CollegeCast: Recent Episodes

Trevor Potts

CollegeCast is a podcast designed to help you navigate the intense challenges of Canadian student life, where we discuss important student issues: from mental health and financial aid to online learning and food insecurity. Host Trevor Potts will be joined each month by top experts to tackle each issue. We're your one-stop shop for navigating issues that matter to you.

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This episode we're joined by Ercole Perrone, CEO of Ignite at Humber College & University of Guelph-Humber, to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for students in 2021-22, how student associations can adapt to address these issues, and how you can take a leadership role on issues that impact college students. 

For more information on Ercole's work, check out Ignite's website.

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

For episode feedback or requests, DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Fateha Hossain, Good Food Markets Facilitator at FoodShare Toronto, for a conversation on food insecurity, barriers to food access, and why communities need culturally-accessible foods.

Episode Time-stamps:

  1. Intro (0:45)
  2. Fateha's Inspiration for Advocating for Food Security (2:57)
  3. Why Stigma is Such a Difficult Barrier for Accessing Food (12:40)
  4. International Students (22:54)
  5. Why Communities Need Culturally-Accessible Foods (23:51)
  6. Outro (28:47)

Resources:

  • FoodShare: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
  • Good Food Markets
  • Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_ON

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Rossen Lee, Networking Co-Lead at the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council, for a conversation on food insecurity, green spaces, and how to impact our communities through food and human connection.

Episode Time-stamps:

  1. Intro (0:26)
  2. Rossen's Background (1:41)
  3. What Makes Toronto Great at Food, Culture & Community (4:07)
  4. The Role of Food Festivals in Celebrating Identity (8:16)
  5. How to Engage Youth in Food Insecurity Activities (11:39)
  6. What is Universal Basic Income? (17:09)
  7. What Do Partnerships Matter? (23:08)
  8. Why Green Spaces Matter (26:55)
  9. Why Farmers' Markets Matter (33:00)
  10. Story from Jean-Talon Food Market (38:40)
  11. Soapbox (40:40)
  12. Rossen's Resources (45:26)
  13. Outro (46:26)

Resources:

  • Toronto Youth Food Policy Council: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
  • We Own These Streets, We Are Our Festivals
  • Our Concrete Garden podcast

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Darla Oja, Director of Health at the Oshki Anishnawbeg Student Association (OASA) at Confederation College & Lieutenant Colonel of the 38th Service Battalion of the Canadian Armed Forces, for a conversation on career transitions, finding new purpose and identity, and how learning about the past can impact the present.

Episode Time-stamps:

  1. 0:28 (1:14)
  2. Darla's Journey Through the Military (2:54)
  3. How to Get Involved in Community (10:30)
  4. How to Navigate a Career Transition (12:53)
  5. Interlude (15:58)
  6. Advice for Career Changes & Barriers (17:11)
  7. Rediscovering Identity in a New Career & Through Your Family Culture (19:42)
  8. How Social Work Can Impact Communities (23:12)
  9. An Exercise in Privilege (26:43)
  10. Why Self-Improvement is the Key to Helping Others (28:09)
  11. How to Have Meaningful Dialogue (30:48)
  12. The Soapbox: Be Curious! (32:06)
  13. Darla's Recommended Resources (34:48)
  14. One Final Call to Listeners (35:39)
  15. Outro (35:54)

Resources:

  • Get Connected with Oshki Anishnawbeg Student Association (OASA)
  • Indigenous Programs at Confederation College

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're featuring a special podcast of our live event: Hungry for Change: Campus Food Insecurity. This panel event brings together food experts, provincial politicians, and food stakeholders across the province to address the ongoing challenges and solutions for campus food insecurity.

Our Panelists are:

  • Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario & MPP for Guelph
  • Suman Roy, Executive Director of Meal Exchange
  • Lindsay Walker, Associate Director of the Office of Sustainability at Humber College
  • Rossen Lee, Networking Co-Lead at Toronto Youth Food Policy Council
  • Meshanda Phillips, Lakeshore Campus Student Engagement Coordinator at IGNITE
  • Kristine Galvan, Manager of Leadership & Advocacy at IGNITE
  • Fateha Hossain, Good Food Markets Facilitator at FoodShare

Resources:

  • Hungry for Change portal

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Brenda Small, Vice President at the Negahneewin Research Centre at Confederation College, for a conversation on the power of Indigenous learning in generating equitable partnerships, and improving our college education systems.

Episode Time-stamps:

  1. Intro (1:14)
  2. Brenda's Journey towards Negahneewin Research Centre (2:03)
  3. How to Start Meaningful Dialogue & Engage with Partners (6:50)
  4. What the Name Negahneewin Means (11:43)
  5. How to Access Knowledge from Stakeholders (15:42)
  6. How to Turn Priorities into Research, Toolkits & More (20:56)
  7. How to Generate Change Within the Community (27:00)
  8. The Current State of Provincial Engagement (35:33)
  9. What are ILOs? (43:41)
  10. The Soapbox: How to Take Ownership Of Your Learning (50:27)
  11. Resources for Students (55:30)
  12. Outro (56:46)

Resources:

  • Negahneewin Research Centre
  • Get Connected with Oshki Anishnawbeg Student Association (OASA)
  • Indigenous Programs at Confederation College
  • Contact NRC Here!

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Steve Joordens, Cognitive Psychologist and Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, for a conversation on mental health, EdTech, and how we can cultivate a Growth Mindset to boost our social connections.

Episode Time-stamps:

  1. Intro (1:14)
  2. Steve's Journey towards EdTech (2:00)
  3. Lessons Learned Before and During COVID-19 (4:36)
  4. What is EdTech? (6:59)
  5. How Formative Peer Assessment Works (8:48)
  6. The Growth Mindset (11:00)
  7. How Peer Scholar Works (12:42)
  8. How Coursera Helps Professionals Deal with Mental Health Challenges (14:45)
  9. Why COVID-19 Has Helped Our Conversations Around Mental Health (20:33)
  10. The Physiology of Anxiety (21:21)
  11. How To Combat Anxiety (25:49)
  12. Why Sleep Hygiene Matters (32:52)
  13. The Foundations of Mental Health (35:14)
  14. Why We Need Emotional Connection (37:55)
  15. How to Improve Your Connections (40:26)
  16. The Reflected Self (41:16)
  17. How to Improve Your Deep Relationships and Daily Interactions (43:12)
  18. Steve's Soapbox (46:46)
  19. Extra Resources (48:36)
  20. Outro (49:20)

Resources:

  • How to Win Friends & Influence People
  • Steve Joordens' Youtube channel
  • Coursera Classes

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

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This week we're joined by our good friend, Eddy Avila, Executive Director of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), to discuss how provincial advocacy impacts key issues, including financial aid, OSAP clawbacks, and stakeholder engagement.

Timestamps:

  1. Intro (1:10)
  2. What is OUSA? (1:55)
  3. How COVID-10 Has Impacted Student Issues (3:43)
  4. What is the Current OSAP Situation? (9:28)
  5. How Provincial Advocacy Works (15:05)
  6. How to Turn Ideas into Policies (15:46)
  7. Approaching Stakeholder Relationships (23:41)
  8. How OUSA has Adapted to Changes in Communication (27:13)
  9. Why Students Need to Engage with Politicians (29:54)
  10. Why We Need Provincial Collaboration (34:25)
  11. Why We Need to Prioritize Racial Equity (35:18)
  12. Extra Resources for Students (37:09)
  13. Outro (37:54)

Resources:

OUSA Website

OUSA Twitter: @OUSAhome

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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Finishing up our three-part miniseries, Amandeep Hayer, Immigration Lawyer at Sedai Law Office, discusses more insights for international students aiming at permanent residency, including how your age & health status impact your application, and what you should know about temporary PR programs.

Timestamps:

  1. Intro (0:34)
  2. Application Period for PR (1:34)
  3. Health Conditions Affecting PR (7:28)
  4. How Age Impacts Your Immigration Status (10:55)
  5. Arranged Employment & Provincial Nomination (13:43)
  6. Timeline for completing PGWP (17:23)
  7. Temporary PR Programs (22:30)
  8. Future of Temporary PR Programs (27:00)
  9. How to Deal with Non-Compliance Issues (28:51)
  10. Outro (29:47)

Resources:

  • Amandeep's twitter feed
  • Amandeep's Blog on Immigration Issues
  • IRCC Twitter feed
  • IRCC News site
  • IRCC News Bulletin/Manual for International Students
  • Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Manual
  • Express Entry Draws
  • Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Manual

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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Continuing our three-part miniseries, Amandeep Hayer, Immigration Lawyer at Sedai Law Office, walks us through key challenges along the path to permanent residency, including work permit options, non-compliance issues, & tips on how to boost your CRS score!

Timestamps:

  1. Intro (1:03)
  2. Work vs Study Permits (1:57)
  3. Applying to Post Grad Work Permit (4:06)
  4. How Changing Programs/Schools Impacts Your Study Permit (5:35)
  5. How Work Impacts Your Study Permit (7:36)
  6. If You Breach Your Study Permit Conditions (9:29)
  7. Non-Compliance Issues (10:55)
  8. Eligibility Criteria for PGWP (14:24)
  9. Other Options for Work Permits (16:22)
  10. Employment Requirements for Int. Students (18:46)
  11. Boosting Your CRS Score (21:55)
  12. Outro (23:46)

Resources:

  • Amandeep's twitter feed
  • Amandeep's Blog on Immigration Issues
  • IRCC Twitter feed
  • IRCC News site
  • IRCC News Bulletin/Manual for International Students
  • Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Manual
  • Express Entry Draws
  • Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Manual

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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We're starting our three-part miniseries with our Canadian immigration expert Amandeep Hayer, Immigration Lawyer at Sedai Law Office, where we discuss how you can navigate the complex journey from international student to permanent resident of Ontario.

Timestamps:

  1. Amandeep's Background: (1:04)
  2. Types of Travel & Residency Status (2:10)
  3. Visitors vs Workers vs Students (4:27)
  4. Visas vs Permits (8:21)
  5. On Campus Work, Coop Work Experiences (10:45)
  6. How "Studying from Home" Impacts your Study Permit (13:05)
  7. The Post Graduate Work Program (15:19)
  8. How Express Entry Works (17:51)
  9. Different Pathways to PR (20:34)
  10. Which Programs to Apply To (22:34)
  11. How to Increase Your CRS Score (25:00)
  12. Provincial Nominee Program (28:29)
  13. Timeline from International Student to Permanent Resident (32:52)
  14. Great Immigration Resources (36:12)
  15. What To Do If You Violate The Conditions of Your Study Permit (38:14)
  16. Final Comments (41:10)
  17. Outro Shownotes (42:13)

Resources:

  • Amandeep's twitter feed
  • Amandeep's Blog on Immigration Issues
  • IRCC Twitter feed
  • IRCC News site
  • IRCC News Bulletin/Manual for International Students
  • Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Manual
  • Express Entry Draws
  • Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Manual

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have a question? DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This episode we're joined by Lynne Savela, Executive Director of SUCCI at Confederation College, to talk about communication, mentorship, and how you can harness the power of partnership to create meaningful experiences on campus.

For more information on how to get involved, check out SUCCI's homepage.

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

For episode feedback or requests, DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's leading advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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This episode we're joined by Linda Franklin, President & CEO of Colleges Ontario, to talk about Ontario's labour market crisis, up-and-coming careers for college students, and how innovative college programs can boost your employability and career potential.

Whether you're not sure about career options post-graduation, thinking about returning to school, or just wanting to boost your employability in Ontario's job market, this conversation with Linda has something for everyone.

For more information on Linda's work, check out Colleges Ontario's website, or follow her on Twitter @LindaFranklinCO.

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

For episode feedback or requests, DM us via Twitter: @CSA_collegecast.

For more about College Student Alliance's advocacy work for Ontario's college students, visit our website.

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In this Part 2 episode, we're diving back into our conversation with Salomeh Ahmadi, Professor at Humber College & Founder of Rexdale Lab; continuing our talk about some of the practical and holistic tools, resources, and multiple modalities we have for building social supports, relationships, and community connection.

For more info on how to connect with Salomeh and her work, visit her website here.  

To learn more about her ongoing research with LAMP Community Health Centre, check out Humber Research & Innovation, or connect with her on Twitter @SalomehA.

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Have suggestions or feedback on a topic? Come connect with us on Twitter: @CSA_collegecast!

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This episode we're joined by Salomeh Ahmadi, Professor at Humber College & Founder of Rexdale Lab, to talk about college readiness and student wellbeing.

Salomeh brings her experience as a Professor in the Faculty of Social & Community Services at Humber College, teaching on social services, child & youth care, and community development. She is also a consultant, strategist, writer, speaker and activist for mental health, youth & civic engagement, and community-building.

Currently, Salomeh serves as a Board member with the International Centre of Art for Social Change, and is leading a 3-year federally granted study on housing affordability and community-based participatory research in South Etobicoke.

In Part 1, Professor Salomeh and I discuss the ongoing challenges for student mental health, the importance of building support systems for both faculty and students that enable safe, effective learning environments, and future opportunities for helping college students ready themselves for Fall 2021 and take charge of their own health & wellbeing outcomes.

For more info on Salomeh's research, check out Humber Research & Innovation, or connect with her on Twitter @SalomehA.

Theme music by Bensound.

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Catch us on Twitter: @CSA_collegecast

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This episode we're joined by Pete Bombaci, Founder & Executive Director of The GenWell Project, to talk about generating wellness and student mental health.

Pete brings over 25 years of experience to the table, having worked in marketing and senior management roles for major corporations, including Coors and Molson Canada, before launching his passion project, The GenWell Project, which aims to educate people on the importance of human connection to health & well-being.

In this episode, Pete and I discuss the ongoing challenges of building human connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how we can find opportunities for creating connection and forming community on, and off, campus.

Contact Pete via email: pete@genwellproject.ca, or Twitter @petebombaci.

For more information and resources, check out: https://genwellproject.org 

Theme music by: https://www.bensound.com

Writing & Post-production by Trevor Potts.

Twitter: @CSA_ON