Experiential Learning
| Co-op/Placement Students |
 Placement opportunities for students in 2020/2021 were completely virtual, due to public health restrictions during the pandemic. Despite this, the City was able to provide a small number of virtual co-operative education placements to post-secondary students.
This included students from:
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| Interactive Wayfinding Tool – Waterfront Trail |
 Durham College students from the School of Media, Art & Design, under the supervision of faculty member Linda Cheng, designed a new interactive wayfinding tool to enhance visitor experiences along the Waterfront Trail. This began as a City Idea Lab course in the winter 2021 semester, and was further developed and prepared for launch during the spring and summer 2021 semesters by Durham College student Karan Bhandra, through an RBC Future Launch Student Leader Award.
This technology builds on the success of a similar project at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens that provides wayfinding and the ability for visitors to explore points of interest within the park. The City looks forward to exploring further collaborations to develop interactive technology at additional locations in the future. |
| Access to Justice Hub |
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The Access to Justice Hub is a collaboration between the Durham Community Legal Clinic (DCLC), Durham College, the Region of Durham and many other service providers, with a goal of expanding access to free legal services for Durham residents who do not qualify for Legal Aid Services provided by DCLC. The free legal services are provided by Durham College students enrolled in the School of Justice & Emergency Services’ Paralegal program. This experiential learning initiative provides students with an opportunity to use the skills learned in class, while also offering valuable services to local residents. A future research project at the Access to Justice Hub around the areas of social equity and inclusion is also being planned by TeachingCity Oshawa partners Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent Durham. In 2020/2021, the HUB hosted and provided the following support:
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| Virtual Exhibits |
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Art in the Hall, artwork created by students in Durham College’s Fine Arts – Advanced program, is exhibited at City Hall on an ongoing, rotating basis. Exhibits are designed and installed by student artists, with guidance from Cultural staff at the City of Oshawa. Due to the pandemic and closure of City Hall to the public, Art in the Hall pivoted and went virtual. During the 2019-2020 academic year, students from the Journalism and Personal Support Worker programs at Durham College conducted interviews with a selection of older adults who were either members of the Oshawa Seniors Community Centres 55+ (OSCC55+) or living in residences in Oshawa. These stories were then interpreted by fellow Durham College students in the Fine Arts program through visual art. Their pieces are featured in the virtual gallery on the City’s website. Original artworks are also installed at the Delpark Homes Centre, Donevan Recreation Complex, Northview Community Centre and OSCC55+ John Street Branch.
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| City Idea Lab |
| Check out what happened this year at City Idea Lab, TeachingCity's own collaborative, curriculum-based learning environment. |
