York University

York University helps shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. As Canada’s third largest university, York has more than 52,000 students from around the globe. Campuses located in and near Toronto are dynamic, metropolitan and value diversity. York’s commitment to excellence spans research and teaching in pure, applied and professional fields. In their pursuit and dissemination of knowledge there is a strong sense of social responsibility and a tradition of engaging meaningfully with its communities. Their 2010-2015 Academic Plan details their commitment to building on community engagement initiatives, such as research collaborations, community-based programs, and increased recognition for faculty that engage communities. Three key engagement units at York are Experiential Education, the York University-TD Community Engagement Centre, and the Knowledge Mobilization Unit: Experiential Education is under the auspices of the Associate VP Teaching & Learning. Experiential Education is the application of theory to a concrete experience, either within the classroom or within the community, which advances the learning outcomes of a course or program and requires students to reflect upon their learning.

The York University-TD Community Engagement Centre is a community engagement hub in the Jane Finch Mall. It supports the University’s commitment to build a more engaged university by facilitating mutually-beneficial collaborations between York University and the Black Creek community. The Knowledge Mobilization Unit supports the two way engagement of York researchers and students with community partners. Under the auspices of the VP Research & Innovation and partnered with the United Way York Region, the KMb Unit: 1) supports knowledge brokering to develop research collaborations; 2) builds capacity for knowledge mobilization through a series of workshops; and, 3) supports knowledge mobilization in grant applications. The KMb unit is part of York’s Research and Innovation Services and is led by executive director David Phipps, who has been recognized as one of the most influential knowledge brokers in Canada. The following videos detail a couple of the numerous KMb initiatives at York.