Community Engagement and Learning

A er a 20-year teaching career at SMCS, Dr. Daniel Lumsden ’96 has added a new layer to his vocation as a Catholic educator by reducing his teaching role to take on the responsibilities of the Community Engagement and Learning programme.

e outward-looking programme actively supports the development of key skill sets for student success in post-secondary pursuits and beyond. rough strategic partnerships with community members and organizations, the programme connects curriculum programming directly to real-world knowledge by taking classroom learning into the outside world.

Alumni, parents, friends of SMCS, and community partners play a signi cant role in the success of the programme, which has recently completed its h year at SMCS. Here are a few Community Engagement and Learning highlights from 2022-23.

· Partnership with Unity Health, where students will o er over 90 hours of community service. e student will be involved in several roles while ful lling their volunteer hours with their respective hospitals

· U.S. visit to the University of Michigan Business School and basketball game

· IMF speaker Mark Flanagan ’86

· March Break European Trip (Budapest, Vienna, London) to visit professors and employees of their respective companies

· Science Breakfast

· First host of the inaugural CIS Black Student ConferenceA great success with approximately 100 people in a endance Grade 11 Career Day with a new format which included an improv speaker in the morning, followed by reside chats and speed rounds, where students had the opportunity to speak to individuals in di erent industries

· Planning for the Grade 12 Graduation Formal

· Plans made to visit the University of Notre Dame Business School in 2023-24 academic year

· Proposed potential trip to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt

· TEDx Talk 2023-24 academic year

· Author of ‘Caste’ – Isabel Wilkerson conducted a one-hour Q&A session with sta and faculty

Looking forward, Lumsden hopes to focus future initiatives on the following areas as the programme develops into a core component of a SMCS education.

Service – Creating impact with students by providing opportunities in our community for our students to grow into strong global citizens and be of service to others.

Foster Collaboration – Working with other stakeholders, businesses, educational institutions, and organizations to build networking opportunities and provide an opportunity for our students to use these skills and resources to apply them back into the classroom and enhance their learning experience.

Critical Thinking – Help our students make informed decisions based on reasoning and facts. It helps students analyze a problem and make e ective decisions by weighing out the pros and cons, considering potential consequences, and making appropriate decisions. Critical thinking is one of the major facets of education, and our goal is to ensure students are well-equipped moving forward.

Alumni are encouraged to get involved by contacting Lumsden at 416-653-3180 x 151 or lumsden@smcsmail.com.