On Friday, October 23, students from Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School's Non-Profit, Education and Child Care Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program took part in a Sector-Partnered Experience focused on exploring innovative ways to support people experiencing homelessness.
Facilitated by LearnIt and hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University, the day began with an engaging presentation by Georgia Mackenzie-MacPherson, a Toronto-based human-centred design consultant, researcher and creative strategist whose work focuses on homelessness, social services and equity. Georgia shared her research and helped students examine the systemic issues contributing to homelessness, including the realities of emergency shelters, invisible youth homelessness, the effects of climate change and the broader social and economic factors driving housing insecurity.
Students also explored the scale and complexity of homelessness in Canada. On any given night, approximately 60,000 people experience homelessness across the country, with numbers rising significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic amid increasing rents and job losses. Of those affected, approximately 20% are youth aged 13 to 24, while 30% are employed. Students also learned that homelessness involves far more than the loss of shelter, often bringing the loss of important relationships, social connections, employment and support networks.
Moving beyond the statistics, students were challenged to consider the personal experiences behind the crisis. Working with real-life personas, teams used the design thinking process to identify needs, brainstorm ideas and develop creative solutions. At the end of the day, students pitched their proposals to Georgia and received feedback on their ideas. The proposed solutions included a "One Adult Who Cares" mentorship program, which would connect young people with a trusted adult role model, and a Mobile Bus Shelter offering warmth, basic medical care, transportation and connections to community support services.
Thank you to LearnIt's facilitators and Toronto Metropolitan University for providing this valuable learning opportunity and encouraging our students to build empathy, think critically and develop innovative responses to complex social challenges.
