TMU course takes learning to Toronto City Hall

CivicLabTO, a collaborative course between Toronto post-secondary institutions and the City of Toronto, gives students access to City Hall for hands-on learning about civic issues and how the City works.
Imagine entering the classroom and sitting down waiting for class to start. Except in the case of CivicLabTO, your classroom is Council Chambers at Toronto’s City Hall and you’re learning from city staff. And your peers aren’t just students from TMU but students from seven other Toronto post-secondary institutions.
CivicLabTO (external link) is an elective course and learning partnership between the City of Toronto, TMU and seven other Toronto area post-secondary institutions (U of T, Humber, York, Seneca, Centennial, OCADU and George Brown). Hosted inside City Hall, CivicLabTO gives students access to subject matter experts and municipal leaders. The intention of the course is to spark conversation, create learning opportunities and to collaborate on important civic issues. The course ultimately offers students the chance to imagine future careers in a variety of areas like politics, city planning, urban design and municipal affairs.
“It really is a cross-institutional course where students from different disciplines are learning from city staff and sharing pathways to potential employment,” said School of Urban and Regional Planning professor Pamela Robinson. “It’s amazing to see students engaging in City Hall and getting answers to hard questions.”
Over the course of six sessions, students learn about the role of the local government, intergovernmental affairs, building equitable cities, community resilience, art and culture and climate action. For TMU students, the final assignment is making suggested changes to a civic issue that is important to each of them.
“Each student brings their own lived experiences and interests to the course. We are able to watch learning unfold and see them ask good, fair questions of their city representatives,” said Robinson, who teaches in the program.
Robinson added that she hopes to see other Toronto-based organizations like Metrolinx, the Toronto Public Library or the Toronto International Airport offer similar partnership opportunities for hands-on learning.
“The chance to go and learn somewhere different is wonderful for students,” she said.
CivicLabTO Symposium: Collaboration in Action
On Nov. 15, 2023, CivicLabTO will be hosting a Symposium for staff and faculty from partnering universities, including TMU. Staff and faculty members will participate in sessions that focus on strategic priorities at the City of Toronto, and the role higher-education institutions can play in addressing issues, including student housing challenges, economic development, approaches to a net-zero city, mobility and the role of AI in Public Health.
For any TMU students interested in urban sustainability or careers related to climate change adaptation and resilience in an urban context, the CivicLabTO Symposium includes a special virtual student session from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Experts from City Hall will discuss TransformTO, the City’s net zero strategy with a panel of experts covering key sectors, including green buildings (planning, architecture, engineering), skilled labour, and the green economy, followed by an in-depth audience Q&A about the future of work in this sector, which holds vast opportunity for upcoming grads.
To register for the CivicLabTO Symposium student session, sign up here (external link) .