Current Partnership Opportunities

We have upcoming partnership opportunities with university faculty and students that might suit your community’s needs

Fall/Winter 2024-25

Program Title	Community Action Program
Timing	The program runs from September 2024 – April 2025. Students are expected to attend their placement from mid October 2024 to late March 2025. Partners are not required to formally evaluate the work of students although staff will do monthly check ins with partners and students to ensure that things are running smoothly.
Program Description	The Community Action Program connects students with community organizations so that students can experience and learn about the work that is done by the community sector. Students volunteer 2-5 hours per week in support of community programming. Specifically this year we are looking for placements that focus on either literacy or food access/justice. Our students receive training in the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, as well as an introduction to asset-based community development. We are very open to crafting a placement that is mutually beneficial to you and the students. We like to place at least two students to an organization when possible. Students are expected to volunteer 2-5 hours per week and we would want them to have a consistent role, ie. they help with logistics for a weekly English conversation circle for newcomers on Fridays from 3-5 pm. We also have some students who would prefer a hybrid or online role for their placement if that is an option.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	Students are eager to contribute to the mandate of your organization in whatever way is helpful. In the past students have provided research to develop or expand a particular program area, worked in kitchens to prepare meals for community members, co-facilitated conversation circles with seniors and provided 1:1 tutoring for high schools students. Their skills vary, and staff will work hard to create the right match for each situation.
Student Skills and Experience	Because students come from a variety of programs and life experiences, their knowledge about community work differs. To prepare them to contribute effectively, we provide them with a thorough orientation which covers equity, diversity, inclusion and accessiblity (EDIA) principles and practices, asset-based community development and the principles of community engaged learning.
Student Goals for Learning	We hope that students will learn the importance of contributing to their community, as well as to recognize the value that the community sector brings to the city, and the complex nature of their work. Some of our students have continued to volunteer with their placement organization after the program ends because they see this and want to continue to contribute.
Contact Information	Janet Fitzsimmons: janet.fitzsimmons@utoronto.ca

Winter 2025

Program Title	Alternative Reading Week
Timing	Tuesday, February 18 to Friday, February 21, 2025
Program Description	During Alternative Reading Week (ARW), hundreds of U of T students immerse themselves in four days of volunteering with local community organizations. Students make meaningful contributions, build relationships and learn more about the City of Toronto. Winter 2025 ARW will have virtual and in-person opportunities to make connections in community organizations across Toronto and gain valuable experience.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	ARW students work in groups of five or more and are led by a peer facilitator on a project of your choosing. You do not have to supervise the students in virtual projects. We supervise them as they work virtually and have a peer leader facilitate the project. A peer leader also supports all in-person activities with support from you.
Student Skills and Experience	In previous years, students have worked on virtual projects involving: Developing resources & conducted research for organizations Planning a social media marketing campaign Developing workshops and learning guides for high-school students Students have worked on in-person projects involving: Community kitchens and food bank activities Delivering youth anti-bullying curriculum at an after-school program English conversation circles and developing resources
Student Goals for Learning	The theme for ARW is Learn With, Learn From and Grow With. Learn With encourages participants to respect and appreciate the knowledge held in the communities where we volunteer and come from. Learn From is a respectful approach to the work that honours reciprocity. Grow With refers to the continual work of respecting diverse kinds of knowledge and growing in that knowledge.
Contact Information	Amina Farah: amina.farah@utoronto.ca

Course Title	Consult for Impact – Rotman Commerce
Timing	October and November 2024: recruitment for Winter (January – April 2025) semester
Program Description	Consult for Impact is an experiential learning opportunity that encourages students to apply their theoretical knowledge of business to real-world scenarios. Students who complete the program will have developed their research, analytical, and communication skills, and will be well positioned to explore opportunities in management consulting and not-for-profit industries. Students work in groups of 4 – 6, with each student contributing 5 hours/week during the semester.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	In teams of three or five, students will provide pro-bono (unpaid) consulting services to not-for-profit organizations, social start-ups or a university-affiliated organization. Final deliverables include: One 30-minute presentation on the team’s findings and one written summary report with additional information on the group’s findings
Student Skills and Experience	Students are passionate about creating social impact in their community, able to articulate their commitment, and have a commitment to learning consulting skills, tools and methodologies.
Student Goals for Learning	Social Impact / Consulting Skills
Contact Information	Bhavya Dhawan: bhavya.dhawan@utoronto.ca

Course Title	APS112 – Engineering Strategies & Practice II
Timing	The course runs in the Winter. Students are expected to start working with their community partners (clients) in February and end in April. Community partners need to apply by December 2024. The students work in teams of 5 – 6 members. The community partners need to have 3 meetings with students to define the problem and give feedback on the design product. Community partners are welcome to attend the final presentation in April. Community partners must be able to commit a minimum of 4 hours during the semester to this important role. Projects are most successful when clients take an active role in the design process. More information can be found on the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering website.
Course Description	This course introduces and provides a framework for the design process, problem-solving and project management. Students are introduced to communication as an integral component of engineering practice. The course is a vehicle for practicing team skills and developing communication skills. Building on the first course, this second course in the two Engineering Strategies and Practice course sequence introduces students to project management and the design process in greater depth.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	Students work in teams to solve a challenge or issue that could be solved through engineering design. We look for projects that could use a fresh, innovative solution. Community partners can benefit from our talented and creative engineering students by providing possible solutions to their projects.
Student Skills and Experience	These first-year students bring their problem-solving skills, enthusiasm and creativity.
Student Goals for Learning	Students will increase their communication and teamwork skills as they work with their clients. They learn about project management and the design process.
Contact Information	Martha Muraira: martha.muraira@utoronto.ca

Course Title	CTLB03 – Introduction to Community-Engaged Learning
Timing	The course runs in Winter 2025. Community engagement occurs from January to March 2025.
Course Description	In this UTSC experiential learning course, students apply their discipline-specific academic knowledge as they learn from and engage with communities. Students provide, and gain, unique perspectives and insights as they interact with community partners. Through class discussions, workshops and assignments, students also develop transferable life skills such as interpersonal communication, professionalism and self-reflection that support their learning experiences and help them connect theory and practice.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	Placements: 50-70 hours, unpaid. Students meet weekly with an instructor while completing a project of the partner’s design. Students can come from ANY academic discipline. Students in this course generally are from the U of T Scarborough campus, and therefore may live in the eastern GTA and Durham region. Travel for in-person placements may need to be a consideration, however hybrid and online engagements are also possible.
Student Skills and Experience	Students in this course come from any academic discipline, so may bring skills from a number of different fields of knowledge and practice.
Student Goals for Learning	Students will work on meaningful projects, with some degree of challenge, which allow them to apply their discipline-specific knowledge in service of the community organization and their stakeholders.
Contact Information	Kamini Persaud: aswil.utsc@utoronto.ca

Course Title	INF2192H – Representing UX
Timing	1) The course takes place during the Winter term (January-April). 2) The students begin with the first day of classes in January and complete their engagement with the end of the course in April. 3) The deadline to sign up for our communication list is Sunday, September 1, 2024 as our call for proposals will be going out the first week of September. In terms of the proposals themselves, partners will have until mid-November to submit their proposals. More details will be communicated through our email in September. In general, partners will be asked to spend roughly 1 to 3 hours a week on this project.  All partner organizations will be asked to book and attend a weekly one-hour meeting with their project teams.
Course Description	This course focuses on UX (User Experience) , which involves modeling relationships among people, organizational goals, content, and interaction through various methods. Tools include user journey maps, personas, and affinity diagrams for people modeling; stakeholder interviews and competitive analysis for organizational goals; and information architecture, prototyping, and usability testing for content and interaction design. Students will apply these methods to a design project, aiming to measure user experience using metrics like performance and self-reporting, along with evaluation techniques such as usability testing and experimental design.
Student Contributions to the Community/Organization	As part of this project, students would provide to you:  1. A User Experience Map (customer or client journey map) outlining the alignments for an ideal user experience between organizational goals, users, and touch points. This experience map is delivered in the form of a visually engaging poster (see: http://uxmastery.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/experiencemap.png for an example). 2. User Interface Redesign: Following the creation of the experience map students will re-design the user interface for one digital touch point identified within the map. The outcome is a clickable prototype showcasing either a new or redesigned solution. Additionally, PDF versions of screens can be provided on request. In previous years, sample student projects included prototyping a website for a community organization serving BIPOC youth; improving the user experience of software for an environmental organization; prototyping an app that helps a food bank manage volunteer schedules and communication; designing a new app to support community food sharing in vulnerable communities; improving a library website to better support electronic access to books and materials; and improving the ticket purchase process for local theatre. Please note students do NOT deliver a fully functioning product – they deliver ONLY a prototype of key functions/screens for the product.
Student Skills and Experience	The Representing UX course takes place in the final year of our Master’s program at the Faculty of Information; our students undertake a capstone project as part of their coursework. This project is a culmination of their academic journey, allowing them to apply their acquired skills and expertise to tangible, real-world challenges. Our students collaborate in teams alongside community partners, assisting in the initial phases of designing (or redesigning) digital products or services.
Student Goals for Learning	For our students, this course is an opportunity to experience working on real-world projects with a community partner. This is an incredibly valuable and motivating experience for them! It provides the opportunity for students to connect community engagement and real-world experience to defined learning objectives/what they are learning in the classroom.
Contact Information	Molly Smith: careers.ischool@utoronto.ca