Toronto Metropolitan University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Living Planet @ Campus is a project led by World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF Canada) in partnership with Ryerson’s Sustainability Office. WWF Canada is the largest international conservation organization in the country that is actively working towards reversing the decline of wildlife. Living Planet @ Campus allows students to take meaningful actions to protect the environment and improve sustainability practices within their own lives and on campus. The program offers a number of opportunities to build their resume and contribute to positive change, such as community clean-ups, hackathon competitions, and grant funding. Through the program, students can also earn WWF’s new Living Planet at Leader designation, which is a self guided certification. The Living Planet Leader is a self-guided program that allows Ryerson students the flexibility to choose initiatives that are meaningful to them while building the skills and experiences needed in the field of sustainability. After all program requirements are completed, students will receive a Living Planet Leader designation. Students can also apply for funding to lead conservation projects at Ryerson that are in line with the goals of the Sustainability Office.

From May to October, Ryerson University hosts a weekly Farmers’ Market in partnership with Appletree Markets, a Toronto-based non-profit organization that aims to build community and promote the fresh food movement by supporting rural farmers, local producers and artisans. The market is held in the heart of campus on our pedestrianized street and features fresh local Ontario products including fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, honey, maple syrup, prepared foods and more (including produce from Ryerson’s rooftop farm). The market is a favorite with Ryerson students, faculty and staff but also the broader Toronto community.

The Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures (FSC-CCF) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. We believe Canadians should feel confident about the skills they have to succeed in a changing workforce. As a pan-Canadian community, we are collaborating to rigorously identify, test, measure, and share innovative approaches to assessing and developing the skills Canadians need to thrive in the days and years ahead. The Future Skills Centre is funded by the Government of Canada and governed by a consortium of partners including Ryerson, the Conference Board of Canada, and blueprint analytics design, and evaluation that offer deep knowledge of economic and technology trends, public policy, rigorous applied research and evaluation expertise, extensive knowledge mobilization and convening experience, and long-standing commitments to inclusive approaches to skills training and development. The Centre is forging a network of stakeholders from across the country, linking thousands of service providers, employers, governments, community groups, academic and practitioner researchers, and millions of Canadians to enhance access to in-demand skills and training. They are focused on intentional and engaging solutions to anticipate the emerging needs of employers, as well as the needs of those not currently participating fully in Canada’s changing workforce. The Future Skills Centre has a particular focus on equity-seeking groups and underserved communities, including women, youth, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, racialized peoples, LGBTQ2S+ peoples, persons with disabilities, veterans, and people from rural, remote, and northern communities.

Enactus Ryerson Guided by academic advisors and business experts, the student leaders of Enactus Canada create and implement community empowerment projects and business ventures in communities. Enactus, as an experiential learning platform, helps students unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and develop the talent and perspective essential to leadership in our ever-changing world. An Enactus project currently operating at Ryerson is Community Meal, Community Meal partners with local restaurants to transport excess donated food to local community shelters.

Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available: https://www.ryerson.ca/facilities-management-development/sustainability/get-involved/ https://mycesar.ca/services/gfm/ https://fsc-ccf.ca/ https://Enactusryerson.ca https://www.communitymeal.ca/donate-food