YUFA
Community Projects
Past Initiatives
28 Nov 11
LGBT Equity in Education Workshop, October 2011. This workshop was a joint effort between the Queer Caucus and the YUFA Community Projects Committee. The focus was on the educational system as a site of struggle for LGBT equity; the objective to increase awareness about school climates and the experiences of the LGBT population.
The workshop attracted more than fifty participants, including faculty and librarians (form York, Ryerson, and the University of Toronto), students, and community activists. The evaluation reports were all laudatory. The event was judged a success by all.
On the basis of this workshop, a proposal to strengthen internal community engagement with all currently established, macro-based, LGBT-identified organizations at York University was been submitted to the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) in February 2011.
(See LGBT Equity in Education Workshop Discussion Notes.)
Promoting Excellence. This six-week summer program for Grade 8 students in the Jane-Finch community ran for three summers (2007, 2008, 2009). The objective was to support students in making successful transitions to Grade 9 and in developing the competencies and skills needed to be successful in high school. The program provided school supplies, lunch and snacks, transportation to and from the campus, and covered the cost of field trips.
Located on the York University campus, Promoting Excellence offered an integrated program of upgrading skills and recreation that combined academic instruction in the morning with sports, social activities, and field trips in the afternoon. Senior students from the local high school provide on-site mentoring throughout the day and a source of ongoing support for the Promoting Excellence students during Grade 9. Participants received a 0.5 Learning Strategies Credit toward their secondary school diploma. Student participation more than doubled from some 60 students in the first year to over 120 students in the final year. For a more detailed description and formative evaluation of the program see, Promoting Excellence: A Community-Based Approach to Social and Academic Support for Youth in the Jane-Finch Community (February 2008).
York / Seneca Summer Science and Technology Program. Grade 11 students from four local high schools spend six weeks of their summer working as interns in laboratories and in field-based projects at York and Seneca in Pure and Applied Sciences as a transition to post-secondary education. The objectives are to generate student interest in science and technology and promote science and technology as a career option.
Summer Arts Institute. This initiative was designed specifically as an outreach response to the high demand and limited opportunities for meaningful summer activities for students in the communities surrounding York University. Throughout July, students from local schools (ranging from grades 3 – 12) participate in the design and execution of a major dance, music, or theatre piece for performance, or in the creation of a large sculpture installation, at York’s Centre for Fine Arts. Program assistants include students from York’s Arts Education Program and senior students from local schools who are interested in pursuing further education or a career in the fine arts. Community members are invited to the final presentation of the performance pieces and to view the art on display.