Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.71
Liaison Sharmilla Raj
Submission Date May 6, 2024

STARS v2.2

Toronto Metropolitan University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

1st Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
WWF Canada, Living Planet @ Campus

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
The Living Planet @ Campus is a project led by World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF Canada) in partnership with TMU’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 TMU 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 TMU that are in line with the goals of the Sustainability Office.

2nd Partnership

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
TMU Good Food Market

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
From May to October, Toronto Metropolitan 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 TMU’s rooftop farm). The market is a favorite with TMU students, faculty and staff but also the broader Toronto community.

3rd Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
The Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures (FSC-CCF)

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-related

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
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 TMU, 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.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
Enactus TMU

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 TMU 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:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
https://www.torontomu.ca/facilities-management-development/sustainability/get-involved/
https://mycesar.ca/services/gfm/
https://fsc-ccf.ca/
https://Enactustmu.ca
https://www.communitymeal.ca/donate-food

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.