CALL FOR NEW PROJECTS
The Innovation Hub is ready to take on new design thinking and storytelling projects for the 2026-27 academic year. Our student teams can help you co-create programs, services, resources, and spaces. Working together, we help you build positivity around your project and ensure the highest possible student engagement in the process. Our teams are hired and trained specifically for your project and work directly with you and your teams throughout the process.
WHY WORK WITH THE INNOVATION HUB?
10+ years experience with student-led projects improving campus experiences
Excellent teams of students from all programs
Our peer-to-peer model generates honest stories from students
Personalized branding for each project imagined by ourstudent graphic designers
Professional outputs including reports, presentations of data, videography, mini-websites and more
Our Peer-to-Peer Model
The Innovation Hub takes a design thinking approach that focuses on collecting story-based data through conversations to understand student experiences. We then create powerful stories based on insights from the data that can lead to innovative possibilities for the future. We focus on ensuring that all of your community members can participate and feel included. Our approach leads to increased positive sentiment and generates positive public relations. Our aim is to unveil visions for future possibilities where students can see their needs and insights reflected.
Project Timeline
Fee Structure: Cost Recovery
Once we’ve met with you to discuss your project needs, we’ll create a project proposal that includes all fees. The Innovation Hub offers consultant-quality work in affordable cost-recovery pricing model that supports student employment. Project fees include the cost of student salaries, student participant compensation in TBucks, and any other direct costs associated with carrying out your project. The Innovation Hub covers all overhead costs of supporting student teams. Pricing ranges from $30,000 - $45,000 depending on the scope of the project. Your project directly generates employment for students across all degree and study levels.
Hear What Our Partners Say About Us
Our collaboration with the Innovation Hub at the University of Toronto has been invaluable in advancing the mission of Accessibility Services.
"Their team has provided thoughtful guidance and creative support for projects that explore student engagement in programming and, importantly, initiatives that unpack the lived experiences of neurodivergence on campus. By fostering inclusive dialogue and co-designing opportunities with students, the Innovation Hub has helped us create spaces where diverse perspectives are not only heard but actively shape the future of accessibility at U of T. Their partnership continues to strengthen our commitment to building a more equitable and engaging campus experience for all students."
– Michael Nicholson, Director, Accessibility Services
Not only was the final report impressive, but it was also clear the students were deeply passionate about the project.
"It was a privilege to work with the iHub to explore what equity, diversity, inclusion, and access looks like at the School of the Environment. Not only was the final report impressive, but it was also clear the students were deeply passionate about the project. That's the strength of iHub’s students-as-partners approach – it reimagines collaboration and fosters a university culture where care and creativity drive meaningful change."
– Meghan Sbrocchi, Manager, School of the Environment
The Family Care Office’s collaborations with the Innovation Hub have been truly transformative.
"Through their qualitative research, they’ve recorded and amplified the voices of student parents, ensuring their experiences are heard and understood. Thanks to the Innovation Hub’s design thinking approach, the University now has student stories and insights that can inform decision-making and thereby strengthen support for student parents’ full participation in academic and campus life."
– Natasja VanderBerg, Manager, Family Care Office & Faculty Relocation Service
Working with the Innovation Hub is the perfect way to engage students in researching an issue or project, creating space for student voices, and identifying a path forward for a relevant problem or issue that you’re focusing on.
“The employment of design thinking not only makes the process that much more meaningful, but it also enables the project team to ask critical questions that get the clients and users to think about the roots of the issue – thus, better enabling them to frame a solution that is more sustainable and impactful. And on top of it all, they’re a great team to work with! Always a pleasure and so thoughtful in their approach."
– David Kim, Warden, Hart House
The Innovation Hub's approach, including their peer-to-peer design thinking model, helped to amplify student voices.
"It was a pleasure to work with the Innovation Hub from start to finish. At the School of the Environment, we're committed to creating programming to support student needs. Partnering with the Innovation Hub to support this work was a natural fit. The Innovation Hub's approach, including their peer-to-peer design thinking model, helped to amplify student voices and supported our understanding of the importance of creating programming for students informed directly by student needs."
– Emma Bernardo, Graduate Administrator, School of the Environment
The Innovation Hub provides an outstanding and innovative solution to this challenge of speaking to students in the student voice.
“While University staff work diligently to support the student experience, there are times when the best people to speak to students on sensitive topics are other students."
- Andrea Russell, Director of Academic Affairs, Office of the Vice-President & Provost
HAVE AN IDEA FOR A PROJECT? LET'S CHAT!
We would love to set up a conversation to discuss your project idea. Fill in some details using the form below and we’ll be in touch soon! We're currently accepting project ideas until Friday, January 16th, 2026.
Have any questions? Contact Julia Allworth, Manager, Innovation Projects at julia.allworth@utoronto.ca.