This academic term, the Mosaic Institute is thrilled to welcome the participation in its work of several University of Toronto students from a fourth-year South Asian Studies course entitled “SAS 413: Reading South Asia from a Canadian Perspective”.
The Mosaic Institute was first approached by Professor Reena Tandon, who teaches the course, in autumn 2010. Each year, Professor Tandon encourages her students to complement their academic study of multiculturalism and Canada’s relationship with South Asia with practical experience that will deepen their understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s many South Asian communities. Last year, a number of Professor Tandon’s students worked with the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA). This year, Professor Tandon came to the Mosaic Institute because of its innovative work in bridging divides between the different sub-communities of South Asians living in Canada, as well as its focus on youth and young adults.
(l-r) Yamika, Serothy and Raman are among the UofT students receiving credit for their work with the Mosaic Institute.
Seven students from SAS 413 are working on two projects of the Mosaic Institute: the development of an on-line information commons for the “UofMosaic” initiative, and the development and delivery of global citizenship curriculum for almost 250 high school students of South Asian background from the Peel District School Board. Depending on the projects they have chosen, the university students are either creating web-based content, developing workshop exercises, or assisting in the actual delivery of classroom-based seminars on Canadian values, South Asian heritage in Canada, and opportunities for conflict-resolution and peacebuilding both in Canada and abroad.
Professor Tandon is a big believer in the importance of this work experience for her students:
“Collaborating with an organization that engages with the community and with policy makers provides an exceptional experience for students of South Asian studies to expand their understanding of the issues conceptually and to learn the application and translation of concepts into community-relevant projects. Such experience is vital for the students to be able to relate their degrees to a field of practice. Such a partnership is vital as it forms a bridge between theory and application and between academia and the community-based organizations engaged in meaningful work.”
Students are being supervised and assessed in their work by members of the Mosaic team, including Mike Morden, Project Coordinator for the “UofMosaic”, and Dr. Herveen Singh, Program Manager for the “South Asian-Canadian Global Citizenship Project.” A significant portion of the students’ final grade in SAS 413 depends upon their assessment by the Mosaic Institute.
Said Mosaic Institute Executive Director John Monahan of these students’ hands-on involvement in the work of the institute:
“It is a credit to Professor Tandon and to each of her students that they are committed to exploring what it means to be South Asian in Canada in the ‘real world’. The Mosaic Institute benefits enormously from the insights and enthusiasm of these students. In fact, we probably learn as much from them as they do from their experience with us. We are honoured that they have chosen to work with us this year.”
