Equity and Inclusion Project Fund recipients

The Faculty of Community Services (FCS) Equity and Inclusion Project Fund was established in winter, 2019 to strengthen equity and inclusion values and practices within the faculty.

Eight projects put together by students, faculty or staff have been successful in receiving funding from FCS.

Some initiatives are already underway, while others will begin to roll out over the 2019-2020 academic year.

Black Frosh 2019

Black Liberation Collective, student group

The inaugural Black Frosh Toronto was held in September 2018 and brought together over 200 Black students from Ryerson and other universities. The goal of Black Frosh 2019 is to create a structure that encompasses what Black students need when transitioning into post-secondary education in September. The hope is to have new Black students recognize and connect with Black communities on- and off-campus, and to learn what resources exist for them across campuses here in Toronto. 

The Bridge Program

Beverly-Jean Daniel, Assistant Professor, School of Child and Youth Care

Through a series of workshops, The Bridge Program aims to create a community of success and excellence for African Canadian students in FCS. As the project begins to roll out, students will access peer support and guidance, career networks, mentors and coaches who can assist them in achieving personal, academic and career-related goals. The program will focus on the development of positive racial and academic identities amongst participants. The project will also include a component to help African Canadian students successfully transition into graduate school. 

EDIC Symposium: Exploring Planning Through Equity, Diversity and Indigenous Issues

Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC), School of Urban and Regional Planning

The EDIC symposium will engage graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning with topics related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in planning. The symposium will engage Indigenous and non-Indigenous planners and educators with experience working in diverse communities. The symposium will situate Indigenous and communities of colour by unpacking experiences in the professional workplace, exploring the decolonization of planning, and sharing better ways to enhance EDI in planning.   

Inclusive Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding Conference 

Maha Maryam, student, Midwifery Education Program

The Inclusive Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding Conference, taking place in fall 2019, will explore a range of diverse perspectives and issues surrounding breast and chestfeeding, including: The benefits of breast/chestfeeding, racialized breast/chestfeeding and the importance of Black Breastfeeding Week, infant feeding by and for transgender parents, breast/chestfeeding for survivors of sexual violence, breast/chestfeeding accessibility, breast/chestfeeding and substance use, breast/chestfeeding for incarcerated individuals, and size-inclusive breast/chestfeeding. 

Intersectional Disability Justice Preparatory Caucus and Activist Lecture

Kim Collins, Student Engagement Facilitator, School of Disability Studies

Two local, emerging scholars and educators, Fady Shanouda and Fiona Cheuk, formed a mentorship caucus among students, alumni and disability community members connected to the School of Disability Studies who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour. The caucus planned for an activist lecture on July 8, 2019, featuring Lydia X.Z. Brown. Brown is a leading disability legal scholar and activist who spoke to the intersections of race, Indigeneity, migration and disability. 

Midwifery Education Program BIPOC Student Mentorship Program

Karline Wilson-Mitchell, Director, Midwifery Education Program

The Midwifery Education Program Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Student Mentorship Program was launched in December, 2017. The mentorship program came about due to the findings of a student-led report and gives midwife mentors and student mentees the option to match based on preferences for shared language, culture, heritage, geography or identity. It encourages mentorship pairs to communicate by social media or web-conferencing (that allows face-to-face interaction) at least once per month.

Promoting balance for health in Indigenous communities: Insights for educational initiatives

• Margareth Zanchetta, Associate Professor and Associate Director, Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing
• Melissa Stevenson, student, Master of Nursing, Athabasca University and Registered Nurse, Anishnawbe Health Toronto
• Susanna Edwards, Associate Professor, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing 
• Newton Leong, student, Master of Nursing, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing
• Stephanie Lucchese, student, Master of Nursing, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing
• Jessica Sherk, student, School of Social Work 
• Matthias Nunno, student, Department of Politics and Public Administration

A team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty and students will collaborate with an Indigenous consultant to plan and co-host a series of workshops in winter/spring 2020 on Indigenous ideologies that frame our understandings of health. Aimed at graduate students and educators within the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, the workshops will encourage participants to integrate scientific, experiential, and Indigenous health-related knowledge and literacy and reflect on how to incorporate Indigenous content into the new nursing curriculum.

RUaPlanner program

Nadia Dowhaniuk, Vanessa Opassinis, Santessa Henriques and Niko Casuncad, students, School of Urban and Regional Planning

The RUaPlanner program is a partnership between Ryerson students in the Urban Development (MPl) program at the School of Urban and Regional Planning and the City of Toronto. Each November, RUaPlanner brings interactive workshops to high school classrooms around Toronto which introduce students to urban planning and highlight their capacity to make change in our cities. For the upcoming year, RUaPlanner will organize two field trip days for students from schools within Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (external link)  to visit Ryerson. The field trips will utilize Ryerson and its neighbourhood as an urban laboratory to explore and learn about urban planning processes and contemporary issues. 

Visit ryerson.ca/fcs for more information on these exciting projects, as details become available.