Community Partnerships & Engagement is dedicated to the community: its people, its well-being, and its ability to thrive. Read on to learn more about U of T Scarborough's network of community partners.
Toronto East Quadrant Local Immigration Partnership (TEQ-LIP)
Featured Project: Community Action Groups
In collaboration with Toronto East Quadrant Local Immigration Partnership (TEQ-LIP), students learn about community-based planning and development in City Studies and Human Geography courses at U of T Scarborough. Through placement opportunities at local non-profit organizations and social service agencies in Scarborough, students identify the priorities of immigrants in their communities––engaging in Action Groups to facilitate info sessions, conduct environmental scans, lead qualitative research, and propose culturally-relevant solutions, all while being an accessible and responsive aid to those in need within their neighbourhoods.
East Scarborough Storefront
Featured Project: East Scarborough Works
The East Scarborough Storefront is a community development organization based in the Kingston Galloway-Orton Park (KGO) neighbourhood and a longstanding partner of U of T Scarborough. It is one of Toronto's first service delivery hubs committing to providing employment, economic, health, and civic action opportunities for local residents and organizations. Its collaborative work with U of T Scarborough spans back to over a decade ago across a range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities, including hosting placement students in Geography and City Studies programs, teaching a community development course, facilitating joint athletic programs for the community in Scarborough, and collaborating on a workforce development project with local anchors called East Scarborough Works.
As a unique space for collaboration between grassroots leaders in the region, the UTSC/KGO Initiative is intended to foster mutually beneficial collaboration between UTSC and the Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park (KGO) community with overall goals of sharing insights gleaned through academic and community work, sharing knowledge, opportunities and facilities available through UTSC to strengthen the KGO community and using the Storefront’s networks and collaborations to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement in the KGO community to UTSC students and staff.
Learn more about The Storefront
BGC East Scarborough
Featured Project: MAAT Youth Centre
Last year, MAAT Youth Centre at BGC East Scarborough (BGCES) opened its doors, and it is now offering employment training, programs in the arts, and out-of-school opportunities in the form of academic support, leadership training, mentorship, and S.T.E.M. programs. These programs help youth acquire new skills, explore passions, develop employability skills, and apply knowledge to gain real work experience––all in a safe space with positive mentorship.
Learn more about BGC East Scarborough
TAIBU Community Health Centre
Featured Project: Black Health Equity Lab
U of T Scarborough is the home to a new lab designed to tackle health disparities faced by the Black community in Toronto. The Black Health Equity Lab (BHEL) is an essential development for the Eastern GTA that brings a community-rooted lens to the forefront of primary health care. Collaborating with Black communities to address equitable access to healthcare, the BHEL aims to bolster the healthcare ecosystem in Scarborough and address the critical needs of its residents.
Malvern Family Resource Centre
Featured Project: Action for Neighbourhood Change
Malvern Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is a multi-service social service agency, committed to strengthening families and individuals through inclusive and effective programming and services for children, youth, women, seniors and families in the Malvern and Rouge River riding. It is the parent organization to its resident engagement arm, Malvern Action for Neighbourhood Change. The University serves as the Action for Neighbourhood Change's academic partner, providing workshops on strategies for small food enterprises, mapping food paths, sharing immigrant stories and conducting research. The collaborative Farmer Learning Series includes a pilot urban farm project that includes workshops and hands-on training in environmental sustainability, farm management and growing techniques.
All Stars Community Outreach
Featured Project: Placement Host
All Stars Community Outreach was created to meet the needs of local residents in Mornelle Court. All Stars works to improve the neighbourhood’s overall health, welfare, and safety. They provide individuals and families with a collection of programs suited for every stage of life, from a safe walk program, to seniors recreational activities, and summer camp for children. UTSC served as a placement host for service learning for students in City Studies and Human Geography programs.
Toronto AKA (Alpha Alpha Delta Omega Chapter)
Featured Project: Financial Audit
We collaborated with Alpha Alpha Delta Omega Sorority (Toronto AKA) to coordinate an external financial audit with students in U of T Scarborough's MAccFin program. This unique work-integrated learning opportunity allowed students to gain real-world auditing experience while bolstering the financial sustainability of Toronto AKA––ensuring an organization led by and representing equity-deserving groups are able to have audited financials to qualify for funding and are supported in removing barriers to access.
Parents Engaged In Education
Featured Project: Sports Programming
Parents Engaged In Education (PEIE) works to empower parents with the skills and knowledge to support their children and make the educational experience at school better for all children. U of T Scarborough teamed up with Parents Engaged in Education to provide underserved youth from diverse backgrounds with barrier-free access to quality, team-based sports programming. The partnership provided families with engaging, free weekly sessions at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) and Morningside Athletic Fields.
Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA)
Featured Project: Ongoing support
The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) is an umbrella organization of agencies, groups, and individuals that provide services to the South Asian Community. We envision and strive for a Canada free of all forms of discrimination in which all communities are free from marginalization and are fully empowered to participate in defining Canada’s political, economic, social and cultural future.
R.I.S.E. Edutainment
Featured Projects: 416RISE, Artist residencies
RISE is a grassroots organization empowering BIPOC youth in the Greater Toronto Area to create meaningful art rooted in self-knowledge and self-expression. UTSC has been a partner of RISE over the years for performance opportunities, an artist residency at Doris McCarthy Gallery, mentorship, and special events. In March 2019 the RISE community partnered with University of Toronto Scarborough to host the sixth annual 416RISE, which is a celebration of the community’s work to enrich Scarborough’s culture and develop artists across the city. It is an opportunity to showcase some of Toronto’s emerging artists who are often excluded from mainstream event stages.