Session Title:

Service Learning: Choose Your Own Adventure!

Presenters:

Christine Berkowitz (Senior Lecturer, University of Toronto Scarborough), Devon Muhic (Community Connections, Scarborough Museum, City of Toronto), Meredyth Schofield (Social Media Manager, Scarborough Archives), Dora Nipp (CEO, Multicultural History Society of Ontario)

Session Description:

Join the adventure and learn all about the doors being opened by universities that are embracing Service Learning. Want to hear the best part? It can be great for museums of all sizes! This panel explores the benefits and how-to of museums partnering with major education institutions in developing and hosting students from service learning courses. Learn how to smash through what we see as educational boundaries. Discover how service learning differs from internships and other student placements and offers an opportunity to develop a broad range of achievable projects with amazing outcomes that support the needs of your institution. So what are you waiting for?

Session Slides: 

Download the Presentation Slides [ PDF ]

Christine Berkowitz, Senior Lecturer (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Christine Berkowitz is a Senior Lecturer at University of Toronto Scarborough with a PhD in History from University of Toronto. Her research interests include North American labour and working-class history as well as emerging applications for digital technology in both research and pedagogy. Her teaching focuses on Critical Writing and Research for Historians and courses in North American History including an academic service learning course dealing with local history and an interdisciplinary community-based applied research course in oral history.

Devon Muhic Community Connections (Scarborough Museum)

Devon develops Community Connections at Scarborough Museum, City of Toronto, helping the community flourish. She has an outside the box approach and views every encounter as a new opportunity. Over the past few years she has been instrumental in growing the volunteer youth program and sees endless potential in the energy youth can bring to a museum. In her off time she has been known to enjoy Cosplay, regency dancing and boardgames.

Meredyth Schofield Social Media Manager (Scarborough Archives)

Meredyth Schofield is a local historian, former Disney World cast member, and University of Toronto graduate with a degree in history and media. While at UTSC, she took the Nearby History service learning course in its inaugural session (and loved it). Now she assists to implement the program with the Scarborough Archives. Meredyth currently volunteers with the Scarborough Archives and Multicultural History Society of Ontario and works at Gibson House Museum, City of Toronto as a Historical Interpreter.

Dora Nipp CEO (Multicultural History Society of Ontario)

Dora Nipp is the CEO of the Multicultural History Society of Ontario.   Her family helped to build the Canadian Pacific Railway and they also paid the head tax.  A lawyer by training, it is history that speaks to her heart.  Dora pursues her passion for human rights during her day job, and Chinese Canadian history and social/public history during the rest of week.