Map the System is a global competition that challenges us to think differently about social and environmental change. Rather than jumping straight into a solution or a quick fix, Map the System invites students from all academic disciplines to use ‘systems thinking’ to understanding complex social and environmental challenges. The final event for this year's Map the System Competition is quickly approaching, and we are looking for judges to review student submissions.

What does judging involve? As a judge you will support systems thinking at Humber by reviewing top student submissions (visual maps and research summaries) and attending a one-hour meeting with the judging panel.

When will this happen? The work for this competition will take place between April 5-12, 2021, with the final meeting on April 12 or 13 at a time we will decide together based on your availability.

What does this mean for you? Your assistance and support of student’s systems-change research is greatly appreciated. In return for your time, you will receive our heartfelt thanks and a gift card! 

If you are interested in judging, or have any questions about participation in this event, please contact Elinor Bray-Collins at elinor.bray-collins@humber.ca and/or Isabel Sousa at isabel.sousa@humber.ca.

The deadline to participate is March 30

Global learning and engagement is soaring to new heights at Humber!

We are excited to announce that proposals are now welcome from Humber faculty and staff for COIL initiatives to run in the 2021-2022 academic year. Visit the newly launched Humber COIL – Global Virtual Exchange website to learn more, and to submit your application by April 12, 2021 to coil@humber.ca.

Upcoming information sessions: Register here

What is COIL?

COIL – Collaborative Online International Learning – is a dynamic form of virtual exchange that connects students with peers around the world. With COIL, full-time faculty or staff co-create an experiential learning project or module with a faculty or staff “match” at a partner institution in another region or country.

The resulting collaborative and student-centred project or module may be:

• Embed within a pre-existing course at both institutions (ex. as a shared assignment or capstone project);
• Run outside of the classroom in the form of an applied research initiative (ex. supported by Humber’s Centres of Innovation Network and Applied Research and Innovation);
• Designed as a work-integrated learning (WIL) experience overseen by an industry or community partner.

COIL initiatives are a flexible to meet the mutual aims of partners, and align with any academic discipline or program. They can differ in length and format - from projects lasting only a few weeks, to initiatives lasting throughout a whole semester – and can be a blend of synchronous and asynchronous activity. Organizing a COIL project at Humber is a supportive process, with step-by-step guidance and resources.

Benefits

At the heart of any COIL initiative is a focus on intercultural learning and development. By working virtually across borders, students can develop and apply any number of the essential 21st century skills articulated in the Humber Learning Outcomes (HLO) framework and gain a deeper understanding of their discipline through multiple perspectives. In turn, faculty and staff COIL leaders expand their professional network and portfolio, acquire fresh inspiration from different worldviews, and have the opportunity to engage in research on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) with funding through Humber’s Teaching Innovation Fund.

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, in partnership with CCBI, is proud to announce its inaugural post-secondary design challenge, AFFECT.  

AFFECT is a post-secondary design competition that explores not only how design can change the way we act, but also how we feel about our world.

This design competition seeks to engage students with the question: How might we expand the community of contemporary art visitors, and engage a more diverse and representative community for contemporary art museums and galleries? The solutions could be digital, physical, a campaign – any creative design format the participants choose!  

All submissions must be received before midnight on Thursday, May 6, 2021.  

For more information, and to enter this competition, head to https://humbergalleries.ca/affect.

For the past couple of years, Kerry Johnston (he/him), program coordinator of Humber’s Sustainable Energy and Building Technology program, has been a part of numerous sustainability-related initiatives at Humber. Since 2017, Kerry has continued to support Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI) on a solar curriculum development project in Kenya. In addition, Kerry is a part of the Sustainability Faculty Champions Committee and is an executive member of College Council.

Kerry entered his teaching career hopeful that sustainability could be a great model to connect ideas that were previously siloed since he felt a real focus on systems thinking was something missing from the student learning experience.

When asked why sustainability is important to him, Kerry says, “I was at the tail end of the generation that grew up in a time when we really didn’t think very much about the cost, availability or environmental impact of energy use. My work in the land development industry and my growing interest in protecting and enhancing the natural environment really led to the desire to be involved in this area.”

To learn more about the achievements of current and past students of the Sustainable Energy and Building Technology program, find the full story here.