ACM Engage! is a Co-Curricular Record (CCR) approved certificate program initiated by the Department of Arts, Culture, and Media (ACM) to help students from across U of T Scarborough find opportunities to participate and contribute to the arts, culture and media communities beyond their classroom.
Student engagement is often cited as a key factor positively impacting academic success. We, at ACM, take great pride in supporting our students’ transition to university life and helping them develop a feeling of belongingness within the institution and our department. Enroll in a CCR-approved ACM Engage! certificate program that validates your volunteerism spirit, enhances your leadership skills and supports your professional development.
The Mentor Certificate within the ACM Engage! program is a way for us to introduce Department of Arts, Culture and Media’s programming to our incoming cohort of students. Through our mentors, we strive to build a community of support for our students, and most importantly to make connections and have fun.
A mentor is someone who:
- Completed their first year within ACM
- is knowledgeable and experienced in their program of study
- is willing to share their knowledge to help first year students achieve their goals
- achieved a level of success that can be envisioned by students as something they aspire to become
- Is a critical thinker, challenges themselves and pushes themselves, and can also guide first year students in that way
Benefits of being a mentor:
- Professional development through the process
- An honorarium of $500 at the completion of this commitment
- Add this experience to your Co-Curricular Record
- Contributing to the ACM Community culture
- Enjoy a celebratory event with your peers at the annual end of term ACM Waffle Brunch where we recognize your leadership and contributions!
Expected duties include:
- Provide one-on-one and group mentorship to incoming cohort of students
- Encourage students to participate in departmental events and workshops
- Implement and lead themed ACM Cafes monthly
- Run September campus tours of our ACM spaces
- Attend recruitment events (typically a Saturday in November and March)
- Engaging local high school students in workshops or panels
Learn more about the 2023-24 ACM Mentors.
Check out the archive of 2022-23 ACM Mentors.
About the certificate programs: Volunteer and Mentor
| Volunteer | Mentor |
|---|---|
|
We are looking for students who:
To complete this certificate, a student must:
Recruitment for this certificate is open year long. |
We are looking for students who are:
To complete this certificate, a student must:
Once term is complete, we offer a small honorarium as a thank you for your service! Recruitment for mentors happens in April. The beginning of each mentor term starts in May to March of the following year. |
To Track your Progress:
- All ACM events are now on CLNx, where you can see their details and where you will register for every event you volunteer for so that your work can be tracked.
- Please note that while you can sign up for as many Engage! certificates as you want, each event or workshop can only count towards one certificate. Also, if you decide to count an event towards a class it cannot also count towards your Engage! Certificate.
- At the end of each semester, you will receive a Progress Report via email indicating how many training sessions you have completed according to our records. Reports can also be provided at any time upon request.
At the end of the program:
When you complete all the requirements and an exit survey, you will receive a certificate and recognition on your CCR! And the best part: WAFFLES. We welcome all participants in the current year to join our ACM Engage! Waffle Brunch and Leadership Forum – a celebration of all students’ achievements in this program and recognition for your contribution to the Department of Arts, Culture and Media.
To Sign Up:
We require students to submit a form to indicate your interest in enrolling into the program. We ask for their contact info, and which certificate they are signing up for. Applications will open for the 2022 to 2023 school year term mid-March.
Questions? Please contact our Programming Coordinator, Sydney, at acm-pc@utsc.utoronto.ca.
ACM Engage! Student Certificate Program FAQ
There are many benefits to your learning and campus experience by joining ACM Engage. Based on the feedback from previous years, students valued:
- Making new friends and having fun!
- New skills learned through getting involved
- Sense of accomplishment through working with others and earning CCR-approved recognition
- Soft skills development ie. Working independently, communicating with people, time management
CCR stands for Co-Curricular Record and it’s the University of Toronto’s way of recognizing the activities you do outside of your classes. It helps students make the connection between their involvement and learning when applying for jobs and highlighting skills for future employers or graduate programs. You will be able to print at any point an official validated record of your involvement at U of T.
It’s not mandatory, but it’s a great way to show your work recorded officially by U of T!
To get CCR, you must also activate it separately – please go here to learn more: https://ccr.utoronto.ca/loginpage.htm
ACM Engage! was created with the intention of bringing people together to make it easier for you to meet and make new life-long friends. It’s the perfect way of learning what ACM is all about and how awesome it is to be a part of our community. We do not expect you to have an extensive resume to be able to participate in this program, but we are sure you will have developed a strong one by the end of this experience.
Yes! All students at UTSC are welcome to join the volunteer certificate program. If interested, contact ACM Programming Office at acm_pc@utsc.utoronto.ca.
Our Engagers come from different academic backgrounds, with a majority coming from the following programs at UTSC
|
Psychology Art History and Visual Culture French Curatorial Studies Global Asian Studies New Media Studies Biochemistry Studio Neuroscience Health Studies |
Political science Computer Science Arts Management Sociology Journalism Biology Music and Culture City Studies Theatre and Performance Studies |
Yes! ACM students are welcome to apply to both certificates, and non-ACM students are welcome to apply to the volunteer certificate. Students enrolled in both certificates will have to meet each certificate requirement separately. Same hours/training sessions cannot be used towards both.