A workshop series designed to empower students to find a better balance between their academic work and caring for others.

It’s hard to be healthy. Most of us live in environments that our nervous systems can barely handle on a good day, and yet we are told we must stay calm, find a balance, and be productive. This may be especially true for students who are also parents. This workshop explores some of the more common health issues that students experience, and how integrating simple strategies into daily routines may make a difference for your health and wellbeing now, and into the future.

Facilitator: Ravi Gabble, MPH, Health Education Coordinator, University of Toronto at Mississauga

* Life Management Series is Co-Curricular Record (CCR) approved. Students who complete three workshops over one academic year, will receive a Life Management Certificate and Co-Curricular Record recognition. CCR connects skills to involvement opportunities. The University has introduced the Co-Curricular Record (CCR), a new official document that helps students show employers and graduate schools the skills and competencies they have gained through their involvement on campus.

A workshop series designed to empower students to find a better balance between their academic work and caring for others.

How can I stay organized and on top of my studies this year? What’s the best way to read and take notes that are useful for review? This interactive workshop will answer these questions and more. Stress related to studying can be amplified when there are distractions related to family care underfoot, in the sink, or asking for help with their own homework. Students who find ways to stay organized and study effectively are more productive, gain a deeper understanding from their readings, and have an easier time reviewing notes and thinking critically. Come to learn about studying, reading and note taking from and with other students with family responsibilities.

Facilitator: Learning Strategist at the Academic Success Centre at the University of Toronto.

* Life Management Series is Co-Curricular Record (CCR) approved. Students who complete three workshops in one academic year, will receive Life Management Certificate and Co-Curricular Record recognition. CCR connects skills to involvement opportunities. The University has introduced the Co-Curricular Record (CCR), an official document that helps students show employers and graduate schools the skills and competencies they have gained through their involvement on campus.

**This event is Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) approved. GPS consists of a range of optional “offerings” with a time commitment roughly equivalent to 60 hours of work. Its successful completion will be recognized by a transcript notation.

Registration required. University of Toronto students are welcome. Please let us know if you have any mobility challenges so we can accommodate your needs.

This lunchtime series consists of brief interactive sessions customized for students with family responsibilities. Students will have an opportunity to learn, share, and find support by exchanging ideas and stories in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Time Management

Where is the time to do all the things you need or want to? Find it in this hands-on workshop by learning to focus on your goals, think strategically about your time, and turn your priorities into success stories. Practical systems through which to manage your time are included.

Facilitator: Andrea Graham, a Learning Strategist with U of T’s Academic Success Centre.

Stress Management

Come and take some time to relax and breathe! We will be learning and practicing different relaxation techniques, such as a guided mindfulness meditation, yoga stretches, and have a discussion of what methods we use as student parents to help de-stress throughout a busy day.

Spirituality in Schooling

Spirituality in schooling has often been misrepresented. Either rejected as unscientific and not applicable to scholars or seen as an unwanted extension of religion in schools, students have been asked to check their spirituality at the doors of the school. This workshop will look at:

• What is spirituality?
• How can spirituality be a part of my own student experience?
• How can I foster spirituality in my child’s schooling experience? Why is this important?

This workshop aims to be both a broad look at spirituality in schooling as well as giving practical ways to apply and foster spiritual living in your own life and in your child’s life.

Facilitator:

Eric Ritskes is a graduate student in Education, writer on spirituality in education, a father of one rambunctious 2-year old girl, blogger and story teller. He lives in Toronto and enjoys the simple pleasures in life such as good espresso and the daily crossword puzzle.

Community Kitchen for Students with Family Responsibilities

The Family Care Office invites students with family responsibilities to this December session — Cooking Up the Best Possible Relationship. At this hands-on workshop, while cooking some inexpensive, quick and tasty recipes, we will discuss the necessary ingredients for the best possible relationship with your partner. Vegetarian lunch will be provided. Register

Keys to Effective Parent-Child Communication

Effective communication is an important parenting skill. Whether you are parenting a toddler or a teenager, good communication is the key to building self-esteem as well as mutual respect. This workshop will provide useful information and techniques for parents on how to use communication to strengthen their relationships with their children.

Lunchtime Session for Students Caring for Children 2 to 9 years of age

Have kids? Care for kids as if they were your own? Looking for fun & easy games and crafts for children on those days when you just need to get some reading done? In this session, we will be learning some easy craft ideas and games for kids to play on their own or with friends. Connect with other student parents and learn some simple activities to stimulate your children’s development and keep them entertained! Students and postdoctoral fellows are welcome. Vegetarian lunch served!

Staying Connected – Being a student-parent and caring for your other relationships

Looking for balance? Join other student parents as we share tips and discuss the challenges of finding a balance between school, family, and connecting with friends and loved ones. Vegetarian lunch served!

Keeping your Cool: Assertive Parenting

Temper tantrums. Whining. Endless energy. How is a parent to keep their calm and help their children develop good habits in the middle of a crazy day? We will discuss how to choose our battles and calm down when the stress of family care, school, and work is piling up. We will also talk about how we can help our children to express their emotions in healthy ways.

Career Planning for Student Parents

• Trying to decide about the career to pursue?
• Thinking about your next steps?
• Exploring your career options?

Come to an informal discussion to learn how the University of Toronto Career Centre can help you to plan for the future.

Facilitator: Karen Carrel Rice, M.Ed, Career Counsellor

The aim of the session is to lend insight into the challenges frequently faced by LGBTQ families whose children are attending school or are in a daycare setting. Panelists will:

• discuss indicators of early learning environments that are inclusive of LGBTQ issues and share strategies to ensure the inclusion of queer issues in the early childhood classroom
• provide insight into current and emerging strategies for assisting a child in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)
• provide information and resources for working with programs in support of children reared in LGBTQ-headed households

Panelists:

• Ryan Campbell is a supervisor at the UofT Early Learning Centre and he is the co-author of Building Bridges: Queer Families in Early Childhood Education;
• Steven Solomon, MSW, RSW, PhD.(c) is a School Social Worker with the Human Sexuality Program, Triangle Program in the TDSB.
• Rosa Brooksis a co-op student in the TDSB and co-facilitates COLAGE.

This workshop will lend insight into the challenges frequently faced by LGBTQ families, and provide strategies for facilitating partnerships with professionals working to support U of T families.

During this workshop, you will:

• Discuss indicators of early learning environments that are inclusive of LGBTQ issues.
• Access information and resources for working with programs in support of children reared in LGBTQ-headed households.
• Gain increased insight into agencies within the U of T community and the greater Toronto area that serve to support LGBTQ families.
• Safely share and exchange common experiences within a LGBTQ-positive space.

Facilitators: Ryan Campbell and Iyana Browne

Ryan and Iyana are supervisors at the University of Toronto Early Learning Centre. Ryan is also an MA candidate in Ryerson’s Early Childhood Studies program and has published and presented on various LGBTQ-related issues in early childhood education. Iyana is currently working on a BA in Equity Studies and Anthropology.

Come and meet other parents and talk about:

• Adjusting to Parenthood
• Infant Nutrition
• Growth and Development
• Caring for a Sick Child
• Keeping Your Child Safe
• Community Resources

Facilitator: Debra Williams-Conliffe, Public Health Nurse

A program by the City of Toronto Public Health Dept. in collaboration with the U of T Family Care Office.

This workshop is for students, staff & faculty who are considering separation and would like to construct a plan for this process. Join Suzette M. Bloom, L.L.B. and learn what is involved. Acquire tools to navigate your way through the system so you can make informed choices. Know your rights & obligations. Learn how to select a lawyer & finance the cost of your legal services.

A workshop series designed to empower students to find a better balance between academic life and caring for others.

All of us have 24-hours in a day. How can they be optimized? Time-related stress is a fact of life in university and parenthood. Student parents who find ways to manage time effectively are more productive, and have an easier time memorizing information, concentrating on and understanding their readings, and thinking critically. They also find it easier to focus on their families and enjoy relaxing time. This one-hour interactive workshop helps student parents to create realistic goals for their family and academic lives.

Facilitator: Janelle Joseph, PhD, Learning Strategist & Adjunct Professor

A workshop series designed to empower students to find a better balance between being in school and caring for others.

Where is the time to do all the things I want or need to do for my studies and my family? How do I stop worrying about my past mistakes and future goals? What is my learning style and how does this impact study-related anxiety? What is the best method and time for relaxation (and won’t relaxing just put me further behind)? Find the answers to these questions and more in this 1.5-hour interactive workshop.

Facilitator: Janelle Joseph, PhD, Learning Strategist & Adjunct Professor

* Life Management Series is Co-Curricular Record (CCR) approved. Students who complete four workshops over two academic years, will receive Life Management Certificate and Co-Curricular Record recognition. CCR connects skills to involvement opportunities. The University has introduced the Co-Curricular Record (CCR), a new official document that helps students show employers and graduate schools the skills and competencies they have gained through their involvement on campus.

A workshop series designed to empower students to find a better balance between being in school and caring for others.

Do you avoid school work and find that all your time is taken up with family responsibilities and other commitments? Are you behind on your readings and assignments and cramming to finish at the last minute? Do you feel a great deal of stress and anxiety about deadlines and continually put them off?

If you struggle with some of these issues, this workshop can help. Through group discussion and hands-on activities, you will learn the reasons for procrastination, identify your personal procrastination habits, and learn practical strategies to develop more effective work habits.

Participants are encouraged to bring their course schedule, course syllabi, and any day-timers or family calendars they use to the workshop.

Facilitator: Meghan Litteljohn, Academic Success Centre, University of Toronto.

* Life Management Series is Co-Curricular Record (CCR) approved and may lead to Life Management Certificate. The Series consists of interactive workshops designed to empower student parents and students with family responsibilities to find a better balance in their lives by learning key life management skills, such as: goal setting and prioritization, stress and time management, self-advocacy and communicating effectively, personal wellness and more. Students who complete four workshops over two academic years, will receive Life Management Certificate and Co-Curricular Record recognition. Co-Curricular Record is designed to help students find opportunities at U of T beyond the classroom and to have their skills and experiences captured on an official document.