Award Recipients

Dr. Agnes Coutinho’s success in initiating and growing Science Rendezvous, an open-to-the-community, student-led, free, exciting, scientific festival is the basis of this nomination for the Humber College Community Service Award, but Agnes truly embodies the criteria for this award in all that she does as the Kinesiology Assistant Program Head at the University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH). Agnes championed the creation of Science Rendezvous in 2017, grew it from dozens of attendees to 100s of families and attracts over 80 student volunteers each year.

She has engaged nine community partners and organizations and maintained this momentum through the upheaval of a pandemic. Agnes has built bridges within the UofGH community and between our partner institutions (UofG and Humber College) and brought in numerous community groups (Let's Get Together, Astronomy in Action, North Albion Collegiate Institute Robotics Team, Toronto Public Library, Immigrant Women in Science Network, Celebrate Junior Scientist in the Community, Electronics Recycling Associations). Agnes ensures that Science Rendezvous is accessible to families in underserved communities so they can to attend, get a first glimpse at higher education and have fun while engaging with UofGH students.

This year Agnes spearheaded a technology drive to ensure that families in need could be provided with technology to keep and to attend the Science Rendezvous virtual events. Agne has not only created partnerships with existing community groups, but is involved in the formation of two new year-round student clubs; STEAM Zones and Educere Youth Group. These groups provide UofGH students year-round educational outreach opportunities with neighbouring high school and elementary school students. Unsurprisingly, Agnes has been recognized by the national Science Rendezvous organizing committee twice for her outstanding work. Individually, Agnes was inducted into their hall of fame as an outstanding volunteer in 2019, and in 2021 the UofGH event was one of four events nominated as being the most creative out of 300+ national events!

We believe that Agnes and her work leading the Science Rendezvous event emphasizes the idea that a university is part of the community in which it resides, and that the community is part of the university. UofGH partners in industry and the broader community respect Agnes and trust that their interactions will be meaningful and productive. The quality and diversity of the partnerships that Agnes has fostered enables UofGH students extraordinary work placement and volunteer opportunities.