FREE five-week initiative runs from June 15 to July 17, 2020.
Humber Global is excited to announce the launch of a new initiative that brings together our full campus community – students, staff, faculty, and our industry and community partners!
Beyond COVID-19: Global Systems Gap Challenge (June 15 – July 17, 2020) invites students from Humber and around the world to utilize a systems thinking approach to consider the change they want to see in the world within the wider context of COVID-19.
Students from Humber, global academic partners, and Humber domestic and international applicants will be mixed into interdisciplinary teams of four, representing a range of different geographical and cultural backgrounds. Together each team will work to identify a specific problem to conduct applied research, employing the Impact Gaps Canvas tool to understand the landscape of the problem and identify some paths to how they might contribute to a solution through a global lens. The systems thinking guiding approach aids students to understand that tackling complex global challenges starts with understanding a problem in its wider context, rather than jumping straight into a business plan or an idea for a quick fix.
Each team project will align with one of Humber’s five Centres of Innovation (COI) focus areas: i.e., social innovation, health & wellness, entrepreneurship, technology, or creative business. Additionally, each challenge area has been mapped to support one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Team submissions will be judged by Humber industry and community partners.
JOIN AS A MENTOR!
We are looking for 100+ Humber staff and faculty to volunteer to mentor student teams. Each team will be paired with two Humber mentors who will support each other and guide their team through defined weekly tasks, troubleshoot, and ensure that their group stays on track. All mentors are volunteer Humber staff and faculty. You will receive training and resources to guide your team to success!
To join the challenge, you must be available for weekly virtual one-hour check-ins with your team on Mondays and Fridays between June 19 – July 10th, and attend a training workshop for all mentors on June 10th (or commit to watching the training recording prior to the challenge start). The total time commitment over the five-week period is ten hours.
We encourage and welcome mentors from any faculty/department/unit. This is a fantastic professional development opportunity and a way to expand your network at Humber. Please ensure you have received approval from your reporting manager to participate in this volunteer opportunity.
To volunteer as a mentor, please fill out a short profile by 23:59 EDT on June 7, 2020: https://gck.fm/raeln
ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
Humber students who join the challenge will receive a Certificate of Participation and either Co-Curricular Record recognition or satisfaction of Work Integrated Learning program requirements (to be approved by their Work Placement Manager) - plus there are PRIZES for the top teams!
Throughout the challenge teams will engage in skills building workshops, global networking, experiential learning, research, and professional development mentorship - culminating with an employability workshop to help participants identify, document, and articulate their skills utilizing the Humber Learning Outcomes (HLO) framework.
Current Humber students, students from our partner institutions globally, or students who have applied to Humber for future study are encouraged to register by 23:59 EDT on June 7, 2020: https://gck.fm/raeln
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the challenge, visit our website: humber.ca/globalchallenge
Questions? Contact Rebecca Fitzgerald (Associate Director, International Mobility and Partnerships) at rebecca.fitzgerald@humber.ca or Rebecca Trautwein (Manager, Global Learning and Engagement) at rebecca.trautwein@humber.ca
Follow the Challenge on Social Media!
Follow the Challenge live on social media at @HumberGlobal and with #HumberGlobalChallenge.
