The Innovation Hub

Introduction

Category: Blog

Category: Blog

Exciting Opportunity to Learn Design Thinking and Be Involved With the Innovation Hub!

Are you a student or staff at U of T who is passionate about making a difference? Join our Design thinking Experience Program where we explore the student experience and learn about design thinking to make change. We are thrilled to be launching our Design Thinking Experience Program this Winter 2022 semester. Running weekly on Wednesdays 2:00-4:00PM from February 2 until April 6, this is a 10-week boot-camp style program that will provide you with: 

  • an introduction to innovation and Design Thinking 
  • experience conducting qualitative research 
  • teamwork skills and connections on campus 
  • an opportunity to generate ideas to improve the student experience at U of T 
A blue and white graphic that reads 'The Design Thinking Experience Program' with colourful icons representing innovation and collaboration
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In Conversation with Julia Allworth: A New Space for Innovation and Community at The Student Commons

  • Betelehem outside smiling at the camera
    Betelehem Gulilat
  • Julia Allworth

 By Betelehem Gulilat, Content Writer & Julia Allworth, Manager of Innovation Projects  

When you hear the word collaboration, what comes to mind? Likely a group of people working collectively with a shared goal and ultimate purpose. In the age of technology and COVID-19, we discovered that collaboration does not have to be confined to a physical space but can in fact exist virtually to enable team members to work together from just about anywhere in the world. We discovered the values, setbacks and new approaches that come with collaboration virtually and for nearly two years this was our reality, up until this early October 2021… 

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Reflecting on Future Impact: Trans Awareness week & The Innovation Hub

Written By Sofia Callaghan, Izzy Friesen, Serena Singh – Design Research Assistants for the Trans and Nonbinary Student Experiences Project  Trans Awareness Week (November 13th-19th), and Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20th) is approaching, and so we’d like to share some research…
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Share your experiences with Classroom Accommodations: Call for Participants!

We want to share what we heard from you and gather more feedback on your experiences of classroom accommodations and accessibility!   Sign up to share. Receive a $10 gift card as a thank you!  In summer 2021, the Innovation Hub partnered with Accessibility Services to gain…
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How We Co-Design to Center Student Voices

Written by Georgia Maxwell & Marcus Lomboy (Senior Research Assistants), Sanskriti Maheshwari (Design Research Assistant), Amal Yusuf (Design Research Assistant), and Carla Montgomery-Alexander (Content Writer)

  • Georgia is outside, smiling towards the camera and wearing. a dark blue shirt.
    Georgia Maxwell
  • Marcus wearing a blue suit, standing outside
    Marcus Lomboy
  • Sanskriti is smiling towards the camera, they are outside with trees and scenery in the background
    Sanskriti Maheshwari
  • Amal smiling to the camera, wearing a black and light pink outfit.
    Amal Yusuf
  • An image of Carla, with short reddish-brown hair, wearing a light blue coat
    Carla Montgomery-Alexander
An illustrated icon of an individuals smiling, with a heart in the background representing care

In Summer 2021, The Innovation Hub was approached by Health and Wellness to help with their services redesign project, an initiative seeking to improve the delivery of mental health services on campus. Central to this service improvement work was having students directly contribute to the design of mental health service delivery, for Health and Wellness wanted to implement a model that ensures the best experience possible for any student who needs it. 

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Join the Innovation Hub & Improve Student Experience as a Community Animator!

Applications are now open We’re looking for students who would love to volunteer and contribute to our community! Deadline to Apply: November 14th The Innovation Hub seeks to improve University of Toronto campus life by understanding and researching the experiences of…
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Returning to Campus: New Directions

Beth smiling towards the camera in a bright and sunny garden.

Written by Betelehem Gulilat, Content Writer 

Illustrated by Anna Tram, Digital Storyteller

We are two months into the fall semester. Classes have picked up, we are in the heart of midterm season and students are establishing a routine across their academic, work and social lives. Yet similar to last year, this school year is not quite like the rest. After spending the past year and a half at Zoom University, UofT students are returning to campus with mixed emotions from excitement, frustration, joy, anxiousness, more and everything in between. 

Fragments of normalcy can be seen walking through St. George Street, while waiting in line at the bookstore, or finding a seat at the library. But despite this ‘normalcy’, we cannot deny the gaps that endured in pre-pandemic student life as much as the ones emerging post-pandemically. A recent poll conducted by KPMG surveyed more than a thousand Canadian postsecondary students and discovered that 78 percent of students agree the pandemic has “fundamentally changed” their expectations of their higher education experience.   

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Researchers Reflect: The Power of Empathy

This blog post is the first of Researchers Reflect, a new series where we embark on the journey of a design researcher at the Innovation Hub. Each post will spotlight a different design researcher sharing their stories, experience and learning moments throughout the course of their research.

Amal is wearing a jean jacket, smiling towards the camera with a whit ebackground.

Written by Amal Yusuf, UTQAP Research Coordinator  

Since 2019, I was given the privilege and trust to listen to students’ stories and experiences throughout a variety of projects, such as the Presidential and Provostial Task Force for Student Mental Health, Food Insecurity on Campus, Let’s Talk About Failure Project, Student Experiences at Rotman Commerce, and much more! Being a part of this work has been a real growing experience for me. Today, I will be sharing a bit about this journey and how it has made an impact in my area of work and studies.  

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Join us! Trans and Nonbinary Student Feedback Sessions

Inviting students who are trans, nonbinary, and/or otherwise gender nonconforming for feedback! In summer 2021, the Innovation Hub partnered with the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office (SGDO) to gain a better understanding of the experiences of trans and/or nonbinary students with the identification categories…
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