The Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary (BGSEB)

The application will close on 31 March 2023 at 12pm.

The Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary (BGSEB) was created by the UTGSU in partnership with the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS) in September 2020 to provide financial support to help improve fair and equitable access to educational opportunities for Black students in graduate studies at the University of Toronto. It recognizes that talent and excellence thrive in Black communities and that providing fair and equitable access to educational opportunities acknowledges the creativity, leadership capacity and gifted nature of Black students.

A total of fifteen (15) bursaries of $2000 each are available for distribution in the academic year. It aims to provide additional financial support to help offset the costs associated with academic endeavors for domestic and international Black students, completing graduate studies at the University of Toronto. Priority will be given to first-year students commencing graduate studies. The bursary will be offered and held by students in addition to any other financial aid or graduate funding they may receive (OSAP, major awards, or graduate funding).

The Graduate Community Development Fund (GCDF)

The application will close on 21 March 2023 at 12pm. 

The Graduate Community Development Fund (GCDF) was created in partnership with the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS) in March 2017 to provide merit-based equity awards recognizing exceptional students on campus for their contributions to the graduate student experience. Ten Awards will be disbursed with each award of $500 each.

Applicants who identify as Internal students, Women and Trans, non-binary, two-spirit students, Black, Indigenous and Students of colour, and students with disabilities will be prioritized for this bursary. 

Women Only Hours: Athletic Centre and Varsity Centre 

Women-identifying students are welcome to drop-in for any of our women only programs. We offer open gym, lane swimming, stick n’ puck, field sports, volleyball and basketball.

Check out uoft.me/women-only for more details and a full schedule with all our offerings.  

Dance for everyBODY: Every Wednesday, February 8 – March 22, 8-9 p.m. @ Goldring Fitness Studio 

Join a weekly drop-in dance class for every-BODY, every mind and every experience level. Express yourself through popping, locking, breaking, house, freestyle and many other hip-hop sub-genres. Simplified and seated demonstrations will be provided. Come and find your groove!  
uoft.me/dance-for-everybody 

Move with Culture: Metis Jigging March 2 from 4-6 p.m. @ Goldring Fitness Studio 

Megan Southwell will teach you Red River jigging, partner dancing, and social (group) dancing all to vibrant live fiddle music from Alicia Blore! Learn something new and register at uoft.me/move-with-culture 

Personal Training with Sport & Rec 

Get access to a coaching team at the forefront of evidence-based practice and cutting-edge research! Maximize your fitness and performance by booking personalized training centred around you and your specific fitness needs, whatever level you are at. 8- and 12-session packages are available for purchase. Learn more at uoft.me/personaltraining. 

Feb 15, 2023 12:00 PM to 05:00 PM
Multi-Faith Centre – Multi-Purpose Room, 569 Spadina Ave

Grief Support (In-person, drop in) – Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Feb 15th, 12pm – 5pm
Multi-Purpose Room, 2nd Floor

This is a communal space that will be staffed by Yijia, MFC’s Peer Support person and Jeanette, Ecumenical chaplain. Students are welcome to come to talk, reflect/say a prayer, find a moment of silence and solace. You are welcome to drop in any time between 12pm to 5pm and stay for as little or long as you like.

Light refreshments will be available.
Prayer and meditation mats will also be available for those requiring them.

If you are looking for a virtual group session, please see the following:
Virtual Grief Support Group
Mar 7, 2023 03:00 PM to 05:00 PM
https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=48014

Now more than ever, it is important to take care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health! 

Complete five wellness activities before March 10th, 2023, to be eligible to win one of five $50 gift certificates towards the wellness activity of your choice! 

Register on CLNx  

Please register to receive the 2023 list of Wellness activities to help you explore what wellness means to you and share what you have done to inspire others to explore wellness too. When you complete your five wellness activities, fill out this form before March 10th, 2022, to enter. 

For questions about the Winter Wellness Challenge, reach out to Odelia Bempah at odelia.bempah@utoronto.ca.

Have TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook? 
Share your wellness activities on any of these three platforms and tag @uoftstudentlife #winterwellnesschallenge2023 (optional) 

An Intern Join us for a discussion about social entrepreneurship. Want to make an impact?  
  
In celebration of Black History Month, join the Centre for International Experience for an inspiring conversation about social entrepreneurship with U of T alumnus, Christopher Thompson (BA 2012 UTM), Executive Director of the Federation of Black Canadians.  
  
Drawing from his own professional and personal experiences as a Black community leader, Christopher will share insights into what it’s like working in the non-profit sector and being a social entrepreneur.  
  
From empowering Black communities in Canada, to founding his own charity and consulting practice, to supporting capacity building for grassroot organizations, Christopher’s experiences will highlight the impactful opportunities that exist in social entrepreneurship and how you can get involved.  
  
More about Christopher  
  
Christopher Thompson is a passionate leader who has a desire to empower others and give back to the community. He currently serves as the Executive Director of The Federation of Black Canadians, a national non-profit organization that advances the social, economic, political and cultural interests of Canadians of African descent. In 2016, Christopher founded Skills for Life, a local charity in the Peel Region that focuses on life skills development for youth and young adults. He has over 10 years of experience in community engagement and grassroot organization capacity building and founded his own not-for-profit consulting practice, Chris Consulting Group.  
  
Christopher studied Political Science, Sociology, and Crime, Law & Deviance at U of T Mississauga and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in 2012. He served as the UTM Student Union President, UTM Alumni Association President, and Athletic Association Director. Christopher is a recipient of an Arbor Award for his exceptional and longstanding volunteerism with U of T.  
  
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023  
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm  
Location: Online (Zoom links will be provided closer to the day of the event)  

** Register on CLNx  

People around the world are reacting with alarm and sadness at the news of devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria that have killed thousands of people and injured many more.

Need help understanding how to access health care on and off campus? Led by faculty and students at the U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, the Discovery Pharmacy offers free virtual or in-person appointments designed to answer international students’ questions about health resources at U of T and beyond.  Prioritize your wellbeing this semester by booking a Health Orientation for International Students appointment.  Discovery Pharmacy is located at 144 College Street (North-West corner of College & University) and just steps from the Queen’s Park subway station. You can book an appointment and learn more about the pharmacy’s services on the Discovery Pharmacy website.

Please be aware that an email you may have recently received regarding tuition payments is a scam. This email was not sent by the University Registrar’s Office, please delete it. See the University Registrar’s Office website for information on how to identify an official U of T email versus a phishing or suspicious email.  

Please note: An official email will be sent at the end of this week to students with outstanding balances. You can check your account status and balance in ACORN at any time and you can safely make payments using this information. 

Join John (Waaseyaabin) Hupfield and Deanne Hupfield along with special guest instructors in a welcoming space to learn and practice pow wow dance. This weekly class is open to all levels and has the goal of nurturing dancers, whether this is your first or hundredth time dancing. This is a great and supportive space to bring regalia, or just something to move in! Over the course of the semester, participants can get excited to learn and practice intertribal steps, storysharing, basic footwork, Fancy Shawl, Grass dance, Traditional bustle, Jingle, Traditional cloth and buckskin, Fancy Bustle, Chicken Dance, and Woodland styles. All ages, skill and experience levels, and genders are welcome.

This drop-in class is open to Indigenous community members only, at U of T and beyond (free-of-charge).

Presented in partnership with First Nations House.

 NOTE: 

• Winter Program runs January 10 to March 28!
• No registration required.

Location

Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport (100 Devonshire Place, Toronto) – Fitness Studio

Eligibility

This program is open to all indigenous students and community members. 

Schedule & Important Information

• Drop-in Pow Wow Dance occurs every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. in the Gorlding Fitness Studio. 

Join Hart House and the EDI office UTM on January 24th, from 12:00pm – 1:00pm as we talk to experienced Solo traveller and storyteller, Lotoya Jackson as she shares her experiences travelling the world alone and with her daughter. Lotoya has travelled to 37 countries on 5 continents – mostly solo – and has stints living and teaching ESL in Tokyo and Montreal. Lotoya will share key learnings from her journeys as a Black woman, travelling solo. This will include a discussion of her experience teaching ESL in Japan. The aim is to empower people of colour, especially women to travel. You will leave this session with practical tips and strategies to navigate negative travel experiences. 

Registration and more information on the Hart House Website.