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From Spark to Insight

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Title: From Spark to Insight: Student Engagement in Social Innovation as a Pathway for Personal and Professional Development 

Authors: Jessica Machado, Jocelyn Courneya, Afrah Idrees, Rebecca Morsillo, Nordia Richards, Melanie Panitch, and Samantha Wehbi

Article publication date: In Press

Overview: From Spark to Insight: Student Engagement in Social Innovation as a Pathway for Personal and Professional Development aims to address the gap in scholarship surrounding the relationship between student engagement in social innovation and student learning outcomes. The article explores what factors facilitate or inhibit student involvement in social innovation in higher education institutions and how this involvement might promote or support student learning. 

Throughout the article, the authors briefly explore the definition of social innovation and its role in higher education institutions. They also explore the unique position of the Office of Social Innovation (OSI) at Toronto Metropolitan University and how OSI defines social innovation through a social justice lens.

The article uses an instrumental case study design to generate new insights through existing data. The data comes from OSI’s Spotlight interview series (opens in new window) , which includes interviews with 16 students who have participated in various OSI programming. The authors use this methodology to learn from student experiences provided in the interviews, enhance social innovation initiatives, and promote student engagement, learning, and development.

The article was written in collaboration with OSI staff, faculty and students. Authors Rebecca Morsillo and Nordia Richards worked on the paper as part of a field placement program with OSI. 

Access: For more information about this case study, please email socialinnovation@torontomu.ca.