Student Life
Service
Horizons
The younger students benefit greatly from the Horizons tutoring program. Relationships form after a few sessions; the older UCC boys enjoy the younger boys' company and really benefit from the empathy piece of this wonderful puzzle.
— Heidi Seibert, teacher, Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School
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Dwayne Morgan (center) - local poet and motivational speaker -
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Jyoti Sehgal
Director, Horizons Program
jsehgal@ucc.on.ca
416-488-1125, ext. 2295
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For over 20 years, Horizons has been a rewarding tutoring and mentoring partnership between students at Upper Canada College (Years 8 to 12) and elementary schools in Toronto.
History
The Horizons Program was created in 1999 as a partnership between Upper Canada College and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). It provides mutually beneficial learning opportunities and experiences for all the students involved.School-Year Programming
Mentoring, tutoring and learning through play happens in a variety of eight-week programs throughout the school year, i.e. math, learn to skate, coding, art and lacrosse.
Curricular Learning
Through an interdisciplinary curriculum model, all students in the Middle Years Programme connect with a younger student who has special needs. They learn together in co-operative, play based activities, developing respect and enhancing empathy for others' experiences.
Summer Program
The Horizons Summer Program supports academically talented students from priority neighbourhoods over a three-year period from Grade 7 to 9. The goal is to inspire continued positive community engagement and academic pursuits.
High School
High School
Summer Program graduates receive ongoing workshops to prepare for post-secondary education. Graduates meet regularly for discussions and opportunities to develop their many strengths.
Community Building
Community Building
Another aspect of our ongoing partnerships with schools is providing experiential engagement in such things as Horizons Hockey Night, Norval Outdoor School, the World Affairs Conference, Ontario Model United Nations, Horizons Computer Science Conference and Music Day.
Parents of UCC boys have opportunities to get involved with Horizons. Donation drives are held at the Prep twice a year, calling for winter clothes, books and sports equipment. During Association Day 2019, the UCC community participated in a Family Fun Run for Horizons. It was a delightful morning where high school students who have graduated from the Horizons Summer Program ran alongside UCC boys and parents.
Tom Lace ’06 spearheads an initiative for Old Boys to become involved as mentors for high-potential high school kids in the program. “The program had a huge impact on me,” says the investment analyst at Longview Asset Management. “There can be lots of red tape sometimes when you want to volunteer. This is a known community to Old Boys, a program with which they’ve already got some experience.” It is co-managed by alumni from UCC, the Bishop Strachan School and St. Clement's School, under the guidance of Horizons staff.
Parents of UCC boys have opportunities to get involved with Horizons. Donation drives are held at the Prep twice a year, calling for winter clothes, books and sports equipment. During Association Day 2019, the UCC community participated in a Family Fun Run for Horizons. It was a delightful morning where high school students who have graduated from the Horizons Summer Program ran alongside UCC boys and parents.
Tom Lace ’06 spearheads an initiative for Old Boys to become involved as mentors for high-potential high school kids in the program. “The program had a huge impact on me,” says the investment analyst at Longview Asset Management. “There can be lots of red tape sometimes when you want to volunteer. This is a known community to Old Boys, a program with which they’ve already got some experience.” It is co-managed by alumni from UCC, the Bishop Strachan School and St. Clement's School, under the guidance of Horizons staff.
Horizons in action
This experience was not only eye opening, but it was fun as well. I'm grateful I was given an opportunity to widen my narrow mind and see the bigger picture in life.
— Ryan Xian ’22
How does Horizons help students become better people?
Involvement in Horizons has been proven to develop a boy's capacity for empathy and respect for diversity, skills to last a lifetime. Here's a research paper co-written by Horizons Director Jyoti Sehgal, showing how a Grade 8 class, working with developmentally delayed kids, built their capacity for those traits. You can read the full report here.
The UCC Difference
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