Create Beautiful Handmade Bound Books
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 4 Weeks
- Day of the Week: Wednesdays
- Dates: October 29th to November 19th, 2025
- Time: 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
- In-person at the Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph Street
- Cost: $290 (includes HST & materials)
Course Overview
In this hands-on workshop, students will explore a variety of book arts techniques from both Western and Eastern traditions. Through guided instruction, we will create several modern book forms, each showcasing different binding and folding methods. Students will gain practical experience in bookbinding, and leave with the skills and knowledge to continue crafting books independently. Handouts will be provided to support at-home practice, making it easy to recreate these book forms for personal projects, such as sketchbooks, journals, or artists’ books. No prior experience is required—just bring your creativity!
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
• Learn to make your own custom books.
• Practice using the tools and methods of binding.
• Explore bookbinding styles from multiple cultures.
About the Instructor
Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centres around Toronto. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and the Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com
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Create Beautiful Handmade Bound Books
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 4 Weeks
- Day of the Week: Thursdays
- Dates: Thursday, November 20 to Thursday, December 11, 2025
- Time: 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
- In-person at the Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph Street
- Cost: $290 (includes HST & materials)
Course Overview
In this hands-on workshop, students will explore a variety of book arts techniques from both Western and Eastern traditions. Through guided instruction, we will create several modern book forms, each showcasing different binding and folding methods. Students will gain practical experience in bookbinding, and leave with the skills and knowledge to continue crafting books independently. Handouts will be provided to support at-home practice, making it easy to recreate these book forms for personal projects, such as sketchbooks, journals, or artists’ books. No prior experience is required—just bring your creativity!
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
• Learn to make your own custom books.
• Practice using the tools and methods of binding.
• Explore bookbinding styles from multiple cultures.
About the Instructor
Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centres around Toronto. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and the Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com
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Savour Italian Culture Through Film and Food
Registration for this course is now closed.
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Wednesdays
- Dates: October 15 to November 19, 2025
- Time: 6:00-9:00 pm
- Locations:
- October 15 – November 12: Media Commons room RL 3-023, 3rd floor, Robarts Library, 130 St. George St.
- November 19: Cucinato Studio, 1338 Lansdowne Ave. at St. Clair West
- Cost: $415 (includes HST)
Presented in collaboration with
Course Overview
In this six-week course, we will explore the heart of Italian culture through the captivating world of Italian cinema, and authentic Italian cooking. Each week, we will engage with a selected film, watching the original Italian with English subtitles, followed by a group discussion. Beginning with a masterpiece of Italian Neorealism, we will journey through a selection of contemporary films, each offering a unique window into Italy’s regional diversity, historical heritage, rich traditions, family life, and everyday culture.
Our final session will take place at Cucinato Studio, where we will prepare and share a meal inspired by the films we have watched together, under the instruction of a professional chef.
Learning Outcomes
• Recognize and discuss key aspects of Italian culture.
• Interpret films through the lens of Italian customs, history, and everyday life.
• Gain insight into Italy’s regional differences — from north to south.
• Experience the connection between food and culture by preparing an authentic dish.
What you’ll Watch
Films:
- Bicycle Thieves [Ladri di Biciclette]. Dir. Vittorio De Sica, 1948. (90 min)
- Cinema Paradiso. Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988. (210 min.)
- Life is Beautiful [La vita è bella]. Dir. Roberto Benigni, 1997. (116 min.)
- Bread and Tulips [Pane e Tulipani]. Dir. Silvio Soldini, 2000. (114 min.) or
Human Capital [Il Capitale Umano]. Dir. Paolo Virzí, 2013 (111 min.) - Welcome to the South [Benvenuti al sud]. Dir. Luca Miniero, 2010 (102 min.)
About the Instructor
Dr. Laura Pontieri has taught cinema and animation at the University of Toronto for many years. Although her life path led her to explore Soviet film and European animation, subjects to which she has devoted numerous articles and two books, she has never forgotten her roots, her language, and her enduring passion for her native cinema.
About Cucinato Studio
Cucinato Studio is a unique culinary space in Toronto focused on sharing the flavours and traditions of Italy through events and classes, dinners, and tasting events that bring authentic, traditional, and regional techniques and ingredients to life.
Please note this course is full. Registration is now closed.
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Discovering French Language and Culture Through Film
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Day of the week: Thursdays
- Dates: October 16 – November 6, 2025 (includes French cinema snacks each week, and a vin-fromage on November 6)
- Note: Optional class outing to see the new musical comedy Tell Tale Harbour at the Royal Alexandra Theatre for an additional fee on Wednesday, October 29 at 730 p.m. available, see details below.
- Time: 6:30- 8:30 p.m.
- Location: Alumni Hall Room 400, 121 St. Joseph St, Toronto
- Cost: $225 (includes HST)
Course Overview
Immerse yourself in the world of French cinema, while enhancing your language skills. During this course, we will watch and discuss two films, La grande séduction and Le Dîner de cons, while at the same time exploring related idiomatic expressions, vocabulary, and themes of community, personal pride, deceit, social hierarchy, and hope.
Each session combines discussion and reactions to the film with practical language exercises, allowing you to actively practise speaking, listening, and comprehension. Whether you’re a film lover or a language enthusiast, this course offers a dynamic, interactive way to deepen your appreciation for both French culture and language.
This series will include French cinema snacks each week, and a vin-fromage on the final evening.
Optional class outing:
A new musical comedy, Tell Tale Harbour, is playing in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre this fall. The musical comedy, starring Alan Doyle from Newfoundland folk-rock legends Great Big Sea, is adapted from the film screenplay, The Grand Seduction, which is an English version of the film La grande séduction.
If course participants are interested in purchasing tickets to the theatre production at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, we can coordinate to see the play as a class on Wednesday, October 29, at 7:30 p.m. Please note that participants will be responsible for purchasing their own theatre tickets, subject to regular availability, and the cost is not included in the course fee.
Method of Instruction
Using film as our text, learners will be guided in interactive exercises designed to improve speaking, listening, and conversation skills. Learners will add new French words and phrases to their lexicons, and practise conversation and dialogue. This course is suitable for beginning learners.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
- Identify and use vocabulary related to humor, social interaction, professions, emotions, and small-town life.
- Improve pronunciation and listening skills through exposure to regional accents and colloquial language.
- Engage in structured conversations and debates using appropriate expressions for agreement, disagreement, and emotional nuance.
- Compare cultural norms between France and Quebec, with a focus on language variation, regional identity, and values.
- Discuss the ethical, and social implications of characters’ actions in both films, using appropriate cultural context
- Express informed personal opinions about characters, themes, and cinematic techniques in oral and written French.
About the Instructor
Career educator and author, Dr. Salvatori serves as Director of Continuing Education at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Prior to this role, Michael served as Vice President of Strategy and as Associate Professor at Niagara University in Ontario.
As the Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Ontario College of Teachers from 2009-2021, Michael led Canada’s largest self-regulatory body for the teaching profession.
Earlier in his career, Michael served as an elementary and secondary school core French and French immersion teacher, a vice-principal, principal, and as an assistant professor at Glendon College of York University.
Long a champion of second language education, he is fluent in French, Italian, English, and German and is author and co-author of numerous textbooks and teacher resources.
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Confronting Mortality, Asking Life’s Biggest Questions
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Days: Tuesdays
- Dates: October 7th to 28th, 2025
- Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
- Location: Senior Common Room, Second Floor, Brennan Hall (81A St. Mary St)
- The Senior Common Room is accessible through the Scollard Park entrance. Please see map here for wayfinding.
- Cost: $225 (includes HST)
Course Overview
The well-known pastoral psychologist-priest, Henri Nouwen, wrote several books on dying and death. These spiritual books have been of immense importance for those dying, those accompanying the dying, and those immediately affected by the dying.
Nouwen’s approach is not sentimental; it is not clinical; it is deeply human and spiritual. We will also examine his influence on four cancer diarists.
This course will examine the 4 key books he wrote articulating a meaningful are moriendi or art of dying. They are arranged chronologically and will be taught in sequence:
In Memoriam (1980)
A Letter of Consolation (1982)
Beyond the Mirror (1990)
Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring (1994)
Method of Teaching
This course will rely on both lecture and seminar mode of instruction, with a strong emphasis on discussion, probing questions, and the sharing of personal experience in light of the subject matter. Learners are encouraged to keep a short diary of the course, if so inclined. The texts used are the primary source.
Learning Outcomes
Learners will:
• Be introduced to the thinking of Henri Nouwen
• Explore the multi-dimensional aspects of dying and death
• Integrate their personal experience with the subject matter
• Examine the complexities and nuances of human reactions to the ultimate moment
About the Instructor
Dr. Michael W. Higgins is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Catholic Thought, Sacred Heart University (CT), President and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo (ON), and in the inaugural Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought, University of St. Michael’s College.
He is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Genius Born of Anguish: The Life and Legacy of Henri Nouwen (2012), and Impressively Free: Henri Nouwen as a Model of a Reformed Priesthood (2019). Other books include the award-winning Heretic Blood : the Spiritual Geography of Thomas Merton (1998), the national bestseller Power and Peril: the Catholic Church at the Crossroads, and the recent and very popular The Jesuit Disruptor: a Personal Portrait of Pope Francis (2024).
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Immerse Yourself in Irish Culture
- 5 weeks
- Tuesdays, January 14 – February 11, 2025
- Online via Zoom
- Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- $339 (includes HST)
This five-week virtual course provides an introductory exploration of the culture, sport, language, and literature of Ireland. Delve into the role of nationalism and amateurism in shaping the Gaelic Athletic Association (including special visits from GAA players), experience the significance of traditional Irish music, and uncover the history of the Irish language and modern revival efforts. Learners will explore the work of acclaimed author Sally Rooney, discovering how her writing reflects Ireland’s evolving cultural identity.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
Explore the historical and cultural evolution of Ireland through traditions in sport, arts, and language
Draw connections between culture and national identity, and how each impacts the other
Investigate tradition and modernity in Irish culture, and the contemporary influence of Irish history on life in contemporary Ireland
Session Descriptions
Week 1 – Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 6–8 p.m. – The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and nationalism. This class will focus on how nationalism played a fundamental role in the initial success of the GAA, and how that role has progressed since the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, right up until the 100th anniversary and commemoration of Bloody Sunday in November 2020.
Week 2 – Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 6–8 p.m. – The GAA and amateurism. This class will focus on how amateurism was essential to the establishment and initial popularity of the GAA. It will also question the legitimacy of amateurism in the modern GAA. Current GAA intercounty players will be invited to share their experiences and opinions in these classes.
See Pa Sheehan on Breakfast Television discussing Hurling here!
Week 3 – Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6–8 p.m. – Traditional Irish music. This class will explore the creation of Comhaltas, and how it contributed to the prominent role Irish traditional music plays in defining Irish culture today, especially in a postcolonial Ireland.
Week 4 – Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 6–8 p.m. – History and sociolinguistics of the Irish language. This class will investigate the language shift that took place in Ireland from Irish to English over a number of centuries. We will explore how Irish is used today in Ireland, the efforts being made to reverse language shift, and what the future may hold for the language.
Week 5 – Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6–8 p.m. – The contemporary Irish novel. This class will explore some of the most acclaimed contemporary Irish novels. We will appraise their ability to reflect the culture of Ireland today.
About the Instructor
Pa Sheehan is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Celtic Studies program at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Pa holds a Professional Master’s in Education from the University of Limerick, which focused on the teaching of both Irish and French. Pa is in his fifth year teaching in the Celtic Studies program at St. Mike’s. He previously spent two years teaching Irish at the University of Montana and at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Born in the beautiful west of Ireland, Pa’s work assuages any feelings of homesickness he may encounter. He has taught courses on Irish language, literature, traditional music, mythology, minority language media, and sport. Pa’s classroom tends to be a loud place where students are encouraged to engage in discussion and debate.
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Elevate Your Craft: 3D Techniques in Bookmaking
- In-person
- Duration: 4 Weeks
- Day of the Week: Wednesdays
- Date: September 10 to October 1, 2025
- Time: 6:30-9:00 p.m.
- In-person at the Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph Street
- $290.00 (includes HST & materials)
Creative book design strengthens stories and ideas, bringing them to life in exciting new ways. In this workshop, learners will be introduced to techniques for three-dimensional bookmaking. Concentrating on accordion-folded variations, we will construct tunnel, carousel, and flag books. Tunnel and carousel books have historically been used for children’s books or keepsakes, and the flag book combines the accordion with dynamic pages that move as you open the book. These structures are ideal for making artist books, children’s books, and unique presentation items.
Learning Outcomes
In this workshop, participants will:
- Understand the historical and practical applications of three-dimensional bookmaking techniques, such as tunnel, carousel, and flag books, in artistic and children’s literature.
- Learn to construct intricate book forms using accordion fold techniques to enhance both form and narrative.
- Experiment with interactive book structures to craft personalized objects that engage readers in new ways
About the Instructor
Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centres around Toronto. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com
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Transform Stories into Action.
- One-day Workshop
- In-person
- Saturday, March 1
- 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall,
- 81 St Mary St., Toronto
- $115 (Includes HST)
Today’s world has no shortage of problems—heartbreaking, persistent ones that are not easily solved. We also know, however, that determined action taken by everyday people is the only way to spark lasting change. How can we begin to move from identifying problems to impactful resistance?
In this one-day workshop, six celebrated Canadian children’s authors will discuss the personal connections to broader issues that inspire their work, offering insights into how storytelling can be a powerful tool for change. Participants will explore how children’s literature can provide a vehicle for communicating complex messages, engaging in thoughtful dialogue, and gaining insight into the process of researching and writing for young audiences.
The workshop will culminate in a hands-on session, empowering attendees to begin developing actionable ideas for fostering social responsibility and transformation within their own contexts and communities.
Learning Outcomes
In this workshop, participants will:
Learn about how storytelling & children’s literature serves as a powerful medium for addressing complex social issues and inspiring change, hearing directly from Canadian authors whose own work deals with complex challenges.
Develop actionable strategies for initiating transformation in your own communities and contexts.
Featuring the following speakers:
Joyce Grant, Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts
Naseem Hrab, Weekend Dad and The Sour Cherry Tree
Hadley Dyer, Watch This Space: Designing, Defending and Sharing Public Spaces
Rochelle Strauss, The Global Ocean and One Well: The Story of Water on Earth
Inna Figotina, Trilingual Me! Moi Trilingue
Rabia Khokhar, award-winning elementary educator & activist
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Disability, Theology, Inclusion, and Interfaith Perspectives
- Delivery: Online
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Tuesdays
- Dates: Tuesday October 21 – Tuesday November 25
- Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Cost: $150
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Theological Exchange
Course Overview
This course examines how Jewish and Christian theologies address disability, exploring themes such as ritual exclusion, mental health, and community belonging. Students will analyse historical and legal models that shape theological views on disability, critique contemporary theological challenges, and consider ethical responses. Through critical engagement with texts and traditions, students will develop personal theological reflections on ability, identity, and inclusion.
SMCE3013 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.
Method of Teaching
This course employs a mix of lectures, textual analysis, and discussions, encouraging critical engagement with Jewish and Christian theological perspectives on disability. You will explore historical and modern frameworks through readings, case studies, and reflective exercises, fostering inclusive and analytical theological thinking.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
Identify key themes in Jewish and Christian disability studies.
Analyze the impact of theological perspectives on disability.
Compare Jewish and Christian approaches to disability.
Critically evaluate theological frameworks with sensitivity and depth.
About the Instructor
Emma CW Ceruti is a PhD candidate in theological studies at Emmanuel College in the University of Toronto, where her research explores how disabled experiences challenge dominant theological ideas, and offer transformative insights into suffering, spirituality, and justice. She holds an MA in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York, where her thesis on intellectual disability and the imago Dei was mentored by Black liberation theologian James Cone. Emma brings over a decade of experience in disability theology, interfaith engagement, and theological education, including work with the Canadian Council of Churches, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, and the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre. She previously served as an interfaith scholar at DePaul University, and has facilitated ecumenical and interreligious dialogue across North America and Northern Ireland. Her areas of expertise include disability theology, liberation theology, and interreligious ethics. As an educator, Emma invites you into spaces of relational learning and critical reflection, engaging both sacred texts and lived experience to explore questions of embodiment, exclusion, and belonging.
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Explore the Path of Buddhist Wisdom
- Delivery: Online
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Thursdays
- Dates: September 11 – October 16, 2025
- Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Cost: $150
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Theological Exchange
Course Overview
Explore the fundamental teachings and practices of Buddhism, and apply your learning to explore practices of interfaith dialogue in this introductory course. Learn about the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and key traditions such as Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. Through engaging discussions and readings, discover Buddhism’s historical development, ethical principles, and relevance in today’s world. Whether you are new to Buddhism or seeking a deeper understanding, this course offers a comprehensive foundation.
**SMCE3005 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
• Describe the life of the Buddha and key historical developments in Buddhism.
• Explain core Buddhist concepts, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
• Analyze the differences between Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna traditions.
• Apply basic Buddhist meditation and mindfulness techniques to daily life.
• Understand applications of the principles and practices of interfaith dialogue in a Buddhist context
About the Instructor
Rory Tasker, MA, has been a Buddhist monk since 2004. During his initial training, he mostly studied Tibetan Buddhism but also spent two years learning about meditation practice with Thai forest monks. In 2011, he completed the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program in India and began translating Buddhist teachings from Tibetan to English for audiences in Europe, Asia, and North America.
He has continued as an interpreter since that time and currently translates for Geshe Sonam at the Lama Yeshe Ling Buddhist Centre in Burlington, Ontario. Rory holds an MA in Buddhist Studies from McMaster University and is a PhD (ABD) candidate at the University of Toronto, OISE. In his research, he examines the methods and pedagogies of Tibetan Buddhist teachers in North America. This research has been presented at several conferences, including the American Academy of Religion (AAR) annual meeting and the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education. He has been the Buddhist chaplaincy representative at McMaster University’s Spiritual Care and Learning Centre since 2021, and has a passion for spiritual care and religious dialogue.
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Exploring Faith and Community Across the Table
- Delivery: In-Person
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Locations, Dates & Times:
- Beth Tzedec Synagogue,1700 Bathurst St. : Wednesday, October 29th, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- St. Basil’s Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St., TUESDAY, November 4th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. (note this session will be on a Tuesday evening)
- The Ismaili Centre, 49 Wynford Dr., Wednesday, November 12, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Toronto United Mennonite Church, 1774 Queen St. E, Wednesday, November 19, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
- Cost: $150
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Life
Course Overview
Faith can meaningfully shape what we eat: what we eat, where and when we eat, and how and with whom we eat can all express our values and beliefs, as well as how we relate to one another within our communities. From how we use food in celebrating holidays, to how we bless it around the table, to the role of religious and cultural laws and global histories that shape what’s on our plates, food plays a key role in how we can learn about and experience each other’s faith traditions.
In this course, you will visit a new place of worship each week and prepare and share a meal together with the host congregation. In this way, you will learn about and experience each other’s cultures and flavours, receive hospitality, explore each other’s spaces, and hear about the ways that faith and fellowship are practised across Toronto.
Method of Teaching
SMCE3003 Faith & Food will consist of four meetings on site at different places of worship over four consecutive weeks, and weekly asynchronous learning activities.
Learners will actively participate in making and sharing meals on site, as well as touring the spaces. Lessons that bolster themes of dialogue, including short readings, videos, and reflective writing, will be used. A final culminating assignment will tie together themes and teachings from all four sites.
No foods containing pork or shellfish will be part of the menu at any site. USMC CE will make every effort to ensure that dietary needs will be accommodated, but we are unable to guarantee zero contact with certain allergens or other items (i.e., gluten, dairy, etc.), please contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca to inquire further.
SMCE3003 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
• Explore the connection between faith and food between four distinct faith traditions, including dietary laws, cultural histories, holidays and feast days, and everyday life
• Experience prayer, ritual, and cultural norms in places of worship across Toronto
• Learn recipes and practice cooking techniques tied to faith and culture
• Reflect on the role of hospitality in the practice of interfaith dialogue
Information about Host Places of Worship
Beth Tzedec Synagogue, 1700 Bathurst St.
St. Basil’s Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St.
The Ismaili Centre, 49 Wynford Dr.
Toronto United Mennonite Church, 1774 Queen St. E.
About the Instructor
Ren Ito is a community organiser and educator based in Toronto. He recently completed a PhD in theological studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. With expertise in racial justice organising and education, Dr Ito’s work and research focus on how to foster solidarity across differences of race, culture, and faith. Prior to completing his PhD, he taught and advised students at the religiously diverse Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology, and subsequently served regionally and nationally as a social justice coordinator at the United Church of Canada. He has also been heavily involved in community-building and activism, and co-founded a national collective for people of colour to explore faith, justice, and interracial solidarity on their own terms. His teaching style aims to draw wisdom out of students, helping them articulate their experiences in critical, theoretical terms, and building a body of knowledge to be shaped and shared in the classroom and beyond.
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Explore the Beliefs, Texts, and Practices of Hinduism
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day(s): Thursdays
- Date: Thursday, February 20 to Thursday, March 27
- Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
- Location: Online, via Zoom
- Fees: $150
- Instructor: Dr. Mansi Handa
Course Overview
An Introduction to Hinduism provides an exploration of the foundational beliefs, texts, and practices of Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest and most diverse religions. This course delves into the historical origins, philosophical principles, and spiritual traditions that have shaped Hinduism over millennia. Students will engage with the religion’s diverse philosophies, rituals, and cultural expressions, while also examining its relevance in modern contexts, including its role in global interfaith dialogue. Through analytical studies, interactive discussions, and reflective practices, students will gain a nuanced understanding of Hinduism as both a historical and living tradition that continues to influence millions worldwide.
Instructor
Dr. Mansi Handa is a professor of Philosophy and Liberal Arts. Originally from India, she brings a deep understanding of Hinduism, Indian philosophy, and the philosophy of religion. Dr. Handa earned her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Delhi, with her research focusing on ethical issues related to climate change. With over a decade of experience teaching courses on religion, philosophy, and ethics. She specializes in exploring intersections between faith, reason, and cultural traditions.
Dr. Handa has published on topics such as religious mysticism and environmental justice and has presented her work at international forums, including the World Congress of Philosophy. Her teaching emphasizes critical thinking, cultural context, and student engagement, fostering an inclusive environment for exploring diverse philosophical traditions. Passionate about bridging global perspectives, she aims to connect philosophical insights to contemporary challenges, enriching students’ understanding of religion and ethics.
Method of Teaching
The course adopts a variety of interactive and analytical teaching methods designed to cater to diverse learning styles. Weekly lectures will provide foundational knowledge and historical context, while class discussions will encourage critical thinking and collaborative exploration of ideas. Reflective activities will allow students to connect theoretical concepts with real-world applications. Additionally, multimedia resources, including videos and textual analysis of sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Upanishads, will enrich the learning experience. This multifaceted approach ensures that students not only learn about Hinduism but also develop an appreciation for its cultural and spiritual significance.
Student Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Explore the historical origins and development of Hinduism.
- Understand key concepts such as dharma, karma, moksha, and samsara.
- Analyze Hinduism’s sacred texts and their teachings.
- Discuss rituals, festivals, and cultural expressions.
- Examine Hinduism’s role in art, philosophy, and global contexts.
Student Experience
Introduction to Hinduism is suitable for individuals with varied educational or professional backgrounds who are interested in learning about Hindu traditions.
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Previously Offered Related Courses
Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue
Engage in Meaningful Communication Across Differences
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Tuesdays
- Dates: September 9 – October 14, 2025
- Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Location: Room 400, Muzzo Family Alumni Hall, 121 St. Joseph St, Toronto
- Cost: $150
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Core Course
Course Overview
This foundational course provides a practical introduction to interfaith dialogue, equipping learners with tools to engage in meaningful conversations across religious and cultural differences. Learners will explore the four levels of dialogue — the dialogue of life, the dialogue of action, the dialogue of theological exchange, and the dialogue of religious experience. Emphasising real-world application, this course fosters skills in active listening, and conflict transformation. By the end of the course, you will more confidently navigate interfaith conversations, fostering understanding and collaboration in your communities and professional settings.
**SMCE3000 is the foundational course for the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. It is recommended that learners who wish to complete this Diploma program take this course first.
Micro Credential
Learners who successfully complete SMCE3000 will receive a micro credential for this course.
USMC CE is proud to offer micro-credentials—digital, verifiable credentials that you own and can share on your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and more. Micro-credentials are certifications of assessed learning that focus on specific, relevant skills and competencies. These programs are designed for professionals seeking rapid, practical training to meet today’s social and environmental challenges. Whether you’re advancing your career, or deepening your expertise, our micro-credentials deliver focused learning backed by real-world relevance, and academic excellence.
Method of Teaching
This course will be delivered in person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Interactive discussions, case-based learning, and reflection will be used to practise the application of tools for effective interfaith dialogue practice.
Learning Outcomes
- Define interfaith dialogue and its significance in today’s world
- Identify and apply the four levels of interreligious dialogue
- Cultivate greater personal openness to, and tools for, interreligious dialogue and engagement, and communicating effectively across difference
- Practice dialogue techniques through structured exercises and real-world scenarios
- Reflect critically on lived examples of interreligious dialogue and collaboration in Canada, the Greater Toronto Area, and students’ own local contexts
- Create a personal or professional action plan for implementing interfaith dialogue skills
About the Instructor
Mia Theocharis is the director of advocacy, emerging campuses at Hillel Ontario, where she leads strategic initiatives to support Jewish students and allies on campuses without a formal Hillel presence. In this role, she develops student leadership pipelines, designs targeted programming, and works closely with university administrators and EDI offices to address student concerns. With nearly a decade of experience in higher education—as a researcher, educator, and advocate—she is deeply committed to bridging scholarly insight with real-world impact. Mia is also a PhD candidate in theological studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Her research explores Jewish–Christian relations from the 19th to 21st centuries, with particular attention to antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the Second Vatican Council declaration Nostra aetate. Through historical methodology, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary inquiry, her work aims to confront antisemitism, foster interreligious and interideological understanding, and ensure the lessons of the past inform our present. Her dissertation, supported by a prestigious SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, examines the development and influence of Canadian Catholic theologian Gregory Baum’s theological thought on Jewish–Christian relations in Canada and internationally. In the classroom, Mia cultivates inclusive spaces where students grapple with complex histories, reflect on their contemporary relevance, and engage in interfaith dialogue as a vital practice for understanding others as they understand themselves—grounded in empathy, humility, and intellectual integrity.
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Lead with empathy, inclusion, and purpose
- Delivery: Hybrid
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Dates
- Thursday, October 9, 2025
- Tuesday, October 14, 2025
- Thursday, October 16, 2025
- Saturday, October 25, 2025
- Time and method of delivery:
- Weeknight sessions: Online Via Zoom, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Saturday session: In-person on campus at Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall, 81 St. Mary St, Toronto from 9:00 am-1:00 pm
- Course Fee: $550 (includes HST)
Course Overview
What does it truly mean to lead with empathy, inclusion, and purpose in Catholic communities? How can better conversations foster stronger organisations? What can interdisciplinary problem-solving teach us about innovation in our institutions?
Leadership for Transformative Changemakers in Catholic Organisations is designed for senior leaders seeking practical tools to support meaningful change. Taught by expert instructors in coaching, theology, education leadership, health education, and community engagement, the course blends theory and real-world application through Problem-Based Learning. You’ll leave with new skills, renewed purpose, and a supportive network.
Micro Credential
The University of St. Michael’s College Continuing Education Division is proud to offer micro credentials—digital, verifiable credentials that you own and can share on your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and more. Micro credentials are certifications of assessed learning that focus on specific, relevant skills and competencies. These programs are designed for professionals seeking rapid, practical training to meet today’s social and environmental challenges. Whether you’re advancing your career, or deepening your expertise, our micro credentials deliver focused learning, backed by real-world relevance, and academic excellence.
Sessions
This course includes three 2-hour online sessions and one 4-hour in-person session over four weeks.
Session 1: Organizational Responses to Issues in Catholic Communities
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Zoom)
This session, facilitated by Dr. Michael Salvatori and delivered by Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology professors Dr. Cynthia Cameron, Dr. Jean-Pierre Fortin, and John Kostoff, Executive Director of the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers Association, examines the intersection of faith and life in the contemporary world. How can theology, church doctrine, and faith-driven leadership guide leaders in responding effectively to the issues impacting our communities today?
Session 2: Inclusive Leadership
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Zoom)
Led by Leadership Development Educator and Coach Annie Simpson M. Ed., explore how inclusive leaders operate with empathy, awareness, and courage to foster teams & organizations where diversity is valued, and everyone feels they belong.
Session 3: Effective Conversations (Online via Zoom; Thursday, October 16th, 6:30-8:30)
Communication Scientist Dr. Haesun Moon explores how having better conversations builds better teams and better organizations. This session introduces practical ways to understand what actually happens in conversations—what was said, what was heard, and what was meant. Using insights from communication science and coaching, participants will learn how to listen more precisely, respond more intentionally, and support others through everyday conversations at work. Tools like the Dialogic Orientation Quadrant (DOQ) offer a clear, simple way to organise complexity, and stay grounded when things feel emotionally charged or unclear.
Session 4: Leading to Serve (In-Person at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, Saturday, October 25th, 9:00-12:00, followed by closing celebrations 12:00-1:00)
Our communities are complex, and the issues that impact those on the margins within them have never been more complicated. Dr. Fok-Han Leung and Dr. Chase McMurren share how their work with vulnerable communities offers insight into the challenges and opportunities present in community-level interventions and structures. Following these presentations, Ken Chan will lead the group in an exercise that applies an interdisciplinary approach to effecting change in organizations through Problem-Based Learning.
Method of Teaching
This hybrid programme will be delivered via Zoom (weeknight sessions), and in person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (final Saturday session).
Interactive discussions, Problem-Based Learning, and reflection will be used to practise application of theories to explore outcomes that foster innovation and positive change in organisations and within teams.
A final assessment is required to earn your micro-credential.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the principles of coaching conversations and their relevance to Catholic leadership.
- Explain current social, cultural, and organizational issues affecting Catholic communities.
- Analyze the potential roles of Catholic leaders in addressing challenges.
- Compare interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving in organizations.
- Apply inclusive leadership principles to real-world, faith-based contexts.
- Design innovative solutions to complex problems using course theories and tools.
About the Instructors
John Kostoff (B.A. B.Ed. M.Ed. Dip in Ministry) Experienced educational leader currently serving as Executive Director of OCSOA, representing Directors of Education and Supervisory Officers across Ontario’s 29 Catholic school boards. Strong background in teaching, administration, and Catholic education advocacy, with extensive board and community involvement.
Dr. Cynthia Cameron (B.A., MAR, M.A., PhD) Associate Professor of Religious Education and the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Chair in Religious Education at the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Fortin (PhD ) Associate Professor of Practical Theology in the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology. Dr. Fortin holds a PhD in systematic theology from the University of St. Michael’s College, a PhD in philosophy from Université Laval and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Regis College. He serves as Director of Field Education and Pastoral Formation, overseeing the field placements of students completing professional (ministry-oriented) degree programs. He is the author of Evolving Grace: The Spiritual History of a Christian Doctrine (Lexington/Fortress Academic, 2025).
Dr. Michael Salvatori (B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., PhD) Career educator and author, Dr. Salvatori serves as Director of Continuing Education at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Prior to this role, Michael served as Vice President of Strategy and as Associate Professor at Niagara University in Ontario.
Annie Simpson (B.A., M.Ed., PhD-ABD) Experienced leadership educator, and coach. Founder of Annie Simpson Consulting, and recent Senior Facilitator/Consultant with the Talent, Learning and Engagement team at Western University, Associate Director, Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering at the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Expertise includes: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, Team Building, Conflict support, Stress reduction, Leader well-being, Equity and Inclusion.
Dr. Haesun Moon, Ph.D., is a communication scientist, an educator, and author of Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words and several collaborative books, including Thriving Women, Thriving World, and Foundations of Brief Coaching, a short handbook for professional coaches.
Dr. Fok-Han Leung (MD, MHSc) Family physician practicing general family medicine and inner city health out of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Associate Professor and Director of the Health in Community curriculum for the MD program at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, focusing on the formation of future physicians as contributing members of society, and Associate Program Director for the University of Toronto family medicine residency. Previous physician lead of the St. Michael’s Health Centre at 80 Bond and helped to build, staff and establish the clinic.
Dr. Chase Everett McMurren lives and works in Tkarón:to [tk – loon – dough]
| GichiKiiwenging | [gih – chee – gay – wuh – ning] Toronto, though comes from sikóóhkotoki [ sick – oh- kih- toke – ee ] | Lethbridge, Alberta, which is on traditional Siksikaitsitapi [ sik – sik- at – sit – app -ee ] | Blackfoot Confederacy Territory and is covered by Treaty 7. His clan is the Turtle and one of his spirit names is Water Song Medicine Keeper. His ancestors are Métis, Celtic, French and Ukrainian. He is a son, brother, partner, friend, & neighbour who gets to practice medicine in various places & multiple ways.
Dr. McMurren feels privileged to practice medicine & provides integrative medical psychotherapy, primarily for physicians and artists struggling with grief and challenges related to being neurodivergent. Dr. McMurren also has a small home-visiting palliative practice for long-living people with advanced illness & serves as an occasional rural generalist.
Currently, Dr. McMurren serves as the Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee for the Peer Connect Program at the Ontario College of Family Physicians, is part of the Expert Working Group focused on Physician Humanism for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s CanMEDS framework, & served as Co-Chair of the National Circle for Indigenous Medical Education (NCIME [ en – sime ] ) Working Group on Indigenous Physician Wellness and Joy in Work.
Dr. McMurren is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine & is honoured to be the Theme Lead for Indigenous Health in the MD Program where he guides curricular renewal & implementation, supports current Indigenous medical students, & chairs the Indigenous Student Application Pathway (ISAP) Circle.
Dr. McMurren is also a “sometimes harper, composer, & poet” and uses the harp in his work as a home-visiting palliative physician.
Dr. Ken Chan (BA, MBA, MFAcc, PhD) is a Partner and the Health, Government, and Public Sector Practice Leader at Optimus SBR. He has held senior leadership roles across government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector. An experienced board director, educator, and coach, Ken brings a unique cross-sector perspective to strategy, leadership, and transformative change.
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See full course details on the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Programs website
Your impact work is vital. Join other social impact professionals to learn about climate change and how it may jeopardize your mission. Leave with frameworks, ideas, and inspiration to unlock resilience in your strategies and tactics in a changing world.
- Format and schedule
- All three components are required to complete this course.
- Synchronous online lectures – three live 90-minute sessions. October 9, 16, 23, 2025 from noon-1:30 p.m. ET.
- Asynchronous online self-directed learning – pre-readings, videos, posts, and self-assessments.
- In-person workshop at St. Mike’s on the U of T campus in downtown Toronto, October 30th, 2025. Incorporates a variety of engaging and memorable learning approaches, including lectures, experiential learning, and interactive sessions.
- Early Registration Deadline August 5, 2025
- Early Registration Deadline September 5, 2025
A program of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto
- Delivery & Duration: Hybrid (In-person retreat September 6, online synchronous and asynchronous sessions September to June, in-person MASI Study Days in June)
- Dates: see full calendar for details
- Cost: $450 (registrants may pay in 3 installments)
- PLEASE NOTE: Program fees do not include travel or accommodations for the closing conference: MASI Study days in June
Program Overview
Learn how to establish a rule of prayer while building a foundation of scriptural and catechetical knowledge. This program is designed as a discernment year for those who are discerning Holy Orders (Subdiaconate, Diaconate and Priesthood) within Byzantine Catholic Churches, or laypeople already involved, or interested in becoming involved, in lay-leadership within Church Ministries. Participants will receive an introduction to the Scriptures, “Christ Our Pascha” Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and training in the spiritual tradition of the Christian East while building a connection to their local parish.
About the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute
The Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies (MASI) is an autonomous academic unit of the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.
It specializes in the theology, spirituality, liturgy, history, and ecclesial polity of the Eastern Christian Churches, both Orthodox and Catholic.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
- Establish a personal prayer rule consisting of the Jesus Prayer and Lectio Divina, monthly spiritual direction, and Sacramental Confession.
- Receive a basic introduction to Eastern Christian Spirituality including: theosis, ascetic discipline, kenosis, logismoi, and virtues, along with a basic Christian (patristic) anthropology.
- Maintain a working knowledge of the narrative of Salvation History and a framework for further scriptural study.
- Possess a working knowledge of the “Christ Our Pascha” catechism of the UGCC.
- Develop a basic understanding of Eastern Christian liturgical worship through collaboration with the pastor and engagement with the Liturgical Year via The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship, including a basic understanding of the “minor canonical hours,” their meaning, and how to pray them.
- Establish a liturgical and service-oriented connection with the pastor and carry out a project of almsgiving and self-giving love within a parish or community setting.
Method of Instruction
The majority of the program is available online and in a “self-paced” framework with occasional live-streamed meetings. The program commences with an opening retreat in-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto and concludes with participation in the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute Study Days in June 2026 (a popular theological conference). Learners who cannot attend the opening retreat in person will be provided with recordings of the sessions.
About the Instructor
Rev. Michael Bombak, BEd, STB, MTh
Fr. Michael Bombak is a Ukrainian Catholic priest whose journey began in Edmonton with early education in the Ukrainian Bilingual Program and a teaching career before entering the seminary. His vocational discernment led him to Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa, culminating in his ordination as a priest in 2016. He served as Assistant Pastor at St. Josaphat Cathedral, then as pastor of the Vermilion District, and later at St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Calgary. Fr. Michael earned a Master of Theology (MTh) from Newman Theological College, publishing his thesis on theological anthropology and contraception. He is currently a Doctorate in Ministry (DMin) student through the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto and serves as the Chaplain and Programming Coordinator of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute. He is married with five children and enjoys mountain climbing and hiking.
Questions?
Please email Fr. Michael Bombak, michael.bombak@utoronto.ca
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Learn About Caring for the Spiritual Lives of Children
Offered in partnership with the Office of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Archdiocese of Toronto, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Certificate Program is hosted by the University of St. Michael’s College Continuing Education Division. This certificate offers an introduction to the theology and praxis of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), and prepares you to establish and lead a CGS Atrium. It is ideal for those involved or interested in caring for the spiritual lives of children at home, in schools, or in parishes.
Certificate Program Overview
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Certificate Program includes seminars, presentations, and hands-on practice:
- Seminars explore children’s spiritual needs and capacities and introduce the biblical and liturgical themes, theological concepts, and pedagogy fundamental to this ministry.
- Presentations demonstrate how handmade catechetical materials support children’s prayer and meditation. These are delivered as they would be in the Atrium and are designed to invite your own reflection on key biblical and liturgical themes.
- Practice includes orientation to the Atrium environment, guided work with materials, and the creation of a personal album—a handbook of CGS presentations for children.
To receive a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Certificate from Continuing Education at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, learners must complete:
Basic Certificate: (180h) Endowed upon completion of Level I (ages 3 to 6) and Level II (ages 6-9)
Advanced Certificate: Endowed upon completion of Level I, Level II, and Level III (120h, ages 9-12)
About the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a scriptural and liturgical approach to religious formation for children ages 3 and up. Rooted in the Montessori tradition, it was developed in Rome in 1954 by scripture scholar Sofia Cavalletti and Montessori educator Gianna Gobbi. This method honours a child’s natural capacity for wonder as essential to nurturing a relationship with God.
The CGS Atrium is a prepared sacred space where children can explore the mysteries of the Catholic faith through handmade materials, quiet reflection, and guided discovery. This approach trusts that “when wonder becomes a fundamental attitude of our spirit, it will confer a religious character to our whole life” (Cavalletti, Religious Potential of the Child, p. 139).
For full details and to register, please visit the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd‘s webpage.
This University of St. Michael’s College Professional Certificate equips learners with the essential skills to create, implement, assess, and communicate a Social Impact Measurement Strategy for a new program, or to modify or evaluate an existing one.
This Professional Certificate program is delivered in 7 Modules that build on one another or can be taken as individual courses. Click here for the full program outline.
- Module 1: Fundamentals of Social Impact Measurement – June 9 & 10, 2025. In person. Charbonnel Lounge, USMC campus.
- Module 2: Theory of Change – October 7 to November 10, 2025. Synchronous online for 5 weeks (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 noon – 1:30 p.m. ET), with asynchronous readings and assignments.
- Module 3: Developing a Metric/Indicators Data Collection Strategy – November 19 & 20, 2025. In person at the University of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. With asynchronous readings and assignments.
- Module 4: Making the Business & Impact Case for your Social Impact Program – January 16 to 29, 2026. Synchronous online for 2 weeks (5 lectures, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 noon – 1:30 p.m.), with asynchronous readings and assignments.
- Module 5: Data Collection Plan & Alignment with Business Case Constraints & Opportunities – February 25 & 26, 2026. In person at the University of St. Michael’s College.
- Module 6: Reporting Best Practices & Strategy Development – March 20 to 26, 2026. Synchronous online for 2 weeks (3 lectures), with asynchronous readings and assignments.
- Module 7: Moving from Social Impact Measurement to Management – April 28 to 30, 2026. Synchronous online for 2 weeks (2 lectures, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. ET), with asynchronous readings and assignments.
Join the Leaders of Tomorrow
The Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability is a blended, practical learning program that allows participants to work full-time while earning their professional Certificate in CSR and Sustainability.
This program uses the latest trends, insights, keynote speakers, transformational tools, research, and practical frameworks for application to deliver the knowledge and experience needed to advance one’s career in social and environmental responsibility.
Whether starting a career in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, or bringing it to the next level, this program offers a custom-tailored experience for every participant.
Learn more about the Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Bridge Beliefs, Build Understanding
What could be possible if we understood each other better? The Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue from the University of St. Michael’s College Continuing Education Division will equip you to engage in meaningful, respectful interfaith conversations. You’ll explore diverse religious traditions, practices, spiritualities, and texts through experiential learning, dialogue techniques, and a capstone project. Gain the skills to foster understanding, connection, and peace across faith communities in your everyday life.
Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue: Overview
The Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue focuses on building confidence and skills for effective communication and encounters across differences. The mandatory core course, Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue, will introduce you to the tools and techniques for open, curious, and non-judgmental communication—skills that will be central to every elective course. This course also endows you with a micro-credential upon successful completion.
Elective courses within the Diploma will be structured around the Four Levels of Interfaith Dialogue, ensuring that you experience diverse ways of encountering and appreciating different faith traditions:
Dialogue of Life – Courses in this category will explore how people of different faiths coexist in daily life, emphasizing relationships, shared experiences, and cultural interaction. You will reflect on personal experiences and examine case studies of interfaith communities.
Dialogue of Action (Deeds) – These courses will focus on current examples and opportunities for interfaith collaboration in areas such as social justice, environmental stewardship, and community service. You will examine real-world initiatives, both internationally and in Canada, where faith groups work together for the common good.
Dialogue of Religious Experience – You will engage with the spirituality and faith practices of different traditions, including meditation, prayer, rituals, and sacred objects and places. Courses may include site visits, guest speakers, or experiential activities to deepen appreciation for the commonalities, differences, and distinctive claims of various religions.
Dialogue of Theological Exchange – You will explore core beliefs, texts, doctrines, and worldviews of various religious traditions. You will learn to compare them respectfully and appreciate how religious convictions shape self-understanding, relationships with others, and our sense of meaning in the world.
To earn the diploma, you must complete at least one elective from each level.
In the capstone project, you will apply the principles of interfaith dialogue to a real-world issue of your choice. You will demonstrate your ability to foster mutual understanding, address societal challenges, and propose actionable solutions through research, reflection, and engagement with people of diverse faith perspectives and spiritualities
Diploma Outcomes
By the end of the program, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate Interreligious Understanding – Analyze key beliefs, practices, and historical developments of major religious traditions, recognizing commonalities and differences.
- Engage in Meaningful and Pragmatic Interfaith Dialogue – Apply effective communication strategies to engage respectfully, with curiosity and without judgement, in discussions and encounters across religious traditions, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration.
- Critically Reflect on Personal and Social Impacts of Religion – Evaluate the role of religion in shaping individual identity, societal values, artistic expression, and global issues
- Apply Interfaith Perspectives to Social Action – Demonstrate an understanding of the value of promoting interfaith cooperation in areas such as social justice, community building, and environmental sustainability.
- Synthesize Theological and Experiential Learning – Integrate your lived experience with faith traditions and insights to form a personal, nuanced, and applicable perspective on interfaith relations in your own milieu.
Curious to know what this learning looks like in action? Read the reflection of 2025 graduate Simon Burke here!
Admission Requirements
The Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue is an open-enrolment, non-degree credit program offered by Continuing Education. There are no academic or professional prerequisites. Learners of all faith traditions—or none—are welcome and encouraged to enrol.
To begin, choose a course and enrol. We recommend starting with SMCE3000 Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue, but courses may be taken in any order. The maximum timeframe for completing the Diploma requirements is 3 years.
To complete the diploma, you must:
Complete a mandatory core course – Take SMCE3000 Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue to gain foundational skills in interfaith dialogue.
Take 8 Elective Courses – Select from various topics across the four Levels of Interfaith Dialogue (Life, Deeds, Religious Experience, Theological Exchange), ensuring at least one course from each level, and
Complete the Capstone Course – Engage in a final project applying interfaith dialogue principles through research, creative work, or community engagement.
Note: If you completed SMD102 Dialogue Principles and Practices before Fall 2025, it fulfills the core course requirement. Learners who started before Fall 2025 may complete the program by either:
- taking the capstone, or
- taking the core course plus nine electives (including prior courses).
Fees
Each course within the program costs $150.
This program is supported by a significant financial endowment from Scarboro Foreign Missions (SFM), and extends the charism of the SFM Fathers in interfaith dialogue. SFM has been deeply committed to interfaith dialogue for many decades. This Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue situates the legacy of the Scarboro Foreign Mission to create an educational opportunity for all who wish to understand the religious ideals and values of their neighbours and even themselves within Continuing Education at USMC, where our mission, vision, and values, and adult learning pedagogies will support it.
Courses
To get started in the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue, choose a course and enroll.
You may choose to register for individual courses without committing to the full Diploma program.
Each academic year, courses will be offered across Levels of Dialogue, both in-person and online, to ensure that you can meet the program’s breadth requirements.
Course Schedule, Fall 2025 to Fall 2026
| TERM | Course Name | Level of Dialogue | Modality |
| Fall 2025 | SMCE3000 Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue | N/A (Core Course) | In-Person |
| Fall 2025 | SMCE3003 Faith & Food | Dialogue of Life | In-Person |
| Fall 2025 | SMCE3005 Introduction to Buddhism | Dialogue of Theological Exchange | Online |
| Fall 2025 | SMCE3013 Christianity and Judaism on Disabilities | Dialogue of Theological Exchange | Online |
| Winter 2026 | SMCE3000 Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue | N/A (Core Course) | Online |
| Winter 2026 | SMCE3008 Eco-Spiritualities | Dialogue of Life | Online |
| Winter 2026 | SMCE3007 “Called to be Peacemakers”: Peace, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation | Dialogue of Deeds | Online |
| Spring-Summer 2026 | Online | ||
| Spring-Summer 2026 | SMCE3004 Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching | Dialogue of Deeds | Online |
| Spring-Summer 2026 | SMCE3016 Sacred and Ritual Spaces | Dialogue of Religious Experience | Online |
| Fall 2026 | SMCE3000 Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue | N/A (Core Course) | In-Person |
| Fall 2026 | SMCE3003 Faith & Food | Dialogue of Life | In-Person |
| Fall 2026 | SMCE3011 Law & Religion | Dialogue of Theological Exchange | Online |
| Fall 2026 | SMCE3012 Accompaniment: Walking Together in Faith | Dialogue of Religious Experience | In-Person |
Please note: Programming is subject to change
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Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of St. Michael’s College operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
- Duration: 125 hours
- Dates: January 10 – April 4, 2026
- Schedule:
- January 10, 8:30 am-12:30 pm (in person at the University of St. Michael’s College, room TBD)
- January 17, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- January 24, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- January 31, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- February 7, 8:30 am-3:30 pm (in person at the University of St. Michael’s College, room TBD)
- February 21, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- February 28, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- March 7, 8:30 am-3:30 pm (in person at the University of St. Michael’s College, room TBD)
- March 28, 8:30 am-11:30 am (online)
- April 4, 8:30 am-3:30 pm (in person at the University of St. Michael’s College, room TBD)
- Instructor: Tina Drakeford
- Format: Hybrid
- Fees: $50 registration fees | $600 course fees
Join the Religious Education in Catholic Schools Part 1 Additional Qualification (AQ) Course
This foundational course is designed for teachers seeking to teach in Ontario’s Catholic schools and is accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Religious Education in Catholic Schools – Part 1 explores the essential elements of the Catholic faith and provides a comprehensive introduction to religious education in the Catholic school context. This course is available to any Ontario-certified teacher (P/J/I/S) in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers.
Please note that candidates who complete the AQ specialist in Religious Education in Catholic Schools or complete it while working on the Master of Religious Education at the Regis-St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology may be exempt from one Religious Education elective within the program.
Participants will examine the theological, spiritual, and moral dimensions of Catholic education, including scripture, sacraments, Church history, Catholic social teaching, and faith development. The course emphasizes the role of the Catholic educator as a faith witness and moral leader, equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to integrate faith across the curriculum and school community.
Through reflective practice, collaborative learning, and engagement with Church documents and curriculum guidelines, participants will deepen their understanding of Catholic education’s mission. Course candidates who successfully complete the course will be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers to have Religious Education in Catholic Schools – Part 1 added to their Certificate of Qualification.
Enrol now to reserve your spot for a journey of professional empowerment, spiritual enrichment, and community leadership in Catholic education.
SMCE5001 W26, Religious Education in Catholic Schools, Part 1
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Be immersed in the art and craft of ceramics
- Delivery: In-person at the Gardiner Ceramic Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, and Spin Pottery Studio, 145 St. Luke Lane, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Y8
- Duration: 5 weeks
- Day of the week: Mondays
- Dates:
- Monday, March 23 2026: Gardiner Museum guided tour, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
- Monday, March 30th to April 20th: in-studio lessons at Spin Pottery Studio, 145 St. Luke Lane, Toronto
- Time: 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
- Cost: $395 (includes HST)
Course Overview
Throw, Glaze, Gaze: A Hands-on Journey Through Ceramic History is a unique five-week course that combines cultural exploration with studio practice. Beginning with a guided tour of Toronto’s Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, learners will discover the rich global traditions and histories of ceramics. The following four weeks take place at Spin Pottery Studio, where participants will learn and practice essential techniques in wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing. Alongside hands-on creation, learners will reflect on how ceramics have shaped, and been shaped by, human culture across time.
Weekly Explorations
Week 1 – Ceramics Across Cultures
Guided tour of the Gardiner Museum: explore ancient to contemporary ceramic traditions from around the world, with discussion on form, function, and meaning.
Your tour will feature an exclusive view of Canadian artist’s Linda Rotua Sormin’s Uncertain Ground exhibition.
Week 2 – First Encounters with Clay
Introduction to Spin Pottery Studio. Learn the basics of clay preparation, hand-building techniques, and first experiences on the wheel.
Week 3 – Form and Function
Focus on wheel throwing and vessel design. Consider the balance between artistic expression and everyday use in ceramics.
Week 4 – Surface and Story
Introduction to glazing and surface decoration. Explore how colours, textures, and finishes transform clay into expressive works.
Week 5 – Glaze, Fire, Reflect
Apply glazes to personal projects, prepare pieces for firing, and engage in a closing reflection on how ceramics link craft, history, and creativity.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Remember: Identify significant ceramic traditions and their cultural contexts.
- Understand: Explain how ceramics serve artistic, functional, and symbolic purposes.
- Apply: Use foundational techniques in wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing.
- Analyze: Compare stylistic and technical approaches to ceramics across cultures.
- Evaluate: Reflect on their own creative process and the cultural meaning of ceramics.
- Create: Produce original ceramic works that demonstrate both skill and creative intent.
Method of Instruction
The course blends experiential learning, art history, and technical instruction through museum engagement, studio demonstrations, and guided practice. No prior ceramics experience is required.
About Spin Pottery Studio and the Gardiner Museum
Step into a world of creativity at Spin Pottery Studio, a welcoming Toronto space for ceramic artists of all levels. Whether you’re a complete beginner looking to get your hands dirty in a single-day workshop or an experienced potter seeking a place to call your own, we have you covered. From multi-week classes designed to develop your skills to 24/7 studio memberships, Spin Pottery provides the expert instruction and supportive community you need to bring your artistic visions to life. It’s more than just a studio; it’s a place to learn, connect, and express your creativity.
The Gardiner Museum brings together people of all ages and backgrounds through the shared values of creativity, wonder, and community that clay and ceramic traditions inspire.
Located in the heart of Canada’s largest and most diverse city, the Gardiner is home to an internationally-renowned collection of ceramics, including pottery from the Ancestral Americas, Chinese and Japanese Porcelain, and contemporary Canadian ceramics.
About the Instructor
Habiba El-Sayed
With an interest in archives and paralleling mythology with contemporary experience, Habiba El-Sayed’s multidisciplinary practice re-imagines historical references using a combination of both old and new technologies. Habiba holds an Advanced Diploma from Sheridan College in Ceramics (2014) and a BFA in Ceramics from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (2016). Her work has been shown in galleries and museums across North America and has been featured in publications such as Craft is Political, BlackFlash Magazine, Fusion Magazine and Studio Potter. Her practice also includes regular guest lecturing, classes, and workshops at studios and institutions both locally and internationally.
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SMCE4018 W26 – Throw, Glaze, Gaze: A Hands-On Journey Through Ceramic History
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Join Mary Jo Leddy to explore the issues shaping Canada’s future
- Delivery: In-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Day of the week: Thursdays
- Dates: Thursday April 16 – Thursday May 7, 2026
- Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
- Location: TBD (on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto)
- Cost: $225 (includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
Course Overview
Join acclaimed author and human rights advocate Mary Jo Leddy in an exploration of Canada’s pressing moral challenges. Through discussions on our relationships with Indigenous peoples, immigration, and environmental stewardship, Leddy will invite participants to critically examine the question, “Why are we here?” Drawing from her Catholic worldview yet addressing all Canadians, she challenges us to reframe our attitudes towards our shared land, fostering a collective sense of gratitude and responsibility. Reflecting on belonging, hope, and civic purpose, Leddy invites us to imagine Canada as a sanctuary for the human spirit.
Method of Teaching
This course will rely on both lecture and seminar mode of instruction, with a strong emphasis on discussion and critical analysis of course concepts, using Leddy’s 2019 book Why Are We Here? A Meditation on Canada as a source text (you may bring your own copy, or purchase a copy for $17).
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
- Identify and discuss Canada’s social and environmental challenges through a moral lens.
- Reflect on Canada’s national identity in relation to Indigenous, immigrant, and environmental perspectives.
- Explore themes of gratitude and responsibility in fostering a sustainable and inclusive future.
About the Instructor
Mary Jo Leddy founded and works at the Romero House Community in Toronto, a unique organization which provides housing and supports to refugees, many of whom live in community with staff. Mary Jo is the author of several books including Why Are We Here?, The Other Face of God and Radical Gratitude. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews Human Relations Award, the Ontario Citizenship Award, and the Order of Canada. She teaches at Regis College.
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SMCE4017 W26 – Why Are We Here? Meditations on Canada
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Create your own hand-carved linocut blocks and unique prints
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Day of the week: Thursdays
- Dates: March 26 – April 16, 2026
- Time: 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
- Location: In-person at the Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph Street
- Cost: $330 (includes HST & materials) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
Course Overview
Experience the joy of printing multiples on paper by turning a simple design of your own into attractive one-colour linocut prints. Explore different carving techniques, application of ink, and printing on a variety of papers using a bamboo baren & a book press. By the end of the course you’ll take home two hand-carved linocut blocks, a small suite of prints of each design and the knowledge of how to print more on your own. All materials provided, those with their own carving tools are encouraged to bring them. No prior experience necessary – open to beginners and those with some experience.
Method of Instruction
In this course, you’ll learn linocut printmaking through hands-on instruction, with the instructor guiding you step-by-step. Classes combine demonstrations, individual practice, and personalized feedback tailored to your skill level. You’ll carve, ink, and print your designs using both hand tools and a press, supported every step of the way. Small class sizes ensure close attention, while a flexible teaching style adapts to your needs and encourages creative exploration. This approach helps you build confidence and skills to continue printmaking independently after the course.
Learning Outcomes
Learners will:
• Acquire the knowledge of basic tools & terminology related to linocut printmaking, as well as its historical & contemporary context.
• Develop an understanding of considerations when planning for a linocut-printed image.
• Explore carving techniques that enhance their design.
• Develop inking and problem-solving skills that help ensure a good-quality printed image.
• Practice printing by hand and using a press.
About the Instructor
Jacquie Sullivan grew up in small-town Ontario and studied Fine Art at the Universities of Windsor and Guelph, later earning a Bachelor of Education degree at UOIT (Oshawa). After a short career as an elementary French Immersion teacher in the Durham District School Board, she stepped away to rededicate her time & energy to her art. Since 2020 Jacquie has maintained an art practice largely focused on relief printmaking, working out of her home studio in Whitby to create hand-printed linocut, woodcut and letterpress prints, greeting cards and block-printed textiles inspired by moments in nature, travel memories and the power of words. Through both her work and the printmaking workshops she teaches across Southern Ontario, Jacquie aims to help others to slow down and find greater connection with themselves in order to appreciate the world around them more fully. In 2025 she received a Canada Council for the Arts Professional Development grant to study mokuhanga (Japanese water-based woodblock printmaking) at MI-Lab in Japan. You can find out more about Jacquie and her prints on Instagram and Facebook @jacquieprints, and at http://www.jacquieprints.com/.
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SMCE4016 W26 – Introduction to Linocut Printmaking
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Create deeply expressive reflections on your unique story
- Delivery: In-person, on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College (room TBD)
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Day of the week: Tuesdays
- Dates: January 6, 2026 to January 27, 2026
- Time: 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
- Location: In-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (room TBD)
- Cost: $260 (Includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
Course Overview
In this four-week course, you’ll create your own journals and explore mixed media techniques. Each class begins with a journaling exercise to spark ideas, followed by painting over your writing so it remains private—encouraging honesty and self-reflection. While the paint dries, you’ll sift through magazines for images and words that capture your themes. With no rules and no “wrong” way to work, this safe, welcoming space invites all levels of artists to experiment, play, and discover the joy of turning personal expression into vibrant visual art.
Method of Instruction
In this course, you’ll learn side-by-side with your instructor, who creates alongside you and guides the group with a flexible, responsive approach. You’re encouraged to play, explore, and embrace creativity while knowing the space is safe for whatever feelings arise. Community and connection are at the heart of each session, and you’ll always be free to work at your own pace. There are no set rules to be followed—take only the risks you are comfortable taking, share what you want with the group, and be the expert on your own work.
You will receive a list of suggested supplies—you are encouraged to choose the tools that you most want to create with. Core supplies for making journals are included.
Learning Outcomes
Learners will:
- Explore a variety mixed media techniques to create personal and reflective art journal pages.
- Develop a process to create works that have depth and are reflective and unique.
- Embrace a free-flowing work style where play and mistakes are encouraged, and creative exploration is its own goal.
About the Instructor
Anna Redish is a self-taught art instructor and founder of Art with Anna, with over 20 years of experience teaching in the arts and textiles. She currently hosts weekly Art Journaling classes online and in person for teens, tweens, and adults, and has worked with organizations such as Workman Arts, Arts Etobicoke, and Moms Stop The Harm. Anna trained as an artist educator with the Royal Conservatory and was a parent guest on Dr. Ross Greene’s Lives in the Balance radio show. These experiences, along with homeschooling her youngest child, shape her learner-centred approach—leading with guidance and suggestions rather than hard rules. Her areas of focus include art journaling as a creative practice, community building and using art for healing and mental health. Known for her fun, “no rules” teaching style, Anna creates safe, inclusive spaces where people can explore who they are as artists.
Anna lives in Toronto, Canada, where she is happiest when it’s snowing. When she’s not art journaling—you can find her playing hockey. A homeschooling mom of 4 now adult children, Anna has used Art Journaling for her own mental health and has witnessed others use it in their lives to build community, and express themselves safely.
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SMCE4015 W26 – Art Journalling
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An Exploration of Traditional Songs, Introduced Through the Gaelic Language
- Delivery: In-person
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Tuesdays
- Dates: September 9th to October 14th, 2025
- Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- Location: Mary Ward Centre, 2nd Floor, Loretto College Residence (70 St. Mary St)
- Cost: $325 (includes HST)
Course Overview
This course will provide an introduction to speaking and singing in Gaelic, the Celtic language of Scotland. Students will learn pronunciation, basic vocabulary and useful phrases. Music is an effective tool for learning language. Each class will explore a different type of traditional song from Scotland’s rich Gaelic heritage.
Students will encounter a range of songs and styles and understand the cultural context behind them. Musical styles will include mouth music, waulking and other work songs, children’s and ceilidh songs, songs of love and loss, and traditional Gaelic psalm-singing.
Method of Teaching
Instruction will include a mix of lecture-style delivery of information on the history, sound patterns and musical genres in addition to opportunities for students to interact with each other to practice simple conversation exercises and participate in group singing. There will be in-class use of multimedia resources including audio and video recordings as well as printed text. While not required, self-directed study will be encouraged, with students practicing their singing and newly developed language skills or accessing on-line supports between sessions to reinforce learning. No prior knowledge of Gaelic or ability to read music are required.
Learning Outcomes
• Learn pronunciation and basic conversational phrases in Scottish Gaelic
• Explore several styles of traditional Gaelic music
• Learn and sing Gaelic songs in a supportive, communal setting
• Gain a deeper awareness of the interconnection between language and song
About the Instructor
David Livingston-Lowe is an alumnus of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto and a graduate of the Celtic Studies Program. David has a broad interest in the Celtic languages and has been teaching Gaelic for over thirty years. He studied Scottish Heritage at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Gaelic in the Isle of Skye and the Gaelic College in Cape Breton, as well as Irish in Donegal and Connemara. He has worked as a translator and language consultant in addition to teaching Gaelic and Scots language and literature at St. Mike’s.
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Mappa Mundi: Mapping the Mediaeval World
- Delivery: In-person
- Date: Saturday, April 11th, 2026
- Time: Registration: 8:30 a.m. | Symposium: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Location: TBD (in-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College)
- Cost:$150 (includes HST, coffee/tea and a Mediaeval lunch)
Explore Mediaeval Mapping
Mappa mundi: Mapping the Mediaeval World will explore that mediaeval Europe from two perspectives: how mediaeval people configured their world and how mediaevalists are employing mapping to better understand that world. In the Middle Ages there were various types of maps intended to illustrate different ideas: the earth’s spherical shape complemented by continents (generally Europe, Asia, Africa, and an unknown continent, referred to as the Antipodes). Maps could depict holy sites and pilgrimage routes or different people, animals and even the unknown creatures that might inhabit space out of sight, just beyond the earth’s margins: “hic sunt dracones” (Here be dragons!). Our exploration of mediaeval mapping will take us across the mediaeval Europe and beyond, demonstrating just how well-travelled mediaeval people were. Some maps could be used in battle, others were for trade, and till mapped the seas. We will also move into micro spaces, mapping cities, and even neighbourhoods, to better understand mediaeval people’s daily lives and the challenges they could face from nature and society.
Hosted by Jacqueline Murray, University Professor Emerita, University of Guelph; Fellow, St. Michael’s College; and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Learning Outcomes
This Mediaeval Saturday Symposium will provide the opportunity for participants to map and re-map our own understanding of the Middle Ages and mediaeval European society
2026 Mediaeval Symposium Presenters
James Ginther
Professor of Mediaeval Theology
Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology
University of St. Michael’s College
Title: Trading with Strangers in a Strange World: An Unnoticed Marine Map of the Mediaeval World.
Abstract: There were different ways to represent the known world during the Middle Ages. One type of map this is often overlooked is the marine or portolan map. This type of map was created to assist sailors and merchants as they travelled to find sources for the many goods in demand in Mediaeval Europe. Scholars have argued that this kind of map originated in the fourteenth century, but we will explore an early map, from the mid-thirteenth century, that has only been recently discovered. While its accuracy does show that it was designed for marine use, the wealth of information it contains helps us understand how mediaeval Europeans saw the world outside of Europe.
Renée R. Trilling
Angus Cameron Professor of Old English
Centre for Mediaeval Studies / Department of English
University of Toronto
Title: A Cure for What Ails You: Traveling the World through Early English Medical Texts
Abstract: Early mediaeval medicine is often dismissed as superstition. While mediaeval people did have some rather fanciful practices, like reciting charms for protection against dwarves and elves, they also made use of many trusted remedies made from herbs and animal ingredients. And some of them actually worked. What’s just as interesting, though, is the way that mediaeval medical texts can help to map the connections between mediaeval England and the wider world. From sourcing ingredients to compiling the latest medical knowledge, the healing arts connected early Insular culture with people and places from Europe and the Mediterranean to North Africa, India, and beyond.
Emily Hutchison
Associate Professor
Department of History
Mount Royal University (Alberta)
Title: Mapping Climate Crises in Late Mediaeval Paris
Abstract: This presentation investigates a series of climate-related crises that afflicted Paris and the Île-de-France during the late Middle Ages, at the onset of the Little Ice Age. It pursues two principal objectives. First, it uses textual evidence to assess the material repercussions of the crises on the city and its people. Second, it uses mapping to analyze these repercussions within in specific neighbourhoods in Paris. Mapping the effects of mediaeval climate change, is indispensable to understanding how it effected Parisians: without attention to the spatial dimensions of environmental disruption, analysis of the impact of the Little Ice Age risks remaining abstract and unmoored from lived reality.
Vanessa McCarthy
Fellow
Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies
University of Toronto
Title: Mapping Sex-Workers in Mediaeval Bologna
Abstract: Mapping the residential patterns of working-poor sex workers in mediaeval Bologna reveals that far from being marginalized outcasts, sex-workers chose their neighbourhoods and their neighbours, usually other working-poor men and women, as well as students. Like their friends and family, prostitutes tended to move every two years, but never more than a block or two from their base. Neighbourhood mapping reveals that rather than being shunned because of their sex-work, these women were integrated into their local neighbourhoods and the wider religious, political, and economic life of the city.
Kelly DeVries
Professor Emeritus
Department of History
Loyola University Maryland
Title: The Technology and Portability of Premodern Maps
Abstract: Mediaeval maps are now found in museums, libraries, churches, even palaces and private homes. They are drawn on different media and different technologies were used to construct them. Many depict the world as it was then known and are sometimes populated by mythological people and beasts. Before the fifteenth century, when vivid portolan maps started to appear, the purpose of mediaeval maps is not immediately clear, beyond being artistic or decorative. This paper will discuss the history and technology of mediaeval maps and, more importantly, their portability. Why were premodern mapmakers so eager to portray the “entire world” rather than limited and nearby areas? We will conclude with a brief introduction to portolan maps, so critical for later nautical long-distance navigation and exploration.
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SMCE4009 W26 – Mediaeval Symposium
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Unlock Your Inner Voice: Join Our Spiritual Writing Workshop!
- Duration: Full-Day Workshop
- Day of the Week: Saturday
- Date: March 28, 2026
- Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Location: TBD (in-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College)
- Cost: $100.00 (includes HST)
Longing to connect on a deeper level? Looking to explore questions that keep arising? Come. Be inspired. Follow your pen into Mystery. Pray on paper. Write towards a deeper understanding of who you were, who you are, and who you are called to be.
No previous writing experience is necessary.
Come to our safe, affirming circle with an open heart, an empty notebook, and leave with a practice that will challenge, console and delight. We follow the Amherst Writers and Artists Method in which you learn to trust your own voice.
**Coffee will be provided, please plan to bring a litterless lunch or purchase lunch from a local café**
Learning Outcomes:
In this workshop, participants will:
Explore a Reflective Writing Practice: Participants will practice a unique method of approaching personal writing practice that encourages introspection, creative exploration, and a deeper sense of self-awareness.
Deepen Spiritual Insight and Connection: Participants will explore their inner experiences and spiritual questions, fostering a deeper connection to self and others within a supportive, reflective community.
About the Instructors
Kate Marshall Flaherty has taught writing as a spiritual practice, meditation, and mindfulness, and now teaches in the social responsibility and sustainability modules at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Author of seven books of poetry, Kate guides Stillpoint writing workshops in the Amherst Writers and Artists Method. She and Susie have written together for decades.
Susie Whelehan spent 32 years teaching children that God loved them as they were, and recently co-facilitated a course called “Poetry, Prayer and the Political Moment” in Continuing Education at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto in the Fall 2024 semester. She writes poetry (and has published one poetry collection, The Sky Laughs at Borders), essays, memoirs, and guides Oasis writing workshops in the AWA method.
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SMCE4008 W26 – Writing as a Spiritual Practice Workshop
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Thank you for your interest in this course. This course is not currently open for enrolment. Please let us know if you are interested in this course and subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming offerings.
Awaken Your Creativity.
- Half-Day Workshop
- TBA
- In-person
- Mary Ward Centre, Second Floor, Loretto College
- 70 St Mary Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1J3
- $65.00 (includes HST)
This workshop introduces participants to the foundations of the Expressive Arts.
Explore your creative voice through poetry, visual art, and movement prompts designed to awaken and heal your creative spirit. Whether you are blocked in your creative process or want to learn a new approach to creativity, this workshop will provide a few hours of self-discovery and joy.
Learning Outcomes
In this workshop, participants will:
Gain a clear understanding of the fundamentals of Expressive Arts as a foundation for personal creative practices.
Develop tools and techniques to access and express one’s own creative voice.
Engage in collaborative, creative activities within an enjoyable, supportive community setting.
About the Instructor
Dr. Iris J. Gildea is an Associate Professor at the University of St. Michael’s College and teaches in the Book & Media Studies Program. She has taught at St. Michael’s for ten years.
Iris’s work and research are at the intersections of art, media, trauma, and feminist studies. Most of her courses focus on various aspects of critical media studies. She writes and publishes on trauma theory and art as a mode of meaning-making and healing, often with a focus on survivors of gendered violence and childhood trauma.
Iris received her PhD from the University of Toronto in Comparative Literature, with a dissertation on Paul Ricoeur’s phenomenological hermeneutics. She loves the intersections of theory and art, seeking always to expand structures of knowledge and meaning-making. Outside of her university teaching, Iris leads poetry and expressive arts workshops in the community. She also teaches meditation. When not writing, teaching, or making art, Iris is in nature hiking with her dog. She splits her time between Cortes Island in British Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario.
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Thank you for your interest in this course. This course is not currently open for enrolment. Please let us know if you are interested in this course and subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming offerings.
Immerse Yourself in Irish Culture
- 5 Weeks
- Tuesdays, February 25 – March 26, 2025
- 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- In-person
- Alumni Hall, Room 400
- 121 St. Joseph St., Toronto
- $339 (includes HST & materials)
Immerse yourself in the heart of Irish culture with this interactive, in-person course. Over five weeks, you’ll learn the fundamentals of hurling, the fastest field sport, and Gaelic football, Ireland’s most popular game. Discover the beauty of céilí dancing, blending cultural theory with hands-on practice, and try your hand at making traditional Irish recipes like báirín breac. Finally, enjoy a screening of the acclaimed Irish-language film Kneecap, followed by a discussion on the politics of minority languages in Modern Ireland.
Learning Outcomes
Through this course, learners will:
Experience Irish cultural traditions, including sport, dance, cuisine, and language.
Explore the historical and contemporary significance of Irish cultural practices in shaping national identity
Investigate the role of tradition, media, and politics in the preservation and evolution of Irish culture.
Session Descriptions
Week 1 – Tuesday, February 25th, 6 pm-8 pm – Irish poetry – Learners will engage with some of the most acclaimed Irish language poets of the past century. All original works will be translated into English.
See Pa Sheehan on Breakfast Television discussing Hurling here!
Week 2 – Tuesday, March 4th, 6 pm-8 pm – Sean-nós. Learners will learn about the unaccompanied form of singing in the Irish language and how it has developed over the past century
Week 3 – Tuesday, March 11th, 6 pm-8 pm – Céilí dancing. This class will involve some theory-based content in which the learners will investigate the legitimacy of the céilí dance as characteristic of Irish culture. Learners will also be able to learn some céilí dances from expert teachers.
Week 4 – Tuesday, March 18th, 6 pm-8 pm, Food. This class will enable the learners to make some traditional Irish recipes, such as báirín breac, and learn about the significance of the dish and how its significance has progressed in contemporary Ireland.
Week 5 – Tuesday, March 25th, 6 pm-8 pm, Film. We will watch the highly acclaimed Irish language film, Kneecap. This will be followed by a discussion on the politics surrounding minority languages and what role these languages can play in contemporary Ireland.
About the Instructor
Pa Sheehan, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Celtic Studies program at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Pa holds a Professional Master’s in Education from the University of Limerick, which focused on the teaching of both Irish and French. Pa is in his fifth year teaching in the Celtic Studies program at St. Mike’s. He previously spent two years teaching Irish at the University of Montana and at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Born in the beautiful west of Ireland, Pa’s work assuages any feelings of homesickness he may encounter. He has taught courses on Irish language, literature, traditional music, mythology, minority language media, and sport. Pa’s classroom tends to be a loud place, where students are encouraged to engage in discussion and debate.
Questions?
Please get in touch with ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca
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Create Stunning Letterpress Posters
- Duration: 5 Weeks
- Day of the Week: Thursday
- Time: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Dates: Thursday January 15 to Thursday February 12, 2026
- Delivery: In-person, Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph St., Toronto
- Cost: $360.00 (includes HST & materials) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
Course Overview
Spread the word with your handmade posters. In this introductory letterpress course, learners will combine text and simple image techniques, making posters to express opinions, share messages, invite others to events, or share your favourite quote or song lyric. Letterpress printing uses wood and metal type to impress the text into the paper — a simple, but effective, printing process.
Method of Instruction
Instruction combines short demonstrations, guided studio practice, and individual experimentation in the Kelly Library Print Studio. Learners will work directly with type and presses, receiving feedback and troubleshooting support from the instructor. Each session builds toward the creation of original posters, balancing technical skill development with creative exploration.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify the basic principles, history, and tools of letterpress printing.
- Compose text and image layouts for poster design using wood and metal type.
- Apply hands-on printing techniques to create legible, visually engaging posters.
- Produce original poster projects that express personal, social, or artistic messages.
About the Instructor
Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centres around Toronto. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com
Questions?
Please contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca
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SMCE4003 W26 – Letterpress Printing
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Create beautiful hand-bound books
- Duration: 4 Weeks
Dates: February 26th to March 19th, 2026 - Day of the Week: Thursday
- Time: 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
- Delivery: In-person
- Location: Kelly Library Print Studio, 113 St. Joseph St., Toronto
- Cost: $290 (includes HST & materials) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
In this course, learners will be working with more advanced book structures. We will explore two variations of hard-covered books with multiple sections. The first, Sewn Board Binding, is a variation allowing for flat opening of the book and laminated thin boards. The last, Case Bound Book, has the traditional look of a shelf-ready hardcover tome. The two structures are sewn and glued, covered in cloth and paper, and can be used as journals, sketchbooks, or artist’s books.
Method of Instruction
This course combines guided demonstrations with hands-on practice to teach two hardcover book structures. Learners will explore the flat-opening Sewn Board Binding and the traditional Case Bound Book. Each project involves sewing, gluing, and covering with cloth or paper, with step-by-step instruction ensuring mastery of each technique. Small-group guidance and individual feedback will support learners in refining skills and troubleshooting challenges, resulting in three completed books suitable for use as journals, sketchbooks, or artist’s books.
Learning Outcomes
In this workshop, participants will:
- Develop skills in creating advanced book structures
- Learn techniques of sewing, gluing, and covering books with cloth and paper
- Explore the practical applications of these book forms for personal projects, such as journals, sketchbooks, or artist books, and their potential for customization
About the Instructor
Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centres around Toronto. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com
SMCE4002 W26 – Hardcover Books
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Explore the Intersection of Spirituality and Sustainability
- Delivery: Online
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Wednesday
- Date: February 4th to March 11th, 2026
- Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Cost: $150 (includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Life
Course Overview
This course explores eco-spiritualities within and across religious traditions, with attention to theological, ethical, and systemic dimensions of ecological realities around the world. Students will engage with interfaith texts and traditions to examine how spirituality shapes environmental worldviews and inspires action in the face of climate change and ecological degradation.
SMCE3008 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.
Method of Instruction
The course incorporates a variety of instructional methods, including comparative text analysis, seminar-style discussions, and lectures enriched with multimedia content. Assessment tasks are specifically designed for adult continuing education learners, providing opportunities to demonstrate mastery of key course concepts in a format that aligns with their educational needs and professional goals.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
- Examine theological foundations for eco-spirituality across traditions
- Analyze structural causes of ecological harm from a faith-based lens
- Evaluate how eco-theologies intersect with social justice
- Interpret scriptural texts through ecological lenses
- Explore the role of religious institutions in climate advocacy
- Engage in comparative religious analysis of nature and creation
- Articulate a faith-informed response to ecological challenges
About the Instructor
Rosemary Boissonneau is a PhD candidate in Theological Studies at Regis St Michael’s Faculty of Theology, specializing in ecotheology and Hebrew Bible. She is also a teaching assistant for the Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas in the USMC’s Christianity and Culture Program. She holds a MA in theology from St. Mike’s and a Certificate of Specialization in Theology and Ecology from the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology, where she studied socio-ecological justice and eco-spirituality from a variety of spiritual traditions. An activist in the climate movement for over ten years, Boissonneau has been especially involved in faith-based climate action, organizing and mobilizing faith communities in a multi-faith context in Toronto with such groups as For the Love of Creation, Fridays for Future and ClimateFast. As a research associate for Regis St. Michael’s Critical Conversations in Catholic Education Project, she helped develop workshops and resources for educators that explore youth climate anxiety from a spiritual perspective. Boissonneau has also worked as an editorial assistant on several academic volumes in ecotheology, eco-spirituality and ecological ethics.
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SMCE3008 W26 – Eco-Spiritualities
SMCE3008 W26 Registration
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Exploring Faith, Identity, and Justice through Peacebuilding
- Delivery: Online
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the Week: Tuesdays
- Dates: January 13 to February 17, 2026
- Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Cost: $150 (includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Deeds
Course Overview
This course explores the intersections of faith, identity, and justice through the lens of peacebuilding and reconciliation. Students will engage with historical and contemporary examples of faith-inspired peacebuilders, analyze how religion and media can both foster and hinder peace, and reflect on their own roles as agents of change. Through engaged learning, critical reflection, and compassionate dialogue, students will develop the skills necessary for meaningful interfaith engagement and transformative action.
SMCE3007 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, learners will:
- Create personal reflections and action plans for peacebuilding in communities.
- Understand the role of religion in both conflict and peacebuilding.
- Analyze media narratives and their impact on public perception and peace.
- Apply interfaith principles to real-world peace initiatives.
- Evaluate historical and contemporary peacebuilders through a faith-based lens.
Method of Instruction
Teaching methods combine weekly two-hour lectures with student-led presentations, reflective writing, and case study analysis. Learners will also benefit from guest speakers and multimedia resources, as well as interactive learning activities such as documentary viewings that connect theory to real-world contexts.
About the Instructor
Shahin Pardhan, MBA
Shahin Pardhan created and teaches Islam in the Workplace (MOS 2222), an organizational behaviour course that equips students to foster inclusive work environments through understanding Islamic practices and religious accommodation. She holds a BBA and MBA from the Schulich School of Business and has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Shahin is a long-time community advocate, serving as the Muslim representative at the award-winning London Interfaith Peace Camp for over a decade, and she regularly speaks at interfaith events across high schools, universities, and faith communities. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes inclusive, experiential learning that connects theory to practice and empowers students to lead with empathy and integrity.
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SMCE3007 W26 – Called to be Peacemakers: Peace, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation
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Engage in Meaningful Communication Across Differences
- Delivery: Online via Zoom
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Day of the week: Thursdays
- Dates: February 26th to April 2, 2026
- Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Location: Online via Zoom
- Cost: $150 (includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
- Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Core Course
Course Overview
This foundational course provides a practical introduction to interfaith dialogue, equipping learners with tools to engage in meaningful conversations across religious and cultural differences. Learners will explore the four levels of dialogue — the dialogue of life, the dialogue of action, the dialogue of theological exchange, and the dialogue of religious experience. Emphasising real-world application, this course fosters skills in active listening, and conflict transformation. By the end of the course, you will more confidently navigate interfaith conversations, fostering understanding and collaboration in your communities and professional settings.
**SMCE3000 is the foundational course for the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. It is recommended that learners who wish to complete this Diploma program take this course first.
Micro Credential
Learners who successfully complete SMCE3000 will receive a micro credential for this course.
USMC CE is proud to offer micro-credentials—digital, verifiable credentials that you own and can share on your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and more. Micro-credentials are certifications of assessed learning that focus on specific, relevant skills and competencies. These programs are designed for professionals seeking rapid, practical training to meet today’s social and environmental challenges. Whether you’re advancing your career, or deepening your expertise, our micro-credentials deliver focused learning backed by real-world relevance, and academic excellence.
Method of Teaching
This course will be delivered in person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Interactive discussions, case-based learning, and reflection will be used to practise the application of tools for effective interfaith dialogue practice.
Learning Outcomes
- Define interfaith dialogue and its significance in today’s world
- Identify and apply the four levels of interreligious dialogue
- Cultivate greater personal openness to, and tools for, interreligious dialogue and engagement, and communicating effectively across difference
- Practice dialogue techniques through structured exercises and real-world scenarios
- Reflect critically on lived examples of interreligious dialogue and collaboration in Canada, the Greater Toronto Area, and students’ own local contexts
- Create a personal or professional action plan for implementing interfaith dialogue skills
About the Instructor
Mia Theocharis is the director of advocacy, emerging campuses at Hillel Ontario, where she leads strategic initiatives to support Jewish students and allies on campuses without a formal Hillel presence. In this role, she develops student leadership pipelines, designs targeted programming, and works closely with university administrators and EDI offices to address student concerns. With nearly a decade of experience in higher education—as a researcher, educator, and advocate—she is deeply committed to bridging scholarly insight with real-world impact. Mia is also a PhD candidate in theological studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Her research explores Jewish–Christian relations from the 19th to 21st centuries, with particular attention to antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the Second Vatican Council declaration Nostra aetate. Through historical methodology, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary inquiry, her work aims to confront antisemitism, foster interreligious and interideological understanding, and ensure the lessons of the past inform our present. Her dissertation, supported by a prestigious SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, examines the development and influence of Canadian Catholic theologian Gregory Baum’s theological thought on Jewish–Christian relations in Canada and internationally. In the classroom, Mia cultivates inclusive spaces where students grapple with complex histories, reflect on their contemporary relevance, and engage in interfaith dialogue as a vital practice for understanding others as they understand themselves—grounded in empathy, humility, and intellectual integrity.
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SMCE3000 W26 – Foundations of Interfaith Communication & Dialogue
SMCE3000 W26 Registration
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