Start off 2022 by Learning Design Thinking at the Innovation Hub!

A magnifying glass with a question mark and a lightbulb are connected by a circle, while being hand drawn by two hands.

It’s a new year – and with that comes new and exciting opportunities here at the Innovation Hub. As we return to campus this semester we wanted to remind our community about the Design Thinking Experience Program. Applications close January 19th – learn more & register for an information session below!


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: 

Work with Us and Support the Growth of the Innovation Hub!

By Julia Allworth, Manager Innovation Projects

Are you someone who has a passion for community, creativity, and accessibility? We’re excited to share our posting for the Senior Project Assistant role here at the Innovation Hub! To learn more about the role and how to apply, take a look below.


A megaphone

Working as the lead administrator for the Innovation Hub and directly supporting the Manager, Innovation Projects, the Senior Project Assistant takes a leadership role in all elements of strategic and operational planning and communications for the Innovation Hub. They also provide leadership and support to the Innovation Hub teams in carrying out their work.  

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

In Conversation with Julia Allworth: A New Space for Innovation and Community at The Student Commons

 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… 

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…

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)


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. 

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: January 16th The Innovation Hub seeks to improve University of Toronto campus life by understanding and researching the experiences of…

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…

Call for Participants: Student Experiences at the Faculty of Dentistry

As the oldest, largest and top-ranked dental school in Canada, the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto aims to provide a rewarding program to its students. Through its program, the Faculty aspires that students will advance dentistry with inspired leadership,…

Reconciliation & Reflection: Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Please note that this post speaks about residential schools and the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We acknowledge that the land in which we work from at the The University of Toronto has been, for thousands of years, the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. Learn more about which lands you may reside on, and the treaties and histories connected with it, at: https://native-land.ca/  or https://www.whose.land/en/


On September 30th we commemorate Orange Shirt Day, a day intended to raise awareness on the centuries long impact Canada’s Residential School System has had on Indigenous communities, knowledge, traditions, and beyond. Orange Shirt day comes from the experience of Phyllis Webstad (Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation), who was six-years-old when she first arrived to a residential school. On her first day of arriving at the school she was stripped of her new orange shirt. This is what she has shared on what it felt like – and you can learn more about Phyllis’s story in the link provided: