Back to School Skate
Join us on September 27 from 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. for a fun, social skate at Varsity Arena! Offered in collaboration with MoveU, the KINections Back to School Skate is open to all kinesiology students, both undergraduate and graduate. Bring a friend or make some new ones as you glide (or wobble!) across the ice.
Seasoned pros and newbies welcome. Free hot chocolate will be provided!
We encourage those with their own skates / helmets to bring them to the event.
Skate loans are available at no cost (limited sizes available).
How to participate
Get KINvolved Fair
Do you want to learn more about getting involved at U of T but are not sure how to start? Come visit the Get KINvolved Fair to learn more about the may ways you can connect to your U of T community.
How to participate:
The fair takes place on Tuesday September 10, 3-4:30 p.m. in the Warren Stevens Lobby (55 Harbord St.)
No registration is required - feel free to drop by when you have a moment!
2024-25 KINections Volunteer & Work Study Opportunities
KINections is hiring!
If you want to develop and deliver events that enrich the #UofTKPE student experience, join the KINections team in a work study or volunteer role.
The KINections team curates, plans and hosts events and activities for undergraduate and graduate KPE students to connect with each other beyond the classroom.
How it Works
KINections activities are organized around themes, with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion woven into each of the themes. For each theme, there is a dedicated group of staff and students developing events and activities, called a pillar group. The pillar group typically meets as a group 5 - 6 times per year, and sub-groups may meet additionally to develop and present the activities they’d like to host. The large KINections group will also meet at least once each term. The themes are:
Mentorship
Health and wellness
Community engagement
Global citizenship
Career development
Research exploration
Equity, diversity & inclusion
How to Apply
Volunteer Roles
If you’re interested in volunteering with KINections, please complete the online application form.
The deadline for this recruitment period is August 31, 2024 with interviews scheduled to take place online in late August / early September. Volunteer positions will start September 2024.
Work Study Roles
If you’re interested in a work study position with KINections, please visit the KPE job listings page for detailed position descriptions and instructions on how to apply
The deadline for KINections work study roles is August 31, 2024. However, roles will be filled on a rolling basis, so apply ASAP!
Positions available:
· KINections Community Engagement Program Assistant
· KINections Career Development Program Assistant
· KINections Executive Program Assistant
· KINections Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Program Assistant
· KINections Global Citizenship Program Assistant
· KINections Health & Wellness Program Assistant
· KINections Research Exploration Program Assistant
Destress with Colouring & Cocoa
March is a busy time of year at KPE with the exam period approaching.
Take a break on March 25 by attending Destress Event: Colouring and Cocoa! Reduce your stress levels by expressing your creativity through colouring, and share a warm cup of cocoa with fellow classmates and friends. Materials and refreshments will be provided by KPE's Office of the Registrar and Student Services.
How to participate:
2024-25 KINections Volunteer & Work Study Opportunities
KINections is hiring!
If you want to develop and deliver events that enrich the #UofTKPE student experience, join the KINections team in a work study or volunteer role.
The KINections team curates, plans and hosts events and activities for undergraduate and graduate KPE students to connect with each other beyond the classroom.
How it Works
KINections activities are organized around themes, with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion woven into each of the themes: mentorship, health and wellness, community engagement, global citizenship, career development, research exploration and equity, diversity & inclusion.
For each theme, there is a dedicated group of staff and students developing events and activities called a pillar group. The pillar group typically meets as a group 5 - 6 times per year, and sub-groups may meet additionally to develop and present the activities they’d like to host. The large KINections group will also meet at least once each term.
How to Apply
Volunteer Roles
If you’re interested in volunteering with KINections, please complete the online application form.
The deadline for this recruitment period is April 30, 2024 with interviews scheduled to take place online in May. Volunteer positions will start September 2024.
Work Study Roles
We are recruiting now for the Fall 2024 / Winter 2025 terms. If you’re interested in a work study position with KINections, please visit the KPE job listings page for detailed position descriptions and instructions on how to apply
The deadline for the following KINections work study opportunity is April 30, 2024. Please complete the online application form. You will also need to submit a resume and cover letter before your interview.
Work study positions can not be officially offered until approved in the summer, but early application / interview will fast track hiring in the fall.
Positions available:
· KINections Community Engagement Program Assistant
· KINections Career Development Program Assistant
· KINections Executive Program Assistant (specifically looking for Master, PHD and MPK students)
· KINections Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Program Assistant
· KINections Global Citizenship Program Assistant
· KINections Health & Wellness Program Assistant
· KINections Mentorship Program Assistant
· KINections Research Exploration Program Assistant
International Student Panel and Networking Event
Join the U of T Student Life’s Academic Success team and the Centre for International Experience (CIE) on Wednesday, February 14th, from 6-8 p.m., for a networking event where international graduate and undergraduate student panelists will share their insights and tips about studying at U of T!
Network with the panelists over snacks and a boxed dinner, and meet other students from across the university! Attendees will also have the chance to win one of five Second Cup $10 gift cards in a randomized prize draw.
How to Participate
Register for the International Student Panel & Networking Event
Black History Month: Trivia Contest
Do you know the name of the first Black player in the National Hockey League? Or how many Grammys The Weeknd has? Come flex your knowledge in Black Canadian history at the Black History Month Trivia Contest, organized by KPE’s Office of the Registrar and Student Services!
The winner of the contest will receive a fun prize!
Session Details
Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT (1 hour)
Location: Clara Benson Building, BN302, 320 Huron St, Toronto, ON M5S 3J7
Grad Equity Talk: EDI in Research
This Grad Equity Talk, focused on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in Research, is an opportunity for graduate students at KPE to discuss the various ways they might incorporate EDI principles in their research.
Students will discuss the importance and challenges related to incorporating EDI in their research. Faculty members will also join the talk to share their insight and experience.
How to participate
KINmunity Fridge Walk
Learn about food insecurity and mutual aid organizations in the City of Toronto with your KPE peers!
Join the KINmunity Fridge Walk on Thursday January 25 from 12:30 - 2 p.m. Participants will take a walk to the UTSU food bank and then visit 2 community fridges near campus. Bring food (perishable or non-perishable) items to donate to the community fridges. Take a walk on the wild side, meet like-minded KIN students and walk for good for the start of 2024.
How to participate
Strong Start: Scavenger Hunt
Meet your KPE student support team and get your questions answered with a fun scavenger hunt in the Clara Benson Building.
Head to the second floor outside the Benson Student Lounge. There you’ll find KPE's Equity Engagement & Student Advisor Feyi at a table, ready to help you get a strong start both in the semester and scavenger hunt. There will be prizes (available to KPE students only)!
Craft & Chat: Zine Workshop
Do you enjoy being creative? Do you have a topic you're passionate about that you want to share with the world? Come and learn how to make a zine with your peers at KPE!
Zines (short for magazine or fanzine) are self published works with original or appropriated texts and images. Historically, zines have been a way for under-represented groups to get their opinions out and amplify their own voices.
This workshop will share the basics on how zines are made and will provide you an opportunity to make one of your own.
The suggested theme for this workshop is HOME.
All materials will be provided.
How to participate
Black Student Winter Welcome
Black students at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education are invited to a student mixer! Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome.
Come connect with your Black student peers and build community with activities, great conversations and more as we celebrate the beginning of a new academic term.
This event was created specifically for KPE students that identify as Black (this includes Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, and multi-racial people who have and identify with their Black ancestry, etc.) We ask that non-Black students please not register for this event. If you have any questions, please contact KPE’s Equity Engagement and Student Advisor, Feyisami Adara.
How to participate
Destress with Colouring & Cocoa
The end of November is a busy time of the year at KPE, as the exam period approaches.
Take a break on November 27 by attending Destress with Colouring and Cocoa! Reduce your stress levels by expressing your creativity through colouring, and share a warm cup of cocoa with fellow classmates and friends. Materials and refreshments will be provided by KPE's Office of the Registrar and Student Services.
How to participate
Field Trip: Royal Ontario Museum
Come explore a wide range of art with your peers with a special field trip to the Royal Ontario Museum on November 24, courtesy of KPE's Office of the Registrar and Student Services! There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students are welcome.
The field trip will focus on the exhibition Being and Belonging: Contemporary Women Artists from the Islamic World and Beyond. This bold exhibition explores the defining issues of our time from the perspective of 25 women artists from or connected to the broader Islamic world spanning across West Africa to Southeast Asia or living in diaspora. Deftly interrogating themes of identity, power, sexuality, and home, this exhibition resists simple stereotypes with outstanding artworks from both emerging and well-established artists.
Founded in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada's largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million artworks, cultural objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces.
How to participate
Info Session: KPE 401 - International Development Through Sport
Transform your understanding of sport as a tool for international development in KPE 401, a 6-week summer course with a field trip to Jamaica!
Attend the in-person info session being held on November 21 from 3 - 4 p.m. to learn more about the course and how to apply.
KPE 401 examines—theoretically, empirically, and critically—the development through sport / sport for development and peace (DTS / SDP) movement, diving into the social and political issues at play. The course starts with lectures in Toronto and includes 2 weeks of fieldwork in Jamaica, offered in the summer term.
How to participate
Field Trip: Art Gallery of Ontario
Explore the work of South Asian Canadian artist Sarinder Dhaliwal on November 17 with a field trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario, organized exclusively for students at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education.
There is no cost to attend, courtesy of KPE's Office of the Registrar and Student Services, but registration is required! Undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students are welcome.
Sarindar Dhaliwal: When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours exhibits more than 40 years of artmaking by the South Asian Canadian artist. Characterized by intense colour and compelling imagery, Dhaliwal's art investigates memory, identity and migration. In this, her first AGO solo exhibition, the artist's significant contribution to Canadian art will be illustrated by a selection of key works, including meticulously rendered drawings and mixed media works from the 1980s to the 2000s, alongside large-scale installations and recent photography.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world.
How to participate
Field Trip: Welcome to Blackhurst
Did you know that right next to the University of Toronto is one of Toronto's Black history hubs? The Bloor - Bathurst neighbourhood (a.k.a. the Annex) has a rich history that dates back over 160 years.
All undergraduate and graduate KPE students are invited to learn more about the Black history of the Annex through the Welcome to Blackhurst program at A Different Booklist Cultural Center.
The Welcome to Blackhurst program engages and educates on the rich legacy of the history-makers of Toronto's Bathurst-Bloor and Annex neighbourhoods. It incorporates hands-on activities that readily connect participants to the local history of the surrounding community.
Session Details
Date: Friday, October 27, 2023
Time: 1 - 2:30 p.m. EDT (1.5 hours)
How to participate
KINections Lindy Hop Kick Off Dance and Clothing Drive
Join KINections and the UT-Swing Dance Club on Friday October 27 from 12 - 1 p.m. to kick off our clothing donation drive!
Sign up to participate in a beginner lindy hop workshop - no partner or dance experience necessary. Simply wear clothing you can move in, indoor shoes, water and be ready to try your best!
Please bring one (or more) gently used or new winter clothing items to donate to unhoused youth.
Session Details
Date: Friday October 27, 2023
Time: 12 - 1 p.m. (1 hour)
How to Participate
Sign up for KINect with US: Lindy Hop Dance and Clothing Drive Kick Off now
Equity Talks: Sport and Gender
How can we create a more equitable environment in sport, particularly in relation to gender?
Sports and sporting environments have historically been strictly gendered. Graduate students at KPE are invited to a conversation discussing the various ways gender roles and ideals show up in sport.
Topics of discussion will include:
How do practices in sport serve to reinforce gender roles? When do they challenge them?
What purpose do gendered physical activity serve?
How can more inclusive sporting practices be created?
Session Details
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m. EDT (1.5 hours)
How to participate
Equity Workshop: Self Advocacy, Allyship & Solidarity
Join us for an introductory workshop on anti-oppression concepts tailored to Bachelor of Kinesiology students! This interactive workshop will explore various concepts related to self-advocacy, allyship and solidarity, particularly within a health and physical activity context. Students of all backgrounds are welcome.
Participants will:
Identify the layers in which oppression manifests and provide examples in the context of health education
Draw from a strength-based model to identify examples of resistance to each layer of oppression
Communicate strategies for engaging in self-advocacy and allyship when discrimination occurs
Session Details
Date: Monday, October 23, 2023
Time: 1 - 2:30 p.m. EDT (1.5 hours)
How to participate
Sign Up for Equity Workshop: Self Advocacy, Allyship & Solidarity
KPE City Sightseeing Toronto Bus Tour & Lunch
Discover Toronto aboard a double-decker bus on a City Sightseeing tour! After the tour, join us for a pizza lunch and mingle with other kinesiology students.
Undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students are welcome. International students are especially encouraged to attend.
How to participate
Button Making Social
Pin buttons are a historic part of queer culture, worn to show pride, protest, create movements and identify allies.
Socialize with your peers and create your own cool pin to express yourself creatively at our Button Making Social on September 19 from 10:30 - 12 p.m. All materials will be provided.
LGBTQ+ students and allies are invited!
How to participate
KINections Volunteer Opportunities
KINections Volunteer Opportunities
The KINections team curates, plans and hosts events and activities for undergraduate and graduate KPE students to connect with each other beyond the classroom.
If you want to develop and deliver events that enrich the #UofTKPE student experience, join the KINections team in a volunteer role!
How it Works
KINections activities are organized around themes (called pillars), mentorship, health and wellness, community engagement, global citizenship, career development, research exploration and equity, diversity & inclusion.
For each theme, there is a dedicated group of staff and students developing events and activities called a pillar group. The pillar group typically meets as a group 5 - 6 times per year, and sub-groups may meet additionally to develop and present the activities they’d like to host.
The broader KINections group will also meet at least once each term. You can expect to spend a minimum of 10 hours volunteering in this role over the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 terms.
KINections also offers work study opportunities, but all work study positions have been filled for 2023-24. Recruitment for work study roles for the 2024-25 academic year will begin in spring of 2024.
How to Apply
If you’re interested in volunteering with KINections, please complete the online application form.
The deadline to apply as a volunteer has been extended to September 18, 2023.
A full job description is provided below for reference:
KINections Volunteer - Position Description
Questions? Need more information about these opportunities? Please email kinections@utoronto.ca.
KPE Black Student Orientation
Connect and build community at the Faculty's Black Student Orientation! Undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students are welcome.
Come mix and mingle with fellow incoming students, chat with upper year students and meet Black faculty members! Connect with your peers through conversation and fun activities. Refreshments will be provided.
This event is intended for all KPE students who self-identify as Black.
How to participate
KINections Volunteer & Work Study Opportunities
KINections is hiring!
If you want to develop and deliver events that enrich the #uoftkpe student experience, join the KINections team in a work study role.
The KINections team curates, plans and hosts events and activities for undergraduate and graduate KPE students to connect with each other beyond the classroom.
How it Works
KINections activities are organized around themes, with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion woven into each of the themes: mentorship, health and wellness, community engagement, global citizenship, career development, research exploration and equity, diversity & inclusion.
For each theme, there is a dedicated group of staff and students developing events and activities called a pillar group. The pillar group typically meets as a group 5 - 6 times per year, and sub-groups may meet additionally to develop and present the activities they’d like to host. The large KINections group will also meet at least once each term.
How to Apply
Volunteer
If you’re interested in volunteering with KINections, please complete the online application form.
The deadline for this recruitment period has been extended to May 5, 2023 with interviews scheduled to take place May 8 – 26, 2023. Volunteer positions will start September 2023.
Work Study Roles
We are recruiting now for the Fall 2023 / Winter 2024 terms. If you’re interested in a work study position with KINections, please visit the KPE job listings page for detailed position descriptions and instructions on how to apply
The deadline for the following KINections work study opportunity has been extended to May 5, 2023. Please complete the online application form. You will also need to submit a resume and cover letter before your interview.
Work study positions can not be officially offerred until approved this summer, but early application / interview will fast track hiring in the fall.
Positions available:
· KINections Career Development Program Assistant
· KINections Executive Program Assistant (specifically looking for Master, PHD and MPK students)
· KINections Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Program Assistant
· KINections Global Citizenship Program Assistant
· KINections Health & Wellness Program Assistant
· KINections Mentorship Program Assistant
KINections Volunteer & Work Study Opportunities
KINections is hiring!
If you want to develop and deliver events that enrich the #uoftkpe student experience, join the KINections team in a work study role.
The KINections team curates, plans and hosts events and activities for undergraduate and graduate KPE students to connect with each other beyond the classroom.
How it Works
KINections activities are organized around themes, with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion woven into each of the themes: mentorship, health and wellness, community engagement, global citizenship, career development, research exploration and equity, diversity & inclusion.
For each theme, there is a dedicated group of staff and students developing events and activities called a pillar group. The pillar group typically meets as a group 5 - 6 times per year, and sub-groups may meet additionally to develop and present the activities they’d like to host. The large KINections group will also meet at least once each term.
How to Apply
Volunteer
If you’re interested in volunteering with KINections, please complete the online application form.
The deadline for this recruitment period is April 30, 2023 with interviews scheduled to take place May 8 – 26, 2023. Volunteer positions will start September 2023.
Work Study Roles
We are recruiting now for the Fall 2023 / Winter 2024 terms. If you’re interested in a work study position with KINections, please visit the KPE job listings page for detailed position descriptions and instructions on how to apply
The deadline for the following KINections work study opportunity is April 30, 2023. Please complete the online application form. You will also need to submit a resume and cover letter before your interview.
Work study positions can not be officially offerred until approved this summer, but early application / interview will fast track hiring in the fall.
Positions available:
· KINections Career Development Program Assistant
· KINections Executive Program Assistant (specifically looking for Master, PHD and MPK students)
· KINections Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Program Assistant
· KINections Global Citizenship Program Assistant
· KINections Health & Wellness Program Assistant
· KINections Mentorship Program Assistant
Field Trip: Captive Rooms Toronto
Calling all international students at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education! You're invited on an escape room adventure. Come put your skills to the test in a fun and exciting cooperative game at Captive Rooms Toronto.
Participants will play the Dracula's Library Game: New Orleans 1862…. You and your team of investigative journalists have been following the trail of the world’s oldest vampire for quite some time. Your interest, however, has not gone unnoticed. You have been lured to a mansion on the banks of this mystical city by a promising lead in your quest to expose Dracula to the world. Once inside you and your team realize that the tables have been turned and, you now find yourselves unwitting participants in a most deadly game. Racing not just against time, but against the darkness itself.
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.
Date: March 31, 2023
Time: 1 - 3 p.m
Location:
How to Participate
Black Student Mixer
Black students at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education are invited to a student mixer! Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome.
Come connect with your Black student peers and build community with board games, ice breakers and more.
This event was created specifically for KPE students that identify as Black (this includes Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, and multi-racial people who have and identify with their Black ancestry, etc.) We ask that non-Black students please not register for this event. If you have any questions, please contact KPE’s Equity Engagement and Student Advisor, Feyisami Adara.
Date: March 21, 2023
Time: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Clara Benson Building
How to Participate
KINections Hart House Farm Maple Sugar Retreat
Escape the city and embrace a change of pace at the Hart House Farm Retreat on March 17!
Join us for a day trip filled with games and hands-on activities, including a maple sugaring experience (where sap is collected from maple trees to make maple syrup).
Hart House Farm is located in Caledon Hills, approximately 1.5 hours drive from Toronto. Transportation, meals and snacks will be provided. The retreat will run from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Participants will meet in the Athletic Centre lobby at 10 a.m. sharp.
Registration is required to attend this event and a $25 deposit will be collected as part of the registration process. If you are a KPE student, you register and attend the event, you will be eligible for a full refund after March 20, 2023. To initiate your refund request, please call the Athletic Centre’s Customer and Membership Services team at 416-978-3436 (extension 0) or visit the Main Office in the Athletic Centre.
Register at uoft.me/kpefarmtrip (type KINections into the search bar if it doesn’t go directly to the KINections page).
KINdhearted Letters
Stop by the second floor of the Clara Benson building and write brief notes to motivate struggling community members to keep going via moreloveletters.com. In coming together to support others in the community, students promote their own wellness.
How to participate
Drop by the second floor lobby of the Clara Benson building from 12 - 2 p.m. to write some encouraging words. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
KINections March Mental Health Week
KINections presents the March Mental Health Week!
With midterm season in full swing and exam season on the horizon, the KINections team has organized an entire week of free events to promote mental health and wellbeing for KPE students!
The KINections March Mental Health Week will run from Monday March 6th to Friday March 10th, with a different activity offered each day. No need to sign up for the events in advance, but onsite registration will be required. The more events you participate in, the more chances you have to be entered into a draw to win a prize pack filled with U of T goodies and more! The random draw for prize packs will occur following the last event.
Come out from March 6 – 10 to reconnect, recharge and enjoy a full week of events, snacks and good times!
Monday March 6 ● 12 – 2 p.m.
Spill the Tea: Spill your exam tips and tricks with KINections! Drop by the second floor lobby of the Clara Benson building on Monday, March 6th to “spill the tea” from 12 – 2 p.m. Share how you prepare for exam season and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, on us!
Tuesday March 7 ● 4 – 5 p.m.
Panel & Pizza: In this panel, held in room 221 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with peer mentors who will share their experiences and techniques around effectively managing time and stress. Complimentary pizza from Panago Pizza will be provided. This event has limited capacity so first-come, first-served!
Wednesday March 8 ● 12 – 2 p.m.
KINdhearted Letters
Stop by the second floor of the Clara Benson building and write brief notes to motivate struggling community members to keep going via moreloveletters.com. In coming together to support others in the community, students promote their own wellness.
Thursday March 9 ● 3 – 4 p.m.
Shuffle Dance: Learn to shuffle like a pro in a beginner-friendly dance workshop led by Julianne Lindeblom (she/they) at the Athletic Centre Dance Studio. Learn a fun, upbeat routine and add some new moves to your repertoire!
Friday March 10 ● 12 – 2 p.m.
Sport and Disability Film Screening and Discussion
Drop by Room 221 in the Golding Centre for High Performance Sport to watch two short films on disability and inclusion in sports, followed by reflection and discussion.
Sensei
2021, documentary, Canada, 22 min, dir: Jill Roberts
Natalie Olson, World Silver Medalist and the first Canadian with Down syndrome to earn a black belt in karate, trains for her next big challenge with her coach of over 20 years, Sensei Heather Fidyk.
McKayla
2017, documentary, US, 13 min, dir: Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich
McKayla survived a rare form of cancer, losing one of her legs. Told she would neither run nor cycle again, McKayla is competing in triathlons. (Update: since the film’s completion, McKayla has lost her battle with cancer.)
How to participate
No need to sign up for the events in advance, but onsite registration will be required. Drop in at one or several events throughout the week.