sept. 23 at orientation and various events. Students are also encouraged to visit the Centre for Student Engagement front desk office to have their questions answered.

ASKme ambassadors are at campus #UofTBackToSchool events this month.
Look for staff, librarians, faculty and senior students wearing ASKme buttons if you have questions about #UTM. We're here to help! pic.twitter.com/44WhQNOeVu
— U of T Mississauga (@UTM) September 7, 2022

AskMe booth outside of the U of T Bookstore, St. George campus (photo by David Lee)

Yim, a U of T alumna of the Faculty of Arts & Science, says the ASKMe Anything booths and ambassadors create an inviting space for students while also sending the message that “it’s OK to ask questions and reach out. In fact, we encourage you to do so.”

“This way, new students will more likely make connections in the future, whether it’s with their peers, instructors, staff or community members.”

Students who need help navigating the three campuses can also access U of T’s new campus map feature.

Remember to prioritize health and wellness

U of T is home to a range of services and opportunities that support students’ physical and mental health.

On the St. George campus, students have a variety of gym options including the Hart House Fitness Centre, Athletic Centre and the Goldring Centre for High Performance. Across the facilities, students can find swimming pools, strength and conditioning centres, indoor tracks, dance studios, cardio machines, tennis and squash courts and so much more. At U of T Mississauga, The Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre offers programs such as yoga to relieve stress, group fitness, women’s only classes, personal training session and more. Athletics and Recreation at U of T Scarborough is similarly a hub of activity on campus, which is home to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

All three campuses offer an intramural sports program – a great opportunity to create or join a team, meet new people and stay physically active.

Self-care and wellness are also a key part of maintaining a healthy student lifestyle – and, across the university, resources include peer support from trained students, yoga clubs, and workshops on managing stress or studying smarter. Programming includes a Community Support Group, Mindful Moments classes, Better Coping Skills sessions and live cooking classes. Check out the Student Mental Health Resource for a tri-campus list of programs and workshops.

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For students seeking mental health support, U of T has many virtual and in-person services and programs. Navi, short for navigator, is a chat-based virtual assistant that can be used to search all mental health services and resources offered by all campuses. The tool is accessible 24/7 and communication is anonymous.

U of T My Student Support Program (MySSP) offers 24-hour support for any school, health or general life concern. Students can access it by downloading an app or by calling 1-844-451-9700 (for outside of North America, call 001-416-380-6578). The service is available in 146 languages.

Seek out places to find your community

Making connections at university goes well beyond the classroom. From hundreds of clubs and student groups to volunteer opportunities, events and more, all three U of T campuses are home to extensive programming to help find your community.

At St. George, Student Life is a great first stop for mentorship and peer programs that offer support from upper year students, coaching skills and opportunities to network and make connections. Programs include Latin American Student Engagement, African Black Caribbean Student Engagement, Southeast Asian Student Engagement, First Generation Student Engagement and more.

U of T is home to hundreds of community-oriented clubs and student groups, including UTSC Cheer (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

On Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., undergraduate students are invited to attend a virtual workshop called Talking to New People. The session is meant to help students who may be feeling anxious or fearful about making new connections at university. And, on Sept. 12 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., a learning strategist will lead a virtual workshop called Planning for the Semester, which will focus on helping students create strategies to manage the semester workload.

For more workshops and events, check out the Student Life calendar.

Another key destination is Hart House, a student centre on the St. George campus that offers programming and clubs ranging from archery and debate to photography and chess – all housed in a beautiful, century-old building.

For Indigenous students, First Nations House at the St. George campus is an important cultural hub. The space offers academic support, opportunities to meet with Elders and traditional teachers for support and guidance, financial aid advising and other services. On Sept. 14, First Nations House will host an Indigenous student orientation from 3 to 5 p.m.

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At U of T Mississauga, the Indigenous Centre invites students, staff and faculty to ongoing monthly lunch and learn for an informal chat about Indigenous cultures.

The Indigenous Outreach Program at U of T Scarborough, meanwhile, provides students learning opportunities and resources as well as a chance to meet with Elders and traditional teachers for guidance and support (A dedicated Indigenous Centre is under construction).

Be conscious of online and campus safety

With several scams targeting students, it’s more important than ever to safeguard your personal information.

Shannon Howes, director, high risk, community safety and crisis and emergency preparedness at U of T, says students should be aware of scare tactics used in emails, text messages and phone calls.

“Legitimate government organizations and law enforcement agencies will never threaten you in exchange for payment of funds,” says Howes.

When contacted by someone, Howes recommends stopping whatever you’re doing, taking a breath and evaluating whether what you’re being told to do actually makes sense.

“Is this an organization that you normally deal with and is known to you? Is this a person who you actually know in real life? Does what they’re asking you to do make sense? If the answer is no, talk to someone you trust about the situation before you take any action.”

Howes adds that scammers have ways of changing the call display on a phone to say things like “police” or can create spoof email accounts to trick users into thinking a message is coming from someone who they trust.

“Be aware of receiving offers from people you do not know, jobs you didn’t apply for or prizes from contests you didn’t enter,” she says. “If an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

Students should watch for job scams, rental scams, law enforcement impersonations and phishing scams, Howes says, adding that students who wish to discuss any safety concerns can book an appointment to meet with a community safety case manager at U of T’s Community Safety Office.

“The office also has a has a dedicated Fraud Prevention Page on its website with information about different types of frauds and scams, fraud prevention tips, tips for safety on social media and a list of resources and supports available,” says Howes.

Security Matters – U of T’s security awareness and education initiative – publishes regular blog posts, news and educational resources including helpful tip sheets.

Also available to U of T students are Phish Bowl, which provides examples of recently reported phishing incidents, and Housing Services – a resource for the St. George campus that provides workshop and assistance to individuals seeking housing or dealing with housing issues.

Safety is a priority across all three U of T campuses. The U of T Campus Safety app features emergency contacts, tips, support services, and a live chat feature that connects users with U of T safety staff in real-time. App users can also use a Mobile Bluelight feature which sends the user’s on-campus location to the safety team in case of a crisis. Other features include TravelSafer, which allows safety staff to monitor a user’s walk on campus, and Friend Walk, which allows a trusted contact to monitor your walk anywhere in the world.

As well, students and all current members of the U of T community are automatically subscribed to UTAlert – a service that allows the university to send important messages via email and text.

Learn more at UTogether

‘It feels real’: Students return to U of T campuses ahead of fall term

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 19:48:49 +0000

‘It feels real’: Students return to U of T campuses ahead of fall term

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 08/30/2022 - 15:48

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The fall 2022 term promises to be among the most vibrant in recent memory as new students – and many upper-year students – set foot on campus for the first time (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

UTogether

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Graduate Students

New College

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Undergraduate Students

University College

The ��Ƶ is abuzz with a sense of discovery and new beginnings as more than 90,000 students from across Canada and around the world arrive on the university’s three campuses ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.

With most courses to be delivered in-person and most campus activities making a comeback – in keeping with ongoing public health guidance – the fall 2022 semester promises to be among the most vibrant in recent memory, filled with opportunities for new experiences and connections.

It’s not only incoming students who are setting foot on the St. George, U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough campuses for the first time. Many returning students who began their studies remotely due to the pandemic are also getting acquainted with campus life.

Yilin He (photo by Rahul Kalvapalle)

Yilin He, a second-year master of education student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, has been catching up in-person with classmates she previously interacted with virtually.

“I could see [my classmates] in front of me instead of as a tiny avatar on my computer screen,” says He, who completed the first year of her program from China. “I felt excited and happy because I missed face-to-face interaction.

“People who you knew before only on Zoom, you can actually meet in person and hang out and explore campus together and enjoy the campus atmosphere. It feels real.”

While He says she is delighted to be able to experience U of T in-person, she’s also grateful for the resources provided during her year of virtual study.

“U of T did a great job accommodating our needs, and they gave us a lot of useful resources,” He says. “Although I had a 12-hour time difference with Toronto, my professors and other student services providers were generous and flexible … likewise, academic supports from U of T were catering to students’ needs.

“Everyone was always very helpful to us.”

He is one of dozens of students who took part in a recent tour of the St. George campus organized by U of T Student Life – one of many being organized across U of T’s three campuses to welcome students and prepare them for a successful semester. The tour was part of the “Get Ready for Student Success” event, which included sessions on accessibility services, housing supports, academic resources and job search strategies, as well as games and an ice cream truck.

Dozens of students took part in a recent tour of the St. George campus that was organized by U of T Student Life (photo by Rahul Kalvapalle)

Among the most highly anticipated events on the calendar is the Tri-Campus Parade on Sept. 7, scheduled to return for the first time since 2019. The parade will be followed by the Clubs Fair, where students can learn about hundreds of student clubs catering to virtually every interest.

The St. George campus orientation calendar comprises dozens of events that cater to students of different backgrounds and with varied life experiences – including Indigenous Student Orientation at First Nations House on Sept. 14 and Queer Orientation for LGBTQ2S+ students from Sept. 19 to 23.

U of T Mississauga offers a diverse roster of orientation events to welcome students to campus, including Eagle Orientation on Sept. 6 to 8 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Students can also learn about programs and resources available to them by approaching one of the ASKme Anything pop-up booths around the St. George campus every day until Sept. 16.

For international students, getting oriented to U of T begins upon arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport, where friendly student staff are available to answer questions and provide advice at U of T welcome booths in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Once on campus, international students can attend a range of orientation sessions covering everything from coping with homesickness and cultural adjustment to how to work in Canada with a student permit or work permit.

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U of T Mississauga, too, offers a diverse roster of orientation events to welcome students. Highlights include Eagle Orientation on Sept. 6 to 8, which includes campus tours and a BBQ; and the UTM Student Union frosh week, which runs from Sept. 4 to 9 and includes a boat cruise, formal and opportunities to learn about services, clubs and academic societies. Staff wearing AskMe pins will be available to ask queries and provide direction at events until Sept. 23.

At U of T Scarborough, the UTSC Welcome Day on Sept. 6 offers an opportunity to explore resources, connect with student services and learn about clubs. It’s one of several events designed to orient new and returning students to campus life and resources. Others include Residence Orientation from Sept. 3 to 5 and the Athletics & Recreation Open House on Sept. 8. The campus will also host an AskMe booth and staff wearing AskMe buttons will be on hand to answer questions at events.

As it plans for a comprehensive slate of in-person activities this fall, U of T continues to monitor public health guidelines around COVID-19 and provide ongoing updates on its policies on its UTogether site – the university’s central resource for information and updates about the university community. The university is strongly encouraging everyone to stay up to date on vaccines and wear a mask in indoor spaces where physical distancing is not possible. Students living in U of T residences are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by completing their primary series and at least one booster dose.

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U of T Libraries are also taking steps to introduce students to the spaces and services available to them.

“We encourage students to check out our course reserves and tech lending collection, find a new favourite quiet study seat, book a study room to work with a friend, check out new technologies in the Makerspace, and have a peak into The BRIDGE library space on the north campus,” says Chief Librarian Angela Hamilton. “All questions are welcome at our Library Information & Reference Desk, and if we don’t know the answers, we will find someone who does.”

Hamilton noted that most students will be introduced to a personal liaison librarian through their courses. She added that they can also book one-on-one research consultants with their liaison librarian.

U of T Scarborough’s Welcome Day on Sept. 6 offers students an opportunity to explore resources, connect with student services and learn about clubs (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The library’s fall semester programming will include initiatives aimed at boosting research and connections to Indigenous resources, including the U of T Indigenous Book Club on Sept. 28, and a regularly updated list of books and resources celebrating Indigenous voices and educating on Indigenous history in Canada.

Roxy Nazar (photo by Rahul Kalvapalle)

For first-year University College student Roxy Nazar, attending U of T this fall is an opportunity to make up for a pandemic-influenced high school experience.

“I sometimes feel like I’m still stuck as a 16-year-old because I never really had my path in high school,” says Nazar, who hopes to double-major in human biology and either bioethics or nutritional sciences. “So, you kind of have to [play] catch up as an adult who’s already 18.

“Hopefully [being at U of T] allows me to have the experiences I need to grow as a person and just enjoy the school.”

Nazar adds that it’s “nerve-wracking but also exciting” to swap her Etobicoke high school for U of T’s St. George campus.

“Going from a school that had 500 kids to a school that has tens of thousands is just insane,” she says.

For many, attending university also means moving into a new home.

Sirvan Saee (photo by Rahul Kalvapalle)

Sirvan Saee, a New College student, says he’s looking forward to residence life.

“One of the reasons I chose to live in residence was specifically being able to interact with a large group of students,” Saee says. “I’m in Rotman Commerce and, especially in business, I feel like networking is a big part [of my education] – and the best networking is done in-person.

“When you make good friends, you can study with them, learn about other things – and it generally has a good impact on developing yourself as a person and getting ready for your next stages in life.

“I’m really happy to be here and get the chance to meet a lot of people in person.”

Saee and other students who are living in residences on the St. George campus will move in Sept. 3 to 5. Residence move-ins take place Sept. 2 to 3 for U of T Scarborough and on Sept. 3 for U of T Mississauga undergraduate students. As they settle in, students living in residence can join other U of T community members in using U of T’s new campus map feature to navigate the three campuses.

Watch a video on how to use U of T’s interactive campus maps

The first day of class will be on Sept. 6 for U of T Scarborough and on Sept. 8 for the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering on the St. George campus, as well as at U of T Mississauga.

Jordana Garbati, an assistant professor, teaching stream, at the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) at U of T Mississauga, says she’s excited about seeing students in-person.

Back on campus regularly since February, Garbati says in-person classes have enabled the kinds of spontaneous before- and after-class interactions that didn’t occur when she was teaching on Zoom.

“These conversations have related to our course work, of course, but they’ve given me a chance to check in with my students about other concerns and questions related to campus life,” says Garbati. “For example, [where’s the] best food on campus, what’s going on at the Athletic Centre, what people have been buying at the bookstore?

“I hope my students recognize that I’m an approachable professor regardless of mode of instruction.”

Learn more at UTogether

Students connect and build community at hybrid Night Against Procrastination event

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 04 May 2022 15:55:33 +0000

Students connect and build community at hybrid Night Against Procrastination event

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 05/04/2022 - 11:55

Cutline

The study-focused Night Against Procrastination event, hosted by U of T's Academic Success, merged in-person and virtual elements, providing a proof-of-concept for similar events in the future (photo by Jonathan Vandor)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

In the run-up to spring exams, ��Ƶ students participated in the second annual “Night Against Procrastination” – only this time the study-focused event hosted by Academic Success paired virtual and in-person content to better connect with students.

Held at the end of March, the evening’s events included skills-oriented workshops that focused on motivation, managing time and – yes – procrastination. There was also a workshop that drew on the Anishinabek medicine wheel as a teaching tool to help students work through their learning process.

Virtual study hubs – where peer mentors helped students set study goals for the following two hours – were scheduled throughout the evening. Refreshments were available at Robarts Library, as well as puzzles and games.

“The end of March is a really hectic time for students,” said organizer Jonathan Vandor, learning strategist, peer programs. “This event showed that, although U of T is a vast and complex space, there are still opportunities to connect and find community.”

At the Night Against Procrastination, students were asked to share messages to inspire and encourage others (photo by Deepam Patel)

Staff at U of T Libraries provided ongoing guidance on citations and research throughout the evening. That included a 12 a.m. session called Midnight Magic that saw librarians offer a hands-on overview of the search process. There were also snacks and giveaways on site.

Vandor said the “casual mentorship” of volunteers was among the evening’s highlights. For example, work-study students who served as peer mentors engaged with students while handing out snacks and beverages.

“Juggling multiple exams and managing energy levels and projects at the end of the year is really challenging,” explained Vandor. “This helped students connect to their goals, build their own skills and motivation and reconnect with others in person – there was a real appetite for that.”

The event’s success provided a proof of concept for future hybrid efforts that similarly envision bringing together virtual features such as study hubs and workshops with in-person gatherings that take place in a common meeting place such as Robarts.

Academic Success plans to run the program again in November, and is currently planning other ways to use hybrid formats to engage students.

Work-study students to provide U of T professors with tech support this fall

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:58:48 +0000

Work-study students to provide U of T professors with tech support this fall

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 09/07/2021 - 15:58

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(Photo by Ken Jones)

Topic

The ��Ƶ has launched a new pilot program that will pair instructors with work-study students to provide their classes with tech support during the fall semester – part of a broader effort to foster technological and instructional innovation in the classroom.

The Tech2U pilot will see 125 student ambassadors on the St. George campus provide instructors with technical assistance in both virtual and in-person classrooms. The initiative comes as instructors and students prepare for a safe return to campus after 18 months of remote learning.

Dwayne Benjamin, U of T’s vice-provost, strategic enrolment management, said that assigning students as dedicated classroom tech-support specialists will make for a smoother teaching and learning experience this fall.

“I’ve taught for 30-something years, but it’s only when I was chair of a department and had to sit in the back of the classroom to watch and assess instructors that I got the perspective of a student – i.e. ‘the sound isn’t very good,’ ‘I can’t hear the instructor’ or ‘I can’t see the screen very well because a bunch of people’s heads are in the way,’” says Benjamin, a professor and former chair of the department of economics in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“So having a student actively engaged as a co-pilot to advise the instructor and make sure the technology is working in the classroom is incredibly important. The students in the classroom benefit because if the technology works better, the classroom experience is improved.”

The Tech2U classroom ambassadors will help with both in-person and online courses in order to cater to the needs of faculties and divisions as they tailor their course delivery plans to suit their circumstances – part of U of T’s comprehensive 12-step plan to prepare for the fall semester.

The pilot is being run by Learning Space Management and the Innovation Hub at U of T Student Life. Students will be assigned to teams of 10, each supported by newly hired, full-time technical co-pilots who will provide coaching and technical expertise. The teams will be supported by a coordinator from both Learning Space Management and the Innovation Hub.

For classroom ambassadors, the program is an opportunity to contribute to improving the learning experience of fellow students while getting a behind-the-curtains glimpse into how instructors design their courses.

“They’ll have a great appreciation of the complexity of this giant show that goes on,” says Benjamin. “It’s almost like being a roadie – they’re going to see things that the student in the classroom doesn’t normally see.”

Benjamin noted that work-study students will also be able to build a host of highly transferrable skills including technical aptitude, working in teams and handling inter-personal communications.

The Tech2U pilot was informed by the findings of Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL), an initiative that engaged instructors and students to promote human-centred classroom design and explore best practices when it comes to supporting the evolution of teaching and related technologies.

Instructors have a number of sources from which to seek pedagogical supports related to technology, including the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI) and Academic and Collaborative Technology (ACT), a partnership between CTSI and Information Technology Services that provides strategic leadership in developing and implementing information technology services. Individual divisions are also equipped with their own educational technology offices.

Over the winter 2020 semester, TIL ran a smaller pilot project – a precursor to Tech2U – to determine how to best to meet instructors’ technology needs.

“The biggest takeaway was that having someone present in the room – even if they aren’t providing cutting-edge technological support – was a really big deal for instructors because they felt supported,” says Marcus Lomboy, a master of public policy student who worked as a design researcher on the winter pilot. “It essentially let instructors experiment more and do things they were less comfortable with because they knew there was a back-up plan and someone who could rectify any errors.”

Over the summer, the TIL team conducted a survey of several post-secondary institutions around North America who had similar programs.

“A big thing that came out of that was this idea of meeting instructors where they’re at – which we also found in our winter pilot,” says Georgia Maxwell, senior research assistant at the Innovation Hub who recently graduated with a master’s degree in English literature.

“That’s why Tech2U is so individualized. It’s one student paired with an instructor to work with them on their goals in real time – whether it’s just figuring out the basics or wanting to do some really cool and interesting stuff with new technologies.”

Steven Bailey, director of Learning Space Management, describes the direction of Tech2U as moving from a room-based approach to a needs-based approach.

“The old approach was that we would put the technology in the room, and then match the right instructor with that room,” Bailey says. “But that presupposes instructors know what they need – and that that’s all they need for the entire term.

“In our conversations, we learned that, while instructors may know what they want to do, they may not necessarily know how the technology can support them in achieving their goals.”

The pilot is also about supporting instructors and students in a personalized and human-centric way, adds Julia Allworth, manager of innovation projects at the Innovation Hub.

“What we’ve learned over the years is that teaching and learning are very personal. Each instructor and student is very invested in the classroom experience,” Allworth says. “It’s about making sure there’s a friendly face in every classroom for the instructor, but also for the benefit of students.

“All of this is going to add up to a much better student experience in the classroom and make sure everyone’s feeling well-supported as they head back to classes.”

U of T students team up with Children’s Book Bank to promote reading in Regent Park

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:57:28 +0000

U of T students team up with Children’s Book Bank to promote reading in Regent Park

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 05/06/2021 - 10:57

Cutline

(Clockwise from top left) U of T students Jialin Song, Chelsea Tanchip, Ha-Yeon Kim and Children's Book Bank Manager of Programming and Volunteer Engagement Loribeth Gregg (images via YouTube)

Yanan Wang

Topic

City & Culture

Cities

Faculty of Arts & Science

Mental Health

Student Life

Undergraduate Students

One story told of a young dinosaur coping with her parents’ divorce, while another followed the trials of a worried mouse named Wemberly. A boy learned to handle life’s challenges with the help of a porcupine, and a girl braved the move from Lebanon to Canada.

These were just a few of the tales read aloud by ��Ƶ students and members of the Children’s Book Bank, a charity that provides free books and literacy support to children and families in high-needs neighbourhoods across the city.

As part of the non-profit organization’s “Mental Health Story Time,” more than 20 students produced YouTube videos featuring recorded picture book readings, complete with lessons for children dealing with anxiety or sadness during the pandemic.

Janine Cik

“From the start, it was just an amazing experience,” says Janine Cik, a third-year student who is majoring in urban studies and human geography.

“This is something that I’m going to be reflecting on for a long time.”

The Children’s Book Bank, which has been in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood for 13 years, was started by a group of women who wanted all children to have access to books. Studies have shown that children are more likely to attain a higher level of education when they have books at home.

The book bank aims to complement the library experience, which can be difficult to access for families who don’t have a fixed address. At the book bank’s storefront, no identification is required, and families and children are invited to select and keep books from a large inventory of titles.

The Children’s Book Bank also hosts drop-in story times and special holiday events for the community. But when the pandemic hit, much of the book bank’s programming had to be adapted.

“We had to pivot like everybody else,” says Loribeth Gregg, manager of programming and volunteer engagement at the Children’s Book Bank.

So, the book bank moved its programming online – and enlisted U of T students to help through Student Life’s Centre for Community Partnerships.

One of the projects U of T volunteers took on involved a “Bookworms” blog started by Gregg. Participants in the book bank’s Online Youth Reading program wrote blog posts and volunteers responded with encouragement and commentary. They also kept track of the children’s reading progress and maintained a scoreboard for their reading goals.

“Between summer and fall, (my daughter) made a total of 89 posts,” says one parent in a written testimonial. “Every single book she read, she read with excitement, as she knows she will be rewarded by nice comments from staff of the book club.”

Another major project was “Mental Health Story Time,” for which Cik served as a group co-facilitator. She worked with a team of nine other U of T students to promote the recorded readings on social media and garner engagement for the Children’s Book Bank YouTube channel, where the videos are posted.

For Cik, who aspires to become a community planner, the volunteer work gave her a first-hand look at the rewards and challenges of running a non-profit in the city.

“It allowed me to understand the community members that they are serving,” Cik says. “I would really recommend it to any student.”

Throughout her involvement, Cik says she was frequently reminded of the organization’s fortitude.

“I learned that community organizations are strong and resilient,” she says. “They are not in need of saviours. The work we were trying to do was just to enhance what they’ve already been doing and how successful they’ve already been.”

For Mary Ladky, the book bank’s executive director, the non-profit’s collaboration with the Centre for Community Partnerships is a perfect marriage of theory and practice.

“One of the things we were able to offer the students was a meaningful real-life situation,” says Ladky who holds a doctorate in education from U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

That included having the students put together a 30-page report with maps and analyses of the neighbourhoods that would benefit most from a brick-and-mortar book bank – part of the Children’s Book Bank exploration of a possible expansion into other high-needs neighbourhoods.

“It seemed to be a genuine thrill for them to be able to apply what they were learning in class to a real-life challenge,” Ladky says. “What are the qualities that make this a low-income neighbourhood, and why would a book bank benefit them? It was up to the students to figure that out.”

As the organization grappled with the limitations foisted on it by the pandemic, the students contributed their technological savvy and diverse viewpoints.

“It’s really lovely how you can feel each student bring their own energy and perspective to the reading,” Ladky says. “Also, young people are more at ease with technology. This is expanding our capability, our potential to have influence, in ways I hadn’t really thought about before.”

The Children’s Book Bank is among hundreds of community organizations that U of T’s Centre for Community Partnerships works with each year. The centre supports both community-engaged learning courses and co-curricular programs that allow students to engage with local groups and neighborhoods.

Yet, while the programs offer important learning opportunities for students, Jennifer Esmail, director of the Centre for Community Partnerships, says each organization’s needs are put front and centre.

“We let the community partner drive the project with their own priorities,” she says.

While the Children’s Book Bank project officially ended last month, Gregg says several U of T students have continued to volunteer with the organization.

“All the students I worked with are full of passion and drive,” she says. “I am really excited to see younger people who will come up and work here someday soon.”