During Alternative Reading Week (ARW), hundreds of U of T students immerse themselves in three days of volunteering with local community organizations. Students make meaningful contributions, build relationships and learn more about the City of Toronto.
Winter 2023 ARW (February 21 – 23) will have virtual and in-person opportunities to make connections in community organizations across Toronto and gain valuable experience.
The theme for ARW is Learn With, Learn From and Grow With.
- Learn With encourages participants to respect and appreciate the knowledge held in the communities where we volunteer and come from.
- Learn From is a respectful approach to the work that honours reciprocity.
- Grow With refers to the continual work of respecting diverse kinds of knowledge and growing in that knowledge.
- Previous Community Organizations & Project Descriptions
Kensington Health
From 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. would be an activity (TBD) with our Long Term Care residents, and 12 – 4 p.m. will be with our Adult Day Program – students can eat their lunch with clients and then participate/facilitate activities with the seniors. We can confirm the activities closer to date, but some examples could be bingo, arts and crafts, trivia, board games(scrabble, Mahjong, dominoes), bean bag toss etc. (5-6 students)Regent Park Community Food Centre
Community Garden Resource Book - Student research urban agriculture resource and prepare book.St. Jamestown
The new Tool Library is looking for volunteers who can fix things and do outreach at the community about the Tool Library.Regenesis U of T
A Free Store is a reuse and waste reduction initiative that aims to collect unwanted items from the community and give them back to students, for FREE!. Students will oversee the collection of donations on campus and the coordination, set-up and hosting of a Free Store pop-up event at U of T during reading week.Neighbourhood Link Support Services
Students will participate and contribute to different programs: Kick Start—an after-school homework and recreation club for youth, Conversation Circles with newcomers, computer workshops for basic learners, and a community dinner where volunteers prepare homemade food for 100 walk-in clients.Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF)
Students will work with newcomers on their English skills while learning about where they come from and their goals in Canada.University Settlement
Students will primarily conduct outreach: sharing information and making as many direct contacts as possible with community members around the centre. This will include the promotion of fitness programs and an ability to be the face of University Settlement.U of T’s Innovation Hub, St. George Campus
Students will be introduced to the Innovation Hub at U of T and led through a brief course on Human Centered Design Thinking. Each team of 10 students will be provided with a mini design challenge: the opportunity to explore a problem impacting the U of T student experience. Students will apply their learning of design thinking to the challenge. The theme this semester will be around student mental health.Bike Chains
We train people in useful, sustainable skills that people use for the rest of their lives. You don’t have to be an expert in fixing or repairing bikes, you just need to be open to learning.Visions of Science
Students will plan and host a fundraiser to raise money and awareness for Visions of Science programming and operations.PointA
- Expanding our communications about sustainable transportation: We are looking for strong writers and researchers who can help us find social media content and write blog posts for us. You may get a chance to have your blog post published on our website (pointa.ca) with your name.
- Digitization of financial processes: We're looking for students who are interested in understanding and participating in the digitization of financial records and processes.
Cycle York
Cycle York is a non-profit community bike centre serving the Black Creek and Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto. We are looking to beautify our 1300 sq ft space by painting murals and bright colours on the walls and pillars throughout the space.
Photos: University Settlement and Kensington Health projects, Feb 2020
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Program Eligibility
All U of T students, including graduate and international students
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How The Program Works
Roles
You can participate in ARW in three different ways: as a participant, a project leader or as a mentor project leader.
Participant
Join us for the three days of Winter 2022 Alternative Reading Week! Pick a project, get matched with a group of fellow students and a project leader, and work with one of our community partners either virtually or in person.
Project leader
Applications closed until April 2023.
Our community of project leaders make over 28 projects possible every year! If you enjoyed participating in ARW in previous years, join us again: lead a project and be a part of our community of project leaders. This is an opportunity to get more involved with ARW and develop your leadership and community building skills.
Mentor project leader
Applications closed until April 2023.
Continue to grow with us by sharing your project leader experiences with new project leaders and work behind the scenes to make ARW happen! Mentor project leaders help facilitate training for other project leaders. They share their knowledge and support others as we learn together.
Email amina.farah@utoronto.ca if you have any questions.
Process
Step 1: Register for Alternative Reading Week. Registration opens on November 1, 2022.
Please sign up for the CCP Student Newsletter to receive a reminder about ARW registration.
Step 2: Once registered, you have an opportunity to pick your own project in January. Projects range from working virtually and supporting senior programs to teaching after-school kids workshops.
These are the four sub-themes for our ARW projects:
- Youth Engagement
- Art-Based Projects
- Planning, Research or Program Support
- Community Engagement and Outreach
Step 3: After you register and select a project, take note of the dates and times for ARW orientation and project participation. Dates and times may be different for each project. Attendance is mandatory.
- Saturday, February 12, 2023: Orientation, 3 – 5 p.m. (virtual). You must be registered in a project to attend orientation.
- Day 1: Tuesday, February 21, 2023
- Check-in and welcome at (Location: TBA) 10 – 11:30 a.m.
- Participate in projects and reflection, 6-hour day (times may vary depending on project needs)
- Day 2: Wednesday, February 22, 2023: Participate in projects and reflection, 6-hour day (times may vary depending on project needs)
- Day 3: Thursday, February 23, 2023: Participate in projects and reflection, 6-hour day (times may vary depending on project needs)
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Program Registration
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Considerations & Exceptions
Your participation in ARW not only deepens your sense of community on campus, but through it you may also:
- Work collaboratively with a group of other U of T students.
- Apply and develop your unique skills and knowledge.
- Engage with social dynamics and issues in our city.
- Contribute positively to a community-identified priority.
- Explore your identity and perspectives as they relate to the broader Toronto community.
- Build your resume and your Co-Curricular Record (CCR).