Join the 2017-18 Innovation Hub Team!

By Clara Luca, Innovation Leader, Innovation Hub

This summer, I was hired to join the 2017 summer student team at the Innovation Hub. I worked with the UofT community to workshop and research the UofT Neighborhood Communities and UofT Concierge prototype ideas. I also had the opportunity to attend workshops and events around campus as well as several great training sessions to advance my knowledge of design thinking and develop my leadership skills. I also worked with the team as we created an amazingly colourful #DisplayYourPride piece. I’m so pleased to be continuing with the Innovation Hub into the Fall/Winter. Our team is growing and the Innovation Hub is now accepting applications for the 2017-18 team!

Working with the Innovation Hub has been such a growth opportunity!  Here’s what some of my summer 2017 student colleagues had to say when reflecting on their experiences:

• One colleague says that their time at the Innovation Hub gave them “incredible practical experience working in a creative environment. You really learn a lot about yourself and limits. People are super inviting and willing to help you along the way.”

• The Innovation Hub offers the opportunity to grow and connect with others. A 4th-year student says, “Through my experience in the Innovation Hub, I built incredibly strong relationships with staff, students, and faculty at the University of Toronto! I gained new confidence in public speaking and facilitation, and further developed my research and organization skills.”

• Another 4th-year student says the “The Innovation Hub reaffirms that the path to innovation is a long one. However, painting the vision of enriching experiences takes one stroke at a time, and this is where you can make it happen.” The cycle of failure leading to success is prevalent here, and a valuable lesson.

• A graduate student chimes in that they learned “to design something from nebulous initial wants, by being comfortable with the ambiguities inherent, and being brave enough to build and present prototypes that might not always work,”

• Another graduate student says, “Working at the Innovation Hub allowed me to become aware of how the skills developed through my studies were valued in the work realm. Working on this team was a positive and energizing experience, allowing me to learn more about myself and how to center students’ experiences within the institution.”

There are seven work-study positions in the the Innovation Hub for the 2017-18 Fall/Winter terms.  These work-study positions are leadership roles which allow students to grow and adapt to new learning styles along the way. Each leader will have a small team of students working with them in order to proceed with their projects. These roles are highly collaborative with the greater University of Toronto community, and they are opportunities to make a lasting impact for current and future students at the university.  All students who meet the work study eligibility guidelines are invited to apply in the Career Learning Network.  The available Innovation Hub work-study positions are as follows:

Connector – CLN Job #102942
The Connector works as a liaison between the Hub and its stakeholders – namely, U of T students, staff, faculty and Toronto community members. This leader will seek opportunities for collaboration between the Hub and others doing work with the community in fields such as social innovation, design thinking, community development and participatory action research.

Ethnographer/Insights Expert – CLN Job #102933
The Ethnographer and Insights Expert conducts and analyzes qualitative interviews with the goal of understanding life from other’s perspectives. This role is ideal for someone who has extensive ethnographic or qualitative research experience.  The work of this student has great potential to impact current and prospective UofT students as they work with a team of students to uncover insights into student needs and perspectives and share these insights with stakeholders.

Event Coordinator/Strategist – CLN Job#102870
The Event Strategist provides leadership, support and planning for all events at the Innovation Hub. This is a great opportunity for a student with an interest in and passion for event planning, creativity, innovation and attention to detail. This positions offers many opportunities for personal development and community engagement.

Information Design Specialist – CLN Job#102866
The Information Design Specialist supports the Innovation Hub through data analysis and provides strategic input from a student perspective to support students in finding programs, services and resources to support their academic career. This role is suited for those studying information management, engineering, computer science or other related fields looking to transform the student experience at the University of Toronto. This is a highly technical and collaborative position.

Integrative Thinking & Design Thinking Specialist – CLN Job #102890
The Integrative Thinking & Design Thinking Specialist analyzes complex problems, tensions, and challenges. Working with the rest of the Innovation Hub team, this student supports the design and delivery of workshops and training sessions to support the ideation and prototyping activities in the Innovation Hub. For those interested in design thinking, entrepreneurship or other related fields, this is a great opportunity!

Storyteller – CLN Job #102886
The Innovation Hub Storyteller uses multimedia storytelling to engage audiences and build partnerships in and among the University of Toronto community. Through storytelling, the student in this role shares the Innovation Hub’s work and vision and promotes events, workshops and ideas.

User Experience (UX) Prototyper – CLN Job #102925
The UX Prototyper leads the prototyping process at the Innovation Hub, creating a minimum viable product to test out different versions of an idea, while confronting assumptions and seeing what changes are necessary. This role is suited for highly creative students or those studying user experience design, design thinking or other related fields.

These roles are now visible on the Career Learning Network.  The last day to apply is Sunday August 20th, 2017.  

If you are looking for other opportunities to get involved with the I-Hub, stay tuned!