On September 24, 2010 Social Planning Toronto brought together on “common ground” over 250 participants from a broad range of sectors, including education, health, social services, labour, academia and community to explore a widely debated and timely concept of Schools as Community Hubs. This symposium event, COMMON GROUND Schools as Community Hubs: The Vision, The Challenge, The Opportunity was a follow-up of a conference, Schools@theCentre, hosted by SPT three years ago and featured thirteen distinguished speakers, who shared their experience, expertise, visions and wide range of perspectives on three themes:

• Exploring Visions, What’s on the Table,
• If Hubs are the Solution – What’s the Problem?
• Barriers and Opportunities

The Alliance for Affordable Co-operative Housing, Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto and Social Planning Toronto invite you to take part in this special event dedicated to putting housing back on the national agenda. Bring your questions and ideas!

Saturday, November 6
Doors open 12:30 p.m., town hall 1-3 p.m.
Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 308/309, Toronto

Light refreshments provided.

Moderator:

• Jacquie Maund, Family Service Toronto and Ontario Campaign 2000

It’s no secret. People talk about it, but not many fully realize how serious the situation is.  Twenty-five percent of Toronto residents - yes, one out of every four people in the city - live in poverty. (Based on the 2006 census, using Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off measure). And the news gets worse. Research shows that poverty impacts not only the lives of people trapped in it, but the quality of life of the city as a whole - and therefore everyone is affected.

Municipal Election 2010

Toronto has more than a million eligible voters. Through focus groups and consultations Toronto residents told us what issues matter to them the most and what information they needed to vote. The SPT Toronto Votes Kits we have provided are based on this research. They contain information on the voting process, fact sheets on the issues, information on community election events, and more. These kits will also be made available in a number of different languages on this page over the coming week, to ensure that this essential information is accessible to as many of Toronto's diverse communities as possible.

What’s at Stake: Women, City Services and the Municipal Election

Tuesday, October 5
9:30-Noon
Social Planning Toronto
2 Carlton Street, Suite 1001

Speakers:
Emily Paradis, Cities Centre, University of Toronto
Lisa Philipps, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Melissa Wong, Toronto Women’s City Alliance

All are welcome but registration is required as space is limited.
Register below or call (416) 351-0095 x257.

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Today, Friday September 24th, Social Planning Toronto will convene over 300 specialists, school and community planners in a symposium to examine both international and local best practice with the innovative use of "schools as community hubs".

"Against the backdrop of Toronto's hotly disputed mayoral race, widely divergent models of "schools as community hubs" are being proposed by school trustee candidates, academics, education researchers and a number of influential front line service providers in government-funded agencies across Ontario", noted former school board trustee, John Campey, ED Social Planning Toronto.

Social Planning Toronto Symposium
Friday, September 24, 2010
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Place: Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre (20 Toronto Street, wheelchair accessible)

Advance registration is required. To register, please register by filling in the form below or send a completed registration form to Social Planning Toronto, 2 Carlton St, Suite 1001 Toronto, ON M5B 1J3 or call 416-351-0095 ext. 251 for more information. All registrations will be confirmed by e-mail.

• Conference registration is free
• Refreshments, lunch and post-conference reception included
• Space is limited. Please register early.
• Deadline for registration is Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE AND LOCATION

We regret that the Social Planning Toronto Membership Forum on the "Partnership Project," which had been scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st, with special guest Helen Burstyn has been postponed to Tuesday, August 10th. The location has also been moved from the Lillian Smith Library to the Social Planning Toronto Meeting Room at 2 Carlton St. We regret any inconvenience this change in date and venue may cause.

Tuesday, August 10, 9:30 - 11:30 AM
Social Planning Toronto
2 Carlton Street, Suite 1001

Your next Social Planning Toronto e-bulletin will come out on July 20.  In the meantime, we hope you will join us for some upcoming SPT and partner events:

1. Toronto Open Budget Initiative Campaign Launch and Town Hall (Tuesday, July 13, 6:00 - 8:00 PM)
2. Policy without Practice Report Launch (Wednesday, July 14, 10 AM - Noon)
3. SPT Member Forum - Responding to the "Partnership Project" (Wednesday, July 21, 9:30 - 11:30 AM)

Click here to view the SPT Upcoming Events Bulletin.