Democratic Engagement Initiatives
These initiatives integrate student and community engagement, experiential learning, and applied research and explore new frontiers related to democratic leadership and participation.
Women in the House
The Women in the House program is Canada’s first and only experiential for-credit undergraduate and graduate course that equips participants with both a theoretical and practical understanding of women in Canadian politics and intersectional policymaking processes. The centrepiece of the program is the opportunity to shadow a woman MP and her staff in Ottawa, seeing first-hand what it means to be a woman leader. The program is multi-partisan and engages with all main political parties in Ottawa.
I learned that life as a women MP does not come without challenges and that although it can be draining, it is also extremely fulfilling to be in a position where your constituents believe in you to help. My key takeaway is that good intentions will take you a long way. Both of the women I shadowed did not aspire to a life as an MP; however, it was their dedication to create better lives for their constituents and the people of Canada that pushed them into the roles. Thank you for letting me be part of such a life-changing experience, my gratitude is endless to this program and the MPs I was lucky enough to shadow.
Innovations in Democratic Leadership
The Innovations in Democratic Leadership at Toronto Metropolitan University seeks to engage thoughtful community members who are interested in exploring not only what today’s legislatures look like, but what could be - particularly those from groups underrepresented as legislators today. The program offers intensive, hands-on mentoring and training from current and former legislators, senior civil servants, high-profile journalists and successful advocates.
“Over the course of the program, we met with practitioners in the media, charity and non-profit organizations and of course, elected representatives from across party lines to learn about democratic reform, advocating on behalf of constituents, media communications, and the role of public servants. To put our knowledge to test, the program culminated with a parliamentary simulation in Senate Chambers in Ottawa!”
Democratic Engagement Exchange
The Democratic Engagement Exchange (the Exchange), offers two flagship engagement programs Democracy Talks and Vote PopUp. The Exchange drives democratic engagement by building partnerships with academic institutions, community organizations and government agencies to create tools, and champion policies and programs that promote a more inclusive democracy.