Interested in developing research and leadership skills to lead change for a sustainable future?

The Reach Alliance is a student-driven, faculty-mentored research and leadership initiative examining how critical interventions and innovations reach those who are the hardest to reach: those living in extreme poverty, the geographically remote, administratively invisible and marginalized. Reach Alliance Researcher applications close Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM. All full-time undergraduate, graduate and PhD students, including incomingstudents for 2023-24 academic year, across U of T’s three campuses are eligible to apply.

Join an international network of multidisciplinary student and faculty researchers investigating complex global challenges and addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the Reach Alliance!

Students gain skills and experience via working with world class faculty mentors, performance coaches, top students from across the university and through a curated professional skills development series. These skills equip students, propelling them into the next phase of their career, whether further studies or professional.

As a Reach researcher you will:

• Work on an interdisciplinary team to publish a case study report
• Develop and practice real world leadership skills
• Gain hands-on experience in research design and data analysis
• Conduct field research in a global context
• Receive mentorship and coaching from leading U of T faculty mentors and professional performance coaches

Apply online by February 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Learn more here.

Join our online application workshop January 26, 2023, 4-5pm ETto learn about what Reach looks for in its researchers, and how to make your application stand out.

Register here!

Join us in January for the ICCan Games Tournament! A morning of adaptive and inclusive sports in friendly competition. This event is presented by Inclusive Communities Canada in partnership with UofT Sport & Rec.

Learn skills, compete in challenges, and win prizes!

Register for one or six open teams and enjoy the challenge and fun of adaptive and inclusive sports and activities. All U of T students are welcome. Free pizza lunch for participants following the tournament, served from 12-1:30 p.m.

Adaptive games include…

• Indoor Sledge Hockey
• Wheelchair Basketball
• Goal Ball
• Seated Volleyball

Registration closes January 11, 2023. Teams are limited to 10 people each, so make sure to register early if you’d like to be on the same team as your friends!

Register now at recreation.utoronto.ca.

Dear friends and colleagues,

The University of Toronto recently launched its new International Strategic Plan (2022-2027). Many of you were involved in sharing your reflections and insights, and we proudly celebrated this important launch recently with the first of four virtual panels. In case you missed the virtual event on ‘co-creation,’ featuring a stellar international panel, you can watch the recording.

We are now delighted to invite you to attend the second virtual panel focusing on another key theme of our new International Strategic Plan – international student experience. This time, the theme of ‘International Students’ Success’ will be discussed, as well as possible strategies and avenues to ensure international students are included and successful in a new (and welcoming) community. 

The second panel will be moderated by Professor Alexie Tcheuyap (Associate Vice-President & Vice-Provost, International Student Experience, University of Toronto). Panelists include: Professor Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students, University of Toronto), Professor Lynn Tucker (Associate Dean Experiential & Global Learning, University of Toronto Scarborough), Katherine Beaumont (Senior Director, Global Learning, University of Toronto), and Professor David Coen (Vice Dean International, Faculty of Social Sciences, University College London).

The panel will take place on:

Monday, January 9 

10:30 am to 12:00 pm (ET)

You can register here.

We also encourage you to register for the remaining two panels:

o   Thursday, Feb 9, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm (ET) on corporate partnerships

o   Monday, March 27, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm (ET) on impact

We encourage you to read U of T’s International Strategic Plan.  

Exam and Holiday Hours at Sport & Rec in effect

Looking to get active over the holiday season? Check out what’s available at the Athletic Centre from open gym to sports at uoft.me/sportandrec or follow @uoftsportandrec on Instagram to stay tuned for holiday activities!

Group fitness workouts are back starting January 9!

Drop-in to your favourite classes like Big HIIT, Barre, Cardio Dance Party, IMPACT Training and more! Don’t forget to pick up an IMPACT Training pass to get access to up to 8 classes a week – it’s a workout program where all you need to do is show up and we’ll help you progress from week to week. See the group fitness schedule at uoft.me/groupworkout

Learn to Play returns January 9-27 (2 offerings per week)!

Want to try a new sport but don’t know where to start? Sport & Rec is here to help! Join us for a facility tour and an hour of play where you will learn drills, skills and rules of the game. Perfect for beginner level players looking to learn or improve their fundamentals. Learn to play sports like basketball, volleyball, spikeball, stick n’ puck, squash and ultimate frisbee so you can practice at drop-in sports times later in the semester! See schedule and join: uoft.me/learn-to-play.

MoveU.HappyU. – Application deadline is February 4

MoveU.HappyU is a free, unique six-week program that offers behaviour change coaching and exercise training to students for mental health support. MoveU.HappyU is for help-seeking U of T students and aims to help reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. The program is open to both international and domestic students enrolled in academic courses at U of T. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome! Apply by February 4 at moveu.ca/moveuhappyu.

UPCOMING SPORT & REC EVENTS:

ICCAN Games Day: Adapted Sports Tournament for All – January 13 at 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Come out for a fun day to meet new people, play various adapted sports and games, and win prizes! Join us on Friday, January 13 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Goldring Centre Kimmel Family field House. Free lunch to follow! Register to join at uoft.me/iccangames.

MoveU New Year’s on Ice Skating Event – January 13 at 6:30-9 p.m.

Join the popular skating event at Varsity Arena where you can get free treats, hot chocolate, and fun activities while you skate with your friends and meet new people on the ice! Beginner friendly – no experience needed! More details at uoft.me/moveuskate.

During the Winter Break, the program team will hold a series of activities for students including World Cup streaming, movie screenings, board game café, and craft activities. There will also be drop-in classes at the Fitness center available for students and community members. In addition, a series of podcasts, youtube segments, recorded programming, and virtual fitness studio will also be available for students to access. For more information: https://harthouse.ca/winter-break.

The operating hours for Hart House during the break are below:

Dates:	HH Fitness Centre	Showers and Changerooms	Hart House/Hub
Dec 21, 22	CLOSED	CLOSED	CLOSED
Dec 23, 27, 28, 29, 30	7 am to 6 30 pm	7 am to 7 pm	7 am to 8 pm
Dec 24, 25, 26, 31, Jan 1	11 am to 4 pm	11 am to 4:30 pm	11 am to 5 pm

Hart House will be closed on Wednesday, December 21 at 6 am and will reopen on Friday, December 23 at 7 am. Fitness centre users will be able to access the KPE facilities during this time. 

This 5-week program seeks to empower students from equity-seeking groups and the BIPOC community with the ability to navigate barriers and understand their personal finances within current socio-economic structures. The series will also give students the opportunity to ask questions and demand change for greater access and equal opportunity to financial literacy knowledge.

Have you ever wanted to invest, but didn’t know where to start?  Do you have financial goals that you want to reach, but don’t know what steps to take? The Wealth Building Sessions will dive into relevant topics such as foundations of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and side hustles, investment 101, crypto currencies, personal finance management, debt reduction, budgeting and future planning. This promises to be a once in a lifetime experience and a unique way to learn about personal finances and community wealth building!

Dr. Radha Maharaj aka Dr. M. will be leading this exciting 5-part workshop series and sharing her considerable economic and financial literacy knowledge and life experience with students in an engaging and activity-based format. 

Set yourself up for success while learning in a supportive and beginner friendly space. U of T students who complete all sessions will receive CCR approval, Certificate of Completion. Application required. Limited Space. 

Registration Page: https://harthouse.ca/events/the-wealth-building-sessions/2023/01/23

Help us redesign our spaces together! This year’s Redesign Conference will be all about the pool, surrounding issues of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in our pool spaces. Help us redesign these spaces together!

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in thoughtful discussion with our Inaugural Distinguished Keynote Address speaker, Dr. Ornella Nzindukiyimana; our panelist storytellers, Vanessa Treasure and Alex Jiyun Jung from the University of Toronto, and Robert Hampson from Variety Village.

Discussions will be followed by a creative, arts-based workshop focusing on redesigning more equitable pool spaces.

Lunch, coffee, tea and snacks will be provided, and are included in the $10 registration fee. Register now at recreation.utoronto.ca! Open to U of T students only.

The University of Toronto established an Anti-Asian Racism Working Group (AARWG) to review the practices, processes, policies and resources available at the University and make recommendations to support the University’s response to anti-Asian racism. The Working Group will be conducting consultations with members of the University community to inform their recommendations about how to create an inclusive environment where Asian community members feel safe, welcome and respected.

As part of this consultation process, the Working Group invites all interested members of the University community to participate in a series of focus groups to discuss concerns and share recommendations related anti-Asian racism at the University. 

Focus groups will be conducted either virtually or in-person and last 90 minutes each.   

Please visit the Working Group website for full details of the available focus group dates and times. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email anti.asian.racism@utoronto.ca.   

We have been made aware that international students are being targeted in travel booking scams where fake travel booking sites are promising cheap flights abroad.

How the Scam Works:

1. Once the student uses the site to check flights they are contacted by a site “agent” either through on online chat function or by WhatsApp.
2. The agent helps to complete the “booking”.
3. In reported cases an actual booking is created with a confirmation that can be verified on the Airline’s website.
4. Once the payment information is submitted the booking is cancelled by the “agent” and the student loses the money that was paid for the flights.
5. The student then tries to reconnect with the agent or the booking “agency” but gets no response.

Here are our best tips to help you avoid getting scammed:

• Whenever possible, book directly with the airline or hotel. This is this best way to avoid getting scammed by a fake third party organization.
• If you want to try to use a third party booking agency, choose one that is well-known and has a reputable brand.
• Conduct basic research. Search the “booking agency” on a trusted review site such as TripAdvisor or ScamAdviser to see if people have been scammed by them. The links will show examples of what you might find…
• Verify that the site is using a top-level domain (TLD) name that uses the .com suffix; not .org or .net, and that the website is not a misspelling of a legitimate business. (For example: Xpedia.ca instead of Expedia.ca)
• If you decide to use the service, make sure that the page you are entering your payment information into is secure. A secure website uses encryption and authentication to protect your transaction. The URL will begin with “https” and include a padlock icon, also known as an SSL certificate.
• When booking a flight online, chose paying with a credit card over a bank card. Many credit cards offer fraud protection services. If you submit your banking information into a fraudulent site the scammer will now have access to your bank account.
• After you make an online reservation, always call the airline or hotel company afterward to confirm. If there is no record of your reservation, it’s better to know sooner rather than later. You’ll be able to alert your credit card company, report the fraud, and still have time to book a proper reservation.

Still in doubt? Ask someone you trust or consult with a member of the University of Toronto International Student Team:

• University of Toronto Mississauga: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/international/about-us/contact-us
• University of Toronto Scarborough: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/utscinternational/immigration
• University of Toronto, St. George Campus: https://internationalexperience.utoronto.ca/contact-us/

Do you enjoy walking outdoor and meeting new people? Let’s Hike T.O. is a diversity-focused hiking group in the city and is looking for new volunteer hike leaders. You don’t need any experience and will go through full training including first aid to ensure you are ready and prepared to lead groups of people on hikes around Toronto.

Last summer, Sport & Rec partnered with, and continues to partner with, Let’s Hike T.O. to run hikes for our students during the warmer months. Become a hike leader yourself and run some hikes for Let’s Hike T.O.!

Open to all UofT students! Find more details and apply at bit.ly/hikeleaderapp. Applications are open until November 30!