The City of Oshawa and its education and research partners - Canadian Urban Institute, Durham College (DC), Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area (Trent Durham), and the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering - are pleased to announce that the 2019/2020 TeachingCity Oshawa Progress Report is now available online.
The 2019/2020 Progress Report highlights numerous accomplishments achieved in year three of the TeachingCity Oshawa partnership. Some of the notable projects include:
- City Idea Lab: Working in a lab environment, students from DC, Ontario Tech University and Trent Durham collaborated with City staff and faculty to co-design possible solutions to various challenge questions. The City Idea Lab experiential learning opportunities were offered via credit courses during the fall and winter semesters.
- Downtown Oshawa Air Quality and Traffic Monitoring Project: This one-year research study, in partnership with the Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research at the University of Toronto, monitors air quality and traffic movements to determine important correlations. The City hopes to use the data to increase and identify opportunities to improve environmental issues and the pedestrian experience in downtown Oshawa.
- Fire Navigation Systems Project: Ontario Tech University Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science researchers and students collaborated with Oshawa Fire Services to develop the first stage of prototype technology that uses sensors and wireless communication technology attached to a firefighter's helmet to map a firefighter's location inside a building. This project is continuing this year as students advance the technology and work to create a haptic navigation system to assist firefighters in navigating unfamiliar surroundings during emergency calls.
- Indigenous Cultural Workshop: The Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University facilitated Indigenous Cultural Training sessions for City staff as part of the TeachingCity Oshawa partnership. Seven half-day workshops took place in 2019 and early 2020.
- OVBG Augmented Reality Project: Students from DC's School of Media, Art & Design developed augmented reality (AR) technology to enhance the visitor experience at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens (OVBG). Launched in fall 2019, the technology enables visitors to scan QR codes located within the park with their smartphones to learn about the gardens, identify points of interest and launch a navigation guide
About TeachingCity
TeachingCity brings together the City of Oshawa and its education and research partners - Canadian Urban Institute, Durham College, Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, and the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
The partners address Oshawa's urban issues through innovation, collaboration, applied research and shared experiential learning opportunities with the aim to position Oshawa as a local, national and global community of urban research and learning.
Learn more about TeachingCity at www.teachingcityoshawa.ca and follow #OshTeachingCity on Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes:
"TeachingCity is positioning Oshawa as a leading city of urban research and post-secondary learning. Together, post-secondary students and faculty work with City staff to find innovative solutions to urban issues. We are amazed of the progress this partnership has achieved in just three years, and we are excited about the many TeachingCity Oshawa projects that are upcoming," said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter.
"Canada needs initiatives like TeachingCity that bring together academia, local government, business and civil society to tackle urban challenges. This is even more true in cities like Oshawa that are undergoing significant transitions as the economy, climate and social structures are changing. The learning benefits of this program are not only accruing to the students - we all need to learn from each other," said Mary Rowe, President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute.
"TeachingCity offers Durham College students innovative opportunities for hands-on learning while solving real-world challenges. Over the last 12 months, our students have participated in several initiatives that enhance their academic experience, contribute to the city's health and vibrancy, and establish Oshawa as a centre for urban research. We are excited to continue our TeachingCity partnership to deliver transformative education that ensures the success of Durham College students and our community," said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College.
"Through its focus on experiential learning and research, TeachingCity plays a key role in inspiring and equipping Ontario Tech University students and graduates to make a positive impact on our community. We are proud of the innovative solutions we've been able to uncover, thanks to our partnership with the City of Oshawa and generous support from the RBC Foundation, and we're excited to see how this collaboration will lead to even more improvements in quality of life for Oshawa's residents," said Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University.
"TeachingCity Oshawa has leveraged the exceptional expertise of students and faculty at Trent University Durham GTA and the other post-secondary partners to help the City achieve their goals," said Scott Henderson, dean and head, Trent University Durham. "We recognize the great value in being a contributing partner of the TeachingCity Oshawa initiative, as it provides quality experiential learning opportunities for our students in programs such as Child and Youth Studies and Communications, which in turn contributes to our goal of preparing career-ready graduates."
"U of T Engineering strives to develop the whole engineer - experiential learning is a significant part of that. By partnering with TeachingCity Oshawa, our students are able to understand the impacts of what they are learning. This past year, we have been proud to offer our expertise in environmental systems, including water and air systems, to benefit the community of Oshawa. We look forward to continued collaboration with TeachingCity Oshawa," said Dr. Brent Sleep, Chair, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto.
