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Department of Science, Technology & Society new courses foster discovery, expand career pathways

Interplay of abstract geometry structure and numbers on subject of computing, virtual reality and education.

By Angela Ward

One of the newest courses, Science, Technology and Racial Social Justice (STS 2333), was created last year, with the first course to be offered in the Winter 2024 term. The course was built following York’s University Academic Plan (UAP), the Faculty of Science strategic plan and an equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) curriculum, which is an important part of the STS program.

Vera Pavri
Vera Pavri

“We are such a uniquely situated department, with an opportunity to speak about the relationships between science, technology and society in the Faculty of Science,” said Chair of the Department of STS Vera Pavri. “We’re also the only program in Canada housed in a science Faculty able to do so.”

There has been growing enthusiasm for this type of STS program because it’s not only accessible to both science and non-science students, but it also tackles critical social issues, including themes of ethics, sustainability and EDI, among other topics. There are two EDI courses currently offered: Exploring Gender in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Science, Technology and Racial Social Justice (STS 2222 and STS 2333). Both courses highlight EDI, science and technology content to science and non-science majors. Covering topics such as EDI in science enhances a student’s learning experience, especially for science students unfamiliar with these topics.

“Students studying science might be interested in these issues but might not have had the opportunity to explore them before,” Pavri noted. “Now they can minor or even major in STS and be exposed to this type of curriculum, so it’s exciting.”

A part of the program reform was to offer interesting content that would be relevant to students’ degrees. While STS courses are pertinent to science students, they are also advantageous to students in other disciplines from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, who are studying in science- or technology-related fields. The STS program helps students distinguish their degrees.

“Rather than graduating with just a degree in science, students are enhancing their critical thinking and communication skills, which are highly valued by employers. STS courses such as Introduction to Science, Technology and Society (STS 1411) also provide important content and experiential education opportunities,” said Pavri.

Introduction to Science, Technology and Society shows students the reasons why STS matters, before introducing them to the theories of STS. In reforming the program, one of the department’s main goals was to help its students see the connection of STS to their real-life activities. This relevance is also emphasized through the STS website and in promotional materials, highlighting the different study and career pathways students can take.

The STS program also allows for a uniquely tailored learning experience. A student can combine their minor with another discipline or switch to a major in STS. In this way, the program is also a great pathway for individuals without a background in science or technology, who may be hesitant to explore scientific and technological issues. Bringing together non-STEM and STEM students creates “a diverse and interesting classroom in which people can draw on knowledge – not just from the professors but from each other,” Pavri said.

The Division of Natural Science, housed within the Department of STS, but distinct from the STS program, allows non-science students to explore the sciences. Their first field course, Plants in the City (NATS 1665) will be offered in Summer 2023 term, and will provide students with an experiential education opportunity as they discover urban ecosystems at York.

“Plants in the City is intended to help reduce plant blindness. We’re moving around in a green world and yet people on average can identify far fewer organisms, particularly plants, than in previous generations,” said Robin Marushia, the creator of the course and an assistant professor (teaching stream) in the Division of Natural Science. She adds there is also a strong need among city dwellers to know more about ecology.

Robin Marushia
Robin Marushia

Marushia said, “The Keele Campus offers opportunities in identifying common plant species, looking at different types of ecosystems and learning about the ecosystem functions, which green spaces provide in urban landscapes.” Like STS, natural science also aims to increase public knowledge about science, creating more active and engaged citizens.  

The STS program furthers the study of science with many career possibilities. Individuals interested in computer or program design taking STS courses will become more aware of issues such as persuasive technologies or technology addiction. For those interested in pursuing government or public health, this program also helps in understanding topics like policy frameworks, pharmaceutical regulation and consulting. Non-traditional pathways, such as social and green entrepreneurship are emerging as well.

 “As an example, a biology student who wants to get into medical school can distinguish their degree by minoring in STS. In interviews with universities, this gives them an opportunity to speak about the communication skills they’ve developed,” said Pavri. “Their ability to communicate with individuals who are skeptical or afraid of science is especially important in a post-COVID world.”

In fact, addressing anti-science movements was another aim of the STS program. STS courses educate students about misinformation and disinformation surrounding issues in science and technology, whether it be related to vaccines, climate change or artificial intelligence. Pavri thinks of STS students as “future ambassadors, equipped to educate others about why so much misinformation exists while tackling distrust of science through strategic communications, aimed at understanding and engaging with these audiences.”

With the backlash against the scientific community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been noted in the STEM field that sharing only the facts and relevant data is not enough. Data can be misconstrued or manipulated, but strategic communications help those in STEM understand these communities so that they can provide more effective and impactful awareness of science.  

Being the only STS program in Canada to offer a major or a minor in the Faculty of Science, it is also distinct in that it focuses on three core areas: seeing science and technology in action; standing for science; and learning about science, technology and social justice.

“One of the elements of our program that appeals to students is that an STS degree allows them to better communicate the real-life impact and social repercussions that science and technology have on groups in society,” said Parvri. “We also talk about the idea of standing up for science and how an STS degree helps students understand anti-STEM movements. Finally, we have a focus on EDI, which offers students the opportunity to examine EDI in a unique way through explorations of past and present issues, and local, national and international controversies in science and technology.”

Embodying climate change: Dance Innovations 2022 showcases inspiring new student work

Image 7: Mon Arch Credits: Zoë Harrington Dancers: Bella French, Mikaela Orford, Phoebe Rose Harrington

Dance Innovations 2022: Escalate, running Nov. 23 to 25, features new choreographic works by 23 fourth-year dance BFA students. Performed by students in all years of York’s undergraduate program in dance, this series engages with social justice-oriented themes of resistance and rebellion.

No Word for Wilderness Credit: Amy Williams Dancers: Noelle Dye, Max Tindall, Helena Zarifeh, Nicole Faithfull
No Word for Wilderness
Credit: Amy Williams
Dancers: Noelle Dye, Max Tindall, Helena Zarifeh, Nicole Faithfull

“Escalate examines the ways in which we have the capacity to take things into our own hands, individually and collectively, to press against systems and structures that don’t allow for personal agency,” says Dance Innovations 2022 Artistic Director Tracey Norman. “As we collectively find ourselves in an unusual moment moving toward a post-pandemic existence, the choreographers are investigating what this means for their creative work. [They] are inspired to tell their stories, exhibit states of consciousness and engage the audience in the visceral act of dance-making.”

This year’s instalment of Dance Innovations is rooted in social activism, exploring topics of anti-racism, personal growth, feminism and more. Several of the students dove into the topic of climate change, an imminent threat that affects this generation more than any other. As the artists take a stand against the issues that plague the world, they display their inspiring resilience and vulnerability. Guided by faculty members, students navigated the intersectionality of dance, creating a show that encompasses a broad range of human emotions and experiences. Presented in two series – Resistance and Rebellion – Escalate also features a reconstruction of three connected dances from West Africa by Professor Modesto Amegago for the department’s third-year performance class.

A striking work that explores the theme of nature conservancy is Amy Williams’ No Word for Wilderness. Performed by Noelle Dye, Amelia Downs, Nicole Faithfull, Max Tindall and Helena Zarifeh, this piece depicts a stunning tribute to endangered wildlife. The five dancers come together to create a delicate balance of suspense and relief, alluding to the precarity of the global environment. Williams laments: “We cut, we pave, we flatten, we burn our surroundings, leaving many of the living creatures we share this world with marked as ‘species of concern.’”

Siege Credit: Phoebe Rose Harrington  Dancers: Jennica Boutilier, Christiano DiDomenico, Zoë Rose Harrington, Lucy Jack, Jaelyn Jones
Siege
Credit: Phoebe Rose Harrington 
Dancers: Jennica Boutilier, Christiano DiDomenico, Zoë Rose Harrington, Lucy Jack, Jaelyn Jones

Choreographer Phoebe Rose Harrington also studied the theme of human ignorance with her piece, Siege. Her work speaks to our tendency to follow a predetermined path without heeding the consequences of our actions, especially regarding the environment. In her work, Jenica Boutilier, Christiano DiDomenico, Zoë Rose Harrington, Lucy Jack and Jaelyn Jones embody the effects of human negligence. Harrington describes: “the hope for healing is left in the hands of the source responsible for its anguish,” ending her piece on an uplifting note about our collective responsibility to take better care of the Earth.

Similarly, TERRA by Gabriela June Brathwaite was motivated by the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. In her emotional piece, danced by Ysabel Garcia, Kerry Halpin, Mackenzie Grantham, Travis Keith and Abbey Richens, she expresses how humans appreciate and interact with nature, but simultaneously ruin the resources that are needed to survive. According to Braithwaite, “TERRA is a reflection of how society treats what is essential to us.” Dynamic and expressive, the dancers illustrate the beauty of the rainforest and all the important life within it that must be protected.

Another piece that examines the interplay of nature and humanity is Rayn Cook-Thomas’s Dzunuḵ̓wa. “Dzunuḵ̓wa is the wild woman of the woods and she has haunted ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest for time immemorial,” Cook-Thomas explains. “Dzunuḵ̓wa is part of a complex supernatural society in Kwakwaka’wakw culture. Dances, songs, oral history and cedar carvings keep Dzunuḵ̓wa alive in Kwakwaka’wakw communities.” Danced by Kelsey Bonvie, Talia Cooper, Mackenzie Grantham, Kerry Halpin, Ebe Lau, Mikaela Orford and Blythe Russell, this piece voices Cook-Thomas’ pressing question: When the forests disappear, where will these stories go?

TERRA Credits: Gabriela June Braithwaite Dancers: Ysabel Garcia, Kerry Halpin, Mackenzie Grantham, Travis Keith, Abbey Richens
TERRA
Credits: Gabriela June Braithwaite
Dancers: Ysabel Garcia, Kerry Halpin, Mackenzie Grantham, Travis Keith, Abbey Richens

Mackenzie Grantham’s Ablaze brings forward a different perspective on climate change, focusing on the forest fires in British Columbia. Her work, performed by Mircel Cortés, Noelle Dye and Grace Kuster, explores the dynamics of fear and how it can be embraced instead pushed away. “I have grown this fear-based connection with fire, a simple spark sending me into a state of panic,” Grantham confesses. “Instead of succumbing to despair in this work, I bring a new perspective. Ablaze disrupts this narrative of fear in destruction, bringing forth the acceptance of the end.”

Mon Arch by Zoë Harrington also examines the idea of endangered species. With performers Bella French, Mikaela Orford and Phoebe Rose Harrington, this collaborative work acknowledges our responsibility to protect the planet. “We as a collective focused on life, beauty, and hope,” Harrington says. “The choreographic prompts and process were highly motivated by butterflies and specifically monarchs.” Colourful and vibrant, this piece reflects the artists’ respect for wildlife and their drive to preserve it.   

Through the support of the faculty, the collaboration between choreographers, dancers, lighting designers, and technicians has transformed the students’ creativity into a transcendent spectacle. Each piece brings forward a different but relatable concept, with unique and personal insight. With the wide variety of works, Escalate is sure to dazzle and inspire audiences.  

Artistic director: Tracey Norman
Course director third-year performance: Modesto Amegago
Production manager: Andrew McCormack
Lighting designer and course director: Jennifer Jimenez
Stage manager: Sophia Fabiano
Dance Innovations: Escalate
Series A: Resistance – Nov. 23 to 25, 7.p.m.
Series B: Rebellion – Nov. 23 to 25, 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $22.00
Advance (until Nov. 20): $15, seating is limited
Box office: 416-736-5888 or online at ampd.yorku.ca/boxoffice

Neighbourhood benefits from York’s C4 course

Vegetables

By Elaine Smith

Woburn, an immigrant-rich Toronto neighbourhood located in southeast Scarborough, now has its own community garden and seed library thanks to the helping hands of York University students in the Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom (C4).

C4 provides students with an opportunity to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams on real-world challenges with social impact. It runs as a two-semester course during the academic year or as a six-week summer course. Professors Danielle Robinson (School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design) and Franz Newland (Lassonde School of Engineering) founded the program in 2019.

In summer 2022, the focus of C4’s evening class was food sustainability and security, and two groups of York students – Team Maintainers and Team Knitters – were among those that worked with the Woburn neighbourhood.

“York students built relationships with the local schools, libraries and activists, and then created pathways between institutions and organizations so the community members can work together to feed themselves in ways that are co-operative and cost-effective,” said Robinson.

Harvesting produce from the Woburn community garden
Harvesting produce from the Woburn community garden

Leah Yuyitung, former chair of the parents’ council at Woburn Collegiate Institute (WCI) and spokesperson for the grassroots-led community group Woburn Local Planning Table, was the students’ main contact.

“A lot of the student ideas were about building apps or creating brochures, but I told them that community engagement projects need to be hands-on,” said Yuyitung. “They need to build relationships and be on the ground.”

For the garden group, Yuyitung helped locate a plot of land at Woburn Collegiate Institute and drew on connections with the local schools to collaborate with the C4 students.

“As part of the preparation for the York students’ building the garden, I found teachers who were interested in establishing a garden and growing seedlings from seeds, and Danielle purchased the grow lights and soil,” said Yuyitung. “The student landscaping and STEP eco-club of WCI, 10 classes at Woburn Junior School, and two at St. Thomas More, grew plants indoors for the shared community garden.”

The Team Maintainers students created the garden space, tilling it by hand in conjunction with WCI students adding the necessary compost.

“We had about 30 people working on the garden, and it was a great event,” said Yuyitung. “The students brought pizza and samosas and made it a celebration.”

Talha Rashidi, a recent York kinesiology graduate, managed Team Maintainers.

“I am deeply invested in food security,” said Rashidi, who is committed to social justice and is on the board of the not-for-profit organization, Road to Zero Waste. “This project was right in my wheelhouse. The C4 space can be whatever you make it, and it was a starting point to impact the world. It’s really empowering.”

Rashidi said that he and his team had a steep learning curve, since they weren’t gardeners themselves, but “Yuyitung and her community resources helped us determine the size of the plot, the type of topsoil and compost we needed and the ideal space needed between plants.

“We also gained more sensitivity to the needs of the community – things such as safety protocols and dietary constraints within a diverse community – which were our blind spots before.”

Shyamaly Vasuthevan, a York alumna now working toward a second degree (BSc in psychology) at York, managed Team Knitters, the seed library team.

“There were a lot of ideas about what we could do, and we met with community partners to see what was appropriate,” she said. “We decided to create a seed library, along with a website that would tie all the Woburn C4 projects together. The website became our portfolio – we all learned to use WordPress.”

A seed library may sound mysterious, but Vasuthevan explained that it is actually a set of cabinets that contains a wide variety of seed packets that people can take to grow their own food. In return, the students request that once the plants produce fruit, vegetables, or spices, the growers save the seeds to return to the library so others can benefit.

One of the students on the team belonged to Many Green Hands at York, a student environmental organization, and had connections to seeds; in addition, the team had some C4 funding and scoured wholesale sites to obtain what they needed. They bought seeds in bulk, but, as Vasuthevan said, “No one needs 5,000 spinach seeds,” so the group found themselves becoming experts in working on an assembly line, measuring seeds into envelopes, taping, packaging and labelling.

Using a label printer, the students put a QR code onto each label that leads to their website and information about how to grow seeds. They also have seed cards on file for each type of plant that offers basic information about the food item and how to grow it.

The library is housed in portable cabinets so that it can be taken to community events to give the seeds a wide distribution. It was housed in the Cedarbrae Public Library as a pilot project, and the team is currently working toward finding a permanent home for it. In fact, they are so dedicated to the project that they have remained involved for an additional six months in order to ensure a smooth transition, apply for more funding, and promote the seed library in the community.

“We would prefer to have someone in the Woburn community take it over,” said Vasuthevan. “We also want people to bring in their own seeds. We tried to find seeds that were relevant to the foods eaten in the local community. For instance, okra is popular with the Tamil community in the area.”

She called working on the seed library “an amazing experience.” Personally, she discovered that she was a good public speaker and organizer and “really learned how to be sensitive and efficient.”

“We learned a lot about the community, and it made the summer go faster – we could just see the program growing in front of us.”

York University summer study abroad course to focus on South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul

The Department of Politics in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional (LA&PS) studies is offering a summer study abroad course that will take students to Seoul, South Korea for an experiential learning experience.

The course, Global Political Studies 3581 – South Korea: The Politics of Youth and Old Age, is open to all undergraduate students at the University with an interest in Korea, and offers students an opportunity to become immersed in South Korean culture, while learning about the country’s politics of youth and old age.

A street in Seoul, South Korea
A street in Seoul, South Korea

The course is a socio-political overview and analysis of South Korea during the past 50 years, including the rapid changes that have occurred. While in Seoul for three weeks, students will hear from experts in the fields of politics and social policy and will participate and observe different activities highlighting the tensions, political debates and cultural shifts that arise from rapid economic and social change.

Yonsei University campus
Yonsei University campus

Students will participate in field trips within Seoul and take a trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. The course also provides students with the opportunity to interact with local students at Yonsei University, with which York University has a partnership agreement, and Chung-Ang University.

Romy Darius, a former student in the class and York alumnus, says the course “was not just a course for me. It was an experience that has been the foundation to my achievements since graduating from York. This course was a part of my journey and will be the one that I will cherish forever.”

Professor Thomas Klassen, who will be teaching the course, says it is “an extraordinary opportunity to learn about South Korea, focusing on its rapid transformation in the past five decades.”

Interested students are encouraged to attend an info session on Jan. 11, 2023, to learn more about the course and meet Klassen.

Applications for the course will open in late November 2022. More details about the course and the other 2023 summer study abroad courses offered by LA&PS can be found at https://www.yorku.ca/laps/study-abroad/summer-courses/.

Put your creativity to work in the classroom, scholarship

Featured image for the Academic Innovation Fund call

By Elaine Smith

York University’s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) is now accepting 2023 grant applications and Will Gage, associate vice-president, teaching and learning, encourages faculty to put their creative ideas to work.

Will Gage
Will Gage

The Academic Innovation Fund, which first awarded grants in 2011, supports projects that advance York University’s priorities in terms of teaching, learning and the student experience. It offers opportunities to pilot, develop and test curricular or pedagogical innovations that support eLearning, experiential education (EE), student success and retention strategies and internationalization within the curriculum. Grants also support the scholarship of teaching and learning.

This year, once again, it will give priority to projects that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a way of reflecting York’s longstanding commitment to building a more sustainable and just future, as noted in the University Academic Plan.

“For 2022, we set the expectation that 30 per cent of our funding would go toward projects that reflected the SDGs, but, in fact, 100 per cent of our Category I applications related to at least one SDG, while 92 per cent touched on two or more and 75 per cent addressed three or more,” says Gage. “People see the value of building the SDGs into their projects.”

Phase IV of AIF funding offers three categories of grants:

  • Category I funding will support initiatives of schools, departments and/or Faculties to strategically embed one or more of the four indicated institutional priorities – eLearning, experiential education (EE), student success and retention strategies and internationalization within the curriculum – in undergraduate or graduate degrees; 
  • Category II A funding will support curricular innovation projects;
  • Category II B will support curricular innovation – innovative course prototyping; and 
  • Category III funding will support scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) projects focused on 21st century learning.

Gage anticipates seeing projects that take equity and decolonization into consideration, as well as those providing opportunities for globally networked learning, which was first introduced as a result of a 2015-16 AIF grant.

“GNL is a good mechanism to support internationalization without the extra costs of studying abroad,” he said.

He also expects to receive applications that reflect technologically enhanced or “entangled” learning. (Learn more about entangled pedagogy.)

“Pedagogy always comes first in considering how to teach, but the role of technology today is not just to enhance, but to enable certain aspects of teaching,” Gage said. “We are now at the point where newer technologies enable you to teach differently, whether that’s by using peer assessment using a tech platform such as KRITIK or using augmented or virtual reality to do a simulation. You are able to connect people in ways that couldn’t happen without technology.”

AIF proposals must be submitted to the dean of your Faculty for review and ranking. Each Faculty has its own deadlines, but the ranked packages will be forwarded to the AVP, Teaching & Learning on Feb. 17, 2023. To assist interested faculty, the Office of the AVP, Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Commons will be offering a series of workshops to help develop AIF applications. Stay tuned to the AIF website.

“AIF continues to be a demonstration of the commitment York University has to teaching and learning and to enhancing the experiences of our students and faculty,” said Gage.

Inaugural York University Game Jam pursues a better tomorrow

White gaming console on wooden surface

The first-ever York University Game Jam, taking place Nov. 4 to 6, offers student teams the opportunity to conceptualize, design and build a functioning game.

Working in a condensed period of time, participants in this innovative event will work to create a small, experimental game from beginning to end. The tight timeline encourages creative thinking and innovation.

This year’s YU Game Jam will focus on creating games that echo and creatively address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The game jam event encourages students to create socially responsible games in the spirit of the serious games movement, an area of particular expertise in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. The SDG Games Challenge will run over one weekend and be open to all York University students who will work in small groups of five to six to create a game that tries to solve or educate about one of the UN SDGs. The game jam will be a friendly competition: a judging panel will select the best game made during the event. The winning team will receive a prize, including merchandise donated by local game companies like Ubisoft Toronto.

The event is open to all York University students and encourages participants with any level of experience in game development who wish to participate and make games.

More information about the event can be found here.

Osgoode’s 2022 Clinical Education Fair draws hundreds of aspiring lawyers

Osgoode Hall Law School entrance to the Ignat Kaneff building

From corporate to criminal, environmental and Indigenous law, Osgoode Hall Law School’s recent Clinical Education Fair had something to offer every student.

The annual event, demonstrating Osgoode Hall Law School’s depth in experiential education, attracted more than 150 students to Gowlings Hall on Oct. 19. Representatives for each of the law school’s 17 clinical education programs attended to provide students with information.

Osgoode Hall Law School Clinical Education Fair 2022
Students explore experiential education offerings at Osgoode Hall Law School’s 2022 Clinical Education fair

“Something that makes Osgoode stand out is the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom in a hands-on environment,” said Lisa Del Col, manager, Experiential Education & Career Development.

“Students get the opportunity to work on actual client files and analyze or advocate on live issues, which helps translate theory into practice,” she added.

First- and second-year students are invited to apply to the clinical education programs of their choice in January, to participate in the program the following academic year. Clinic credit values vary and can take place throughout one term or an academic year.

The wide range of clinical programs includes the Advanced Business Law Workshop, the Anti-Discrimination Intensive Program, and the Environmental Justice and Sustainability Clinical Program. Other options include Feminist Advocacy: Ending Violence Against Women Clinical Program, the Innocence Project, and the Intensive Program in Indigenous Lands, Resources and Governments.

All 17 clinical education programs can be found here.

“We’re proud of the breadth of clinical opportunities available for students to immerse themselves in an area of law that interests them,” said Del Col. “It’s… an opportunity to think critically about the work they’ve done and reflect on how it links to ethical practice and the larger roles of lawyers in society.”

Osgoode’s clinical education programs represent only one aspect of its rich experiential offerings. Students may build their oral advocacy skills and gain course credits through one of the most comprehensive mooting and lawyering skills competition programs in Canada. 

Additionally, there are two graduation requirements that incorporate experiential education. The praxicum requirement is a course that integrates legal theory, practice and reflection, while the Osgoode Public Interest Requirement is a 40-hour volunteer commitment that enables participants to engage with community members and help promote better access to justice.

To broaden their experience even more, Osgoode Hall Law School students can participate in the Osgoode chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada or attend the Anishinaabe Law Camp – run by Osgoode’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation – which introduces students to Anishinaabe legal concepts, pedagogies and modes of reasoning.

Students can connect with York International offerings at Global Learning Fair

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

York University students will have an opportunity to hear from the University’s partners around the world about internships, exchange programs, summer schools and more in other countries during a Global Learning Fair on Nov. 2.

The event runs in person from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Vair Hall, and will share information about programs available at York’s 300 global partners in more than 65 countries.

Students can learn how to travel abroad, earn credits towards their degree and build skills that build their resume. During the fair, students from abroad studying at York this semester, and students who have travelled abroad in the past, will share first-hand the value of participating in a global learning opportunity.

Speak directly with representatives from partner universities, campus partners who offer global learning programs, current exchange students at YorkU, and York’s global learning coordinators.

Those who can’t attend in person are invited to join the fair virtually on Nov. 8 and/or Nov. 10 to speak with representatives from York’s partner institutions to learn more about their universities, the programs they offer, and student life in their home country. Sign on for 10 minutes, or the whole two hour,s and move about the virtual platform connecting with as many representatives as desired.

Registration is required and can be done online.

MaRS, Schulich partner on promoting climate innovations

Photo by Jon from Pexels

A creative partnership between MaRS and the Schulich School of Business at York University gave eight undergraduate and graduate business students an inside look over the past year at the many challenges climate tech ventures face as they try to grow their businesses for global impact.

MaRS Discovery District is North America’s largest urban innovation hub. A registered non-profit, MaRS supports high-growth startups and scale-ups tackling key issues in the health, cleantech, fintech and other sectors. In addition, MaRS convenes all members of the tech ecosystem to drive breakthrough discoveries, grow the economy and make an impact by solving real problems for real people – in Canada and around the world.

The students proved integral to the Mission from MaRS: Climate Impact Challenge, an initiative launched by MaRS in spring 2021 to help 10 of Canada’s most promising climate ventures accelerate deployment of their commercial solutions and overcome barriers that have held back their potential.

“Giving business students exposure to different careers that touch sustainability themes, particularly those focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, was also an important aspect of the MaRS-Schulich partnership,” said Dirk Matten, professor of sustainability and founding director of the school’s Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business.

As part of the program, a special coalition of industry experts and corporate partners was established to act as industry advisors for each of the 10 ventures. Each participating Schulich student was also assigned to a venture as a coalition Fellow. The students attended monthly roundtables and workshops, conducted research, and drafted strategy documents that captured coalition work.

In exchange, the students earned academic credits and got the chance to connect and interact with a broad network of stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, investors, government officials and other subject matter experts who supported coalition activities. They also learned about some groundbreaking technologies that can help Canada and the world achieve net-zero by 2050.

“Theory and business books are no doubt important parts of a university education, but at the end of the day students looking to launch or advance their careers also need to get out of the classroom and start building their own networks,” said Tyler Hamilton, director of cleantech at MaRS and program lead for Mission from MaRS. “What better way to do that than sit in the trenches with professionals and entrepreneurs trying to solve big challenges and seize opportunities in real time?”

“Schulich and MaRS are the premier thought leaders when it comes to leveraging business to address climate change in Canada,” says Matten. “Our collaboration is an innovative step to harness the creativity and vision of the next generation to lead disruptive change.”

MaRS and Schulich plan to extend this successful partnership into the next phase of the Mission from MaRS program, called Net-Zero Missions, which will continue the model of building multi-stakeholder industry coalitions focused on busting down the barriers to innovation adoption in Canada’s cleantech sector.

“This program is a unique learning experience. It provides tremendous resources and insights for young professionals eager to contribute to the path to net zero. Personally, my favourite experience was being part of a team and working with stakeholders to accelerate the development and scaling of climate solutions,” says Ambrose Li, Mission from MaRS coalition Fellow and recent MBA graduate.

More about Mission from MaRS

Mission from MaRS is an ambitious technology adoption program that tackles society’s greatest challenges by rapidly accelerating the widespread deployment of Canada’s most effective innovations to address them. Our first mission, the Climate Impact Challenge, aims to identify, implement, and scale Canadian climate-tech solutions with the highest potential to reduce GHG emissions while economically meeting industry needs, at scale. The mission aims to eliminate barriers to adoption that prevent such solutions from realizing their global potential.

The Climate Impact Challenge has received generous donations from its founding funders – HSBC, RBC Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation and Thistledown Foundation. Program donors and partners also include Peter Gilgan Foundation, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Export Development Canada (EDC) and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).

Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge, call for faculty and student participants

SDG banner for the Go Global SDGs in Action program

York University’s Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge is seeking expressions of interest from faculty and students for an international experiential learning initiative focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

There are two information sessions organized students interested in the Go Global SDGs in Action Challenge. The sessions will be held on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. via Zoom, and Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

Faculty interested in learning more about their important role in the Go Global SDGs in Action Challenge are encouraged to attend an information session on Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. via Zoom.

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), York University’s Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge aims to empower York students and their peers around the world to take action towards the achievement of the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a global lens. Using facilitated discussions, workshops and immersive opportunities taking place abroad, York students and their peers will develop global competencies, leadership, digital fluency and project management skills necessary to take action on SDGs. By participating in the program, students will learn and experience the opportunities and challenges in leading community action for social change.

This year’s Go Global SDGs in Action will focus on SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, and SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, with the overarching SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals.

Calling York University faculty experts

Are you passionate about creating positive change by developing the next generation of leaders? York University is looking to engage faculty members with expertise and interest in the SDGs to mentor, provide advice and support to student project teams participating in the SDGs in Action Challenge. Share your expertise and knowledge on the SDGs, mentor SDG student teams and expand your own professional and personal SDG networks. Find out more and connect with York International. To learn more, download a the full Faculty mentor interest form.

Faculty interested in participating in this unique international and experiential learning initiative should send the Faculty mentor interest form by no later than Sept. 22, to Helen Balderama, director, Global Engagement and Partnerships, York International by email at helencb@yorku.ca and Ana Maria Martinez, associate director, Las Nubes EcoCampus, York International and the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, by email at anamms@yorku.ca.

Calling on York University students to create local change and global impact

York students are encouraged to apply to participate in this initiative to create local and global impact. By participating in the SDGs in Action Student Challenge, students can grow their knowledge about the SDGs and other important global skills such as intercultural communication, leadership, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, digital fluency and project management skills through workshops. Students can lead their own action projects that contribute to the SDGs with the mentorship from York University, partner faculties, global experts and in collaboration with other student peers from around the world.

Up to $8,000 is available to support study, research or work in the communities/locations that will benefit from an SDG project (funding is available to current York University students only and will depend on duration, location of study, work or research abroad, which will be configured to best fit a student’s degree path and objectives). To learn more, download a PDF of the full Call for Student Participation. Students can apply by visiting https://yorku.moveonca.com/form/618928e2523d487d307c32f2/eng#.

To learn more, visit the Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge website.