University values, beyond the campus
Being a Ryerson student also means being a Ryerson ambassador. The values held on campus also extend to the rest of the community. This is the philosophy behind Your Neighbour, a two-day immersive learning experience that encourages student leaders to look beyond their school.
The initiative, from Ryerson Student Affairs, is now in its second year, and has expanded from a one-day event in 2015. On August 24 and 25, 90 students from Ryerson’s Housing & Residence Life learned about the values of Ryerson’s academic plan, and then volunteered at community agencies that exemplify those values.
“These folks that are participating all represent leadership within our residence community,” said Brandon Smith, co-ordinator, residence life and education. “Their role is to build community with all our students moving into residence. They all have direct influence on 30 to 50 students, and our hope with this program is that they’ll bring a ripple effect to their community.”
“School’s about to start, there’s an influx of students, and we want to do whatever we can to be a good neighbour,” said Troy Murray, sponsorship and fundraising officer, Student Affairs.
On August 24, students broke into groups for “pre-reflection” activities, to think about one of the values in Ryerson’s academic plan: access, diversity, respect for aboriginal perspectives, inclusion, equity, and community. Students then spent part of August 25 volunteering at one of seven agencies: Hawthorne Food and Drink, St. Stephens Community House, Native Child and family Services, YWCA Toronto, Anishnawbe Health Toronto, The 519, and Tangled Arts + Disability. Each of the agencies was linked to a value in the academic plan.
In the afternoon, they returned to Ryerson to assess their experiences. “We first asked them questions about what the value means to them. The post-reflection on day two was to synthesize what they discussed in their pre-reflection with how they felt now, making meaning of the experience,” said Smith.
Your Neighbour was introduced last year to promote meaningful engagement between Ryerson and Toronto. The partnerships with the organizations were facilitated through Ryerson and the United Way; Tangerine Bank’s Bright Way Forward campaign (external link) provided sponsorship.
The organizers hope that Your Neighbour will inspire students to stay involved. “We’re really hoping to hear some success stories of more students giving back throughout the year,” said Murray. “We can’t expect students to be able to give a ton of money, but we know that it’s just as valuable to give time.”