Established with Centennial and Seneca and emerging with Loyalist/Fleming/Durham. Allow college students to transfer to UTSC with more transfer credit than they would receive under regular college transfer policies. Programs also allow students to take a UTSC course as a visiting student before the completion of their college diploma.
Focus
Access & Transition: promote successful academic and social transitions to post-secondary education
Features
Academic credit: university
Participants
Ages
College students
Day in the Life- Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute
Day in the Life (DITL) is an immersive program for equity-deserving youth to participate in creative community-building sessions on campus, meet with current students and professors, and explore various careers and pathways to post-secondary education. It encourages students to see U of T as a viable pathway to post-secondary education. By coming onto campus and engaging with members of the community who reflect their perspectives, the program encourages them to see University differently; addressing anxieties and concerns they may have. One iteration of DITL is offered in partnership with Africentric Program at Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute. The day may include activities like: a yoga class, a hands-on workshop in science lab, a panel with a Black faculty member, a current student and a student current in the SEE UofT program, and an Entrepreneurship workshop. We began the day with Kemetic Yoga facilitated by Natasha Eck from Kemetic Flow, followed by a hands-on workshop in our Environmental Science labs, a panel with a Black faculty member, a current student and a student current in our SEE UofT program, and a workshop focused on Entrepreneurship and how university supports that. We were also very intentional in hosting these sessions across both our south and north parts of the campus to allow the students an unofficial tour of our grounds, and to experience some of our newer buildings as well.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Timeframe
Reading Week
Participants
Ages
High school students
Middle school students (gr. 6-8)
Groups
Black students
Indigenous students
Racialized students
Students with accessibility concerns (diagnosed or undiagnosed)
Underserved communities
Day in the Life- BGCES, City of Toronto, Toronto Community Housing
Day in the Life (DITL) is an immersive program for equity-deserving youth to participate in creative community-building sessions on campus, meet with current students and professors, and explore various careers and pathways to post-secondary education. It encourages students to see U of T as a viable pathway to post-secondary education. By coming onto campus and engaging with members of the community who reflect their perspectives, the program encourages them to see University differently; addressing anxieties and concerns they may have. One iteration of DITL is offered with Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough (BCGES) and the City of Toronto, Community Housing. Participating students and family may participate in activities like: a campus tour, African drumming, workshops, mini open-house introducing Black faculty and representatives from academic departments and wraparound supports, a financial resources workshop, a panel discussion with UTSC students, and sessions organized by the City of Toronto on employment & social services, and resources and programs.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Timeframe
Reading Week
Participants
Ages
High school students
Middle school students (gr. 6-8)
Groups
Black students
Indigenous students
Racialized students
Students with accessibility concerns (diagnosed or undiagnosed)
Underserved communities
Day in the Life- Black E.S.T.E.E.M. and Global Kingdom Ministries (GKM)
Day in the Life (DITL) is an immersive program for equity-deserving youth to participate in creative community-building sessions on campus, meet with current students and professors, and explore various careers and pathways to post-secondary education. It encourages students to see U of T as a viable pathway to post-secondary education. By coming onto campus and engaging with members of the community who reflect their perspectives, we hope we can encourage them to see University differently; addressing anxieties and concerns they may have. One iteration of DITL is offered in collaboration with two community partners: Black E.S.T.E.E.M., a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing Black girls’ interest and confidence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and Global Kingdom Ministries (GKM), a nearby church and community pillar that hosts a STEM summer camp for residents. Youth may participate in interactive STEM-related activities on campus, such as: a campus farm scavenger hunt; a wellness and tea making workshop; and African drumming and movement exercises.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Timeframe
Reading Week
Summer
Participants
Ages
High school students
Middle school students (gr. 6-8)
Groups
Black students
Indigenous students
Racialized students
Students with accessibility concerns (diagnosed or undiagnosed)
Underserved communities
Day in the Life – Visions of Science
Day in the Life (DITL) is an immersive program for equity-deserving youth to participate in creative community-building sessions on campus, meet with current students and professors, and explore various careers and pathways to post-secondary education. It encourages students to see U of T as a viable pathway to post-secondary education. By coming onto campus and engaging with members of the community who reflect their perspectives, the program encourages them to see University differently; addressing anxieties and concerns they may have. One iteration of DITL is offered in partnership with Visions of Science (VOS), a program based in Regent Park that advances STEM equity by engaging Black and other racialized youth from low-income communities across the Greater Toronto Area who experience significant barriers to participation. The two-day, overnight DITL visit may include: a drumming circle with community partners, a chemistry lab, games, a movie night, a campus farm visit, a Lego building session, and a Makerspace data mining activity.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Timeframe
Reading Week
Summer
Participants
Ages
High school students
Middle school students (gr. 6-8)
Groups
Black students
Indigenous students
Racialized students
Students with accessibility concerns (diagnosed or undiagnosed)
Underserved communities
Day in the Life- Sir Robert L. Borden Business and Technical Institute
Day in the Life (DITL) is an immersive program for equity-deserving youth to participate in creative community-building sessions on campus, meet with current students and professors, and explore various careers and pathways to post-secondary education. It encourages students to see U of T as a viable pathway to post-secondary education. By coming onto campus and engaging with members of the community who reflect their perspectives, we hope we can encourage them to see University differently; addressing anxieties and concerns they may have. One iteration of DITL is offered to students from Sir Robert L. Borden Business and Technical Institute. The half-day visit to UTSC may include: a computer lab session, a campus tour, and a presentation with current UTSC students.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Timeframe
Reading Week
Summer
Participants
Ages
High school students
Groups
Racialized students
100 Strong Academy
APUF Funded in 2022
UTSC is proud to partner with 100 Strong to host the 100 Strong Academy on campus. 100 Strong is a summer camp for Black boys in grades 7 and 8. UTSC has collaborated with 100 Strong to host the summer camp since 2022––offering space, programming, facilitation and in-kind donations to support participants’ learning and engagement, throughout the month of July. 100 Strong, is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 that is based in Durham and empowers young African-Canadian black boys and builds strong, ambitious leaders. Youth participate in a range of thoughtfully curated activities and experiences meant to enhance their awareness and internalization of principles surrounding Black excellence.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Features
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Timeframe
Summer
Participants
Ages
Middle school students (gr. 6-8)
Groups
Black-identifying male students
Pumped for Post Sec
Pumped for Post Sec brings a group of approx. 20 local high school students to campus to encourage their passions, challenge barriers to accessing post-secondary education, and create a sense of belonging and community amongst high school students interested in attending university or college.
Focus
Access & Transition: promote successful academic and social transitions to post-secondary education
Retention & Persistence: help participants complete and graduate from postsecondary programs
Features
Alumni engagement
Career exploration
Community engagement
Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, internship, design challenges, field trips, etc.)
Tutoring & mentorship
Timeframe
Fall Term
Winter Term
Participants
Ages
High school students
Undergraduate students
Modern Day Griot Project
APUF Funded in 2022
The goal of the Modern-Day Griot project is to give Black UTSC students the skills and ability to showcase the strength and beauty of the Black community and give them the opportunity to heal and share, using the principles of Nguzo Saba (Imani (spiritual), Kuumba (creative), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Nia (purpose), Ujima (responsibility), Umoja (unity), and Ujamaa (cooperative). Over the years, MDGP has provided a safe space for Black students to reflect on their identities and share their stories. MDGP participants also mentor Durham District School Board (DDSB) students, providing them with insights into post-secondary education and offering a counter-narrative to the exclusion they may feel in traditional academic spaces. The program integrates critical discussions on media, storytelling, and self-perception, encouraging students to ask, “Who am I?” using an Afrocentric lens.
Focus
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways
Retention & Persistence: help participants complete and graduate from postsecondary programs
Features
Alumni engagement
Career exploration
Community engagement
Tutoring & mentorship
Timeframe
Winter Term
Participants
Ages
High school students
Undergraduate students
Groups
Black-identifying students
Health Professionals Career Week
Launched in 2022, March Break Health Professionals Career Week introduces high school students from underserved communities to holistic, community-rooted healthcare settings, and to provide opportunities to engage with diverse healthcare professionals in the City’s East end. Through case studies, students explore the roles and services within these pathways. Additionally, in collaboration with Scarborough Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital, the profram offers students the chance to observe hospital operations, interact with healthcare professionals, and tour various hospital departments. Following the exciting announcement of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health, this program was created to provide students in the Scarborough area with exposure to the future opportunities and advancements coming to their community.
Focus
Access & Transition: promote successful academic and social transitions to post-secondary education
Outreach & Engagement: increase awareness and understanding of post-secondary pathways