Redefining Traditional is a global initiative to make higher education more family-friendly.
Student parents, or students who also have family responsibilities, make up about 15% of post-secondary enrolments 1. Despite this prevalence, few institutional policies, spaces, and programs account for their needs. To address this gap, we aim to equip student parents with the tools needed to successfully navigate their multifarious roles, engage them to join a cross-institutional community of belonging, and support them by facilitating productive dialogue among advocates and change-makers. In doing so, we hope to improve the access, visibility, and experience of these students, allowing them to flourish in all areas of their lives. You can learn more about our story and how Redefining Traditional began in our about section.
What's Happening at Redefining Traditional:
We have compiled a wealth of COVID-19 friendly resources for student parents! This includes advice and information about self-advocacy, online learning, homeschooling children, mental health, and recreation.
Finding belonging, visibility, and community are some of the numerous challenges faced by student parents in higher education. Visit our blog, or contribute to sharing your story as a student parent by clicking the link below!
Join other parents in the post-secondary community in the Redefining Traditional Facebook group. The goal of this group is to support student parents in balancing life commitments – school, family and otherwise.
This community has been imagined by partners at the University of Toronto:
1 van Rhijn, T., Smit Quosai, T., & Lero, D. S. (2011). A profile of undergraduate student parents in Canada.