Humber Polytechnic faculty and staff along with the wider community are invited to apply through a fund that supports projects that create educational and training pathways.
The Humber Polytechnic Community Impact Fund can provide up to $10,000 for sponsorship or to support projects for local children, youth, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers and other equity-seeking groups in the community.
Funded projects provide the opportunity for local community organizations to cultivate deeper partnerships with Humber Faculties and administrative departments, which helps bring the community to Humber and Humber into the community, driving impact to benefit all. Assistance is provided to develop the project's concept and to connect Humber faculty and staff with community stakeholders, showcasing the institution's ability to develop and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders.
"At Humber Polytechnic, we are forging deeper partnerships and leveraging our powerful convening ability to bring together key players to solve society's wicked problems," said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber Polytechnic. "As part of Building Brilliance, our vision for the future of higher education, we will become a destination for innovation, collaboration, and impact. This fund exemplifies our commitment to driving growth, solving community challenges, and creating value through partnerships."
Nabeel Rahman, manager, Community and Partnership Development with Community Outreach and Workforce Development at Humber, said the fund seeks to support projects that enrich learning, increase exposure and access to pathways into education, training or employment, and to build organizational capacity of community agencies who share this same focus. They can include addressing barriers that prevent access to education including housing, food insecurity, mental health and intercultural awareness or sports and recreation, and scholarships for equity deserving groups.
"Humber has the ability to leverage its wealth of resources to make education more equitable while addressing existing needs in the community," said Rahman. "We can help communities build on their strengths as they move towards their full potential."
All projects must be accessible, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act compliant and inclusive of a broad spectrum of communities.
Applications are being accepted from Sept. 23 to Oct. 23 with a decision made by Nov. 7 and Dec. 1 to Jan. 10, 2025, with a decision made by Jan. 20, 2025.
Information sessions are being held Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. and Oct. 16 at 12 p.m. The sessions are online and those interested in attending can register by visiting the Partner With Us website.
One project supported by the fund was the Affordable Housing Charette held at Lakeshore Campus to mark National Housing Day. It was held to bring attention to the lack of affordable housing in South Etobicoke and to highlight how housing instability can negatively affect an individual's path to education. The event was organized by Lamp Community Health Centre in partnership with Humber's Centre for Social Innovation, the Lakeshore Affordable Housing Advocacy and Action Group and CP Planning.
Another project was the Humber Math Camp, which is a six-week math enrichment program for youth in Grades 8 and 9 from underserved communities. It's designed to allow youth to access math support in hopes of reducing the numeracy gap to better prepare them to enter secondary school.
The YouthINK creative writing workshop for high school students from under-resourced GTA communities also received funding from the fund.
More information can be found by visiting the Humber Polytechnic Community Impact Fund website.
As part of Building Brilliance: Our Vision to 2030 and Beyond, we are shedding the traditional constraints of higher education and reimagining a model that both adapts to and shapes the world around us. At Humber Polytechnic, we don't just want to have an impact - we want to drive it. This story is an example of how we are building brilliance by driving impact every day.
