Student Global Experiences at the University of Toronto

In the Summer of 2017, the Innovation Hub sought the voices of students at St. Michael's College who have had global experiences, whether they were international students arriving at the university, domestic students going abroad, or students from small towns moving to Toronto. The goal of our project was to understand students’ narratives about global experiences at U of T. More specifically, we wanted to understand the positive aspects of global experiences and bring them to the forefront.

Our Findings

We found that even though every student was confronted with challenges and difficulties at some point in their global experience, they still label that experience as ‘positive’. This core finding is explored through two key themes: 

  1. Connection & Community
  2. Language & Resilience

Insights, quotes, student personas, and questions that emerged out of the findings are also shared to support ideation process in our communities that ultimately meet student needs.

Person pointing at a small globe

Meet the Team