Free Education Week

Free Education Week November 16-20, 2009

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Poverty, homelessness, unemployment; these are some of the ills that plague our society. What can we do to solve these problems? Education is a fundamental means of alleviating these problems. To ensure that our society has an educated population, and that all people have an equal opportunity to it, education must be accessible to everyone. Free postsecondary education will ensure that everyone has fair opportunities and options.

We live in a time where a high school diploma is not enough. The many manufacturing jobs that were available from the end of the 1940s have been disappearing at an alarming rate. We are now a knowledge-based society with high-technology industries becoming more common and jobs that demand highly skilled workers. Where a generation ago a high school diploma was necessary, today workers need at least an undergraduate degree.

Free postsecondary education would mean that students could concentrate and focus on their education instead of struggling to pay tuition at the expense of their studies, families and health. Too often people are forced to forfeit the option of going back to university or college due to the financial burden. The relationship between family income and postsecondary participation has been documented and proves that higher education in Canada has increasingly become the domain of students from moneyed families. However, education should never be a privilege, but a right. From 1999-2000, U of T students and community created the Free University of Toronto program that offered between 25 and 50 free courses each term.

APUS is now hosting its second Free Education Week. In solidarity with the International Students Movement for Free and Emancipating Education we plan to highlight the continued need for Canada to create a universal free postsecondary education system, and set the example that learning is possible without a price tag.

For more information:
www.apus.utoronto.ca
supportapus@gmail.com
(416) 978-0831

*ASL interpretation, childcare, and other accommodations available upon request*

Free Education Week Schedule

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Monday November 16

Free University is Possible
OISE, Room 2212
3-5pm

AODA Critique (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
OISE, Room 2212
6-8pm

Tuesday November 17

Anti-Psychiatry
University College, 15 King’s College Circle, Room 183
3-5pm

Part-time Student Parents
University College, 15 King’s College Circle, Room 183
6-8pm

Wednesday November 18

University Governance
APUS, 100 Devonshire Place
3-5pm

Criminalization of Youth
APUS, 100 Devonshire Place
6-8pm

Thursday November 19

Stolen Sisters
OISE, Room 2212
3-5pm

Africa Unite Bob Marley’s 60th Birthday Celebration – A Pan-African Discussion
OISE, Room 2212
6-8pm

Friday November 20

Why Toronto Should Not Host the 2015 Pan American Games
Waters Lounge, 321 Bloor Street West (Corner of St George and Bloor)
3-5pm

Charter Rights
Waters Lounge, 321 Bloor St West
6-8pm

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DREAM TOWER

Thursday October 8, 6:30 pm, UTAC Art Lounge

Dream Tower documents the free education initiative at the University of Toronto in the sixties. Rochdale College was founded on principles of alternative and free education. Although the College was closed in 1975 the work towards free education for all continues…

Join us for a DVD Screening of Dream Tower and a discussion to follow.

Date and Time: Thursday October 8, 6:30 pm
Location: UTAC art lounge (see below for map)

This is a free event and refreshments will be provided. Please bring a mug.

Dream Tower, by Ron Mann, Sphinx Productions / filmswelike Documentary about Rochdale College, 1994 Co-presented by UTAC and the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS)

For further assistance please email info.apus@utoronto.ca or call (416) 978-3993

Food Security at APUS

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I'm sending a big THANK YOU to everyone that came out to the food security workshop during Free Education Week. There were great discussions and amazing participation from all that attended. It was a truly inspirational session for me and I hope we can all get together for future discussions and go into further depth about what we can do to create a more sustainable food system.
APUS' food bank is still in its developing phases and we have been meeting regularly to plan for its launch. Most recently we have planted tomatoes, corn, zucchini, cilantro, parsley, dill, peppers and basil (and a few other herbs) in order to include fresh produce (local and organic) into our food bank. If you would like to be part of this exciting initiative please join us at our next meeting. It will be held at 100 Devonshire Place (same space as the workshop) on Monday June 8 at 5pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!!

Katie

For further information please call (416) 978-3994 or write to supportapus@gmail.com

FREE EDUCATION WEEK MAY 25-30th 2009

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Brought to you by the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS)

The University of Toronto is a historic site of organizing around Free Education. In 1999 to 2000 (and onwards), the Free University of Toronto, organized by the community for the community, brought us 25-50 completely free courses (per term), many of which extended over numerous terms. This May APUS brings to you a series of free sessions to highlight the continued need for Canada to create a universal free post-secondary education system.

Our initiative couldn’t be more timely, as U of T is proposing a 66% tuition increase (i.e. flat fees) and is also pushing for deregulated tuition. Under these circumstances, we urgently need new models of post-secondary education. Join us during the week of May 25 to 30th to attend the following forums that will inform, transform, inspire, resist and bring about pedagogical changes to education in Canada…

TIMES & LOCATION OF FREE SESSIONS:

Mon 25th, 6 - 9 pm: Free Education is Possible! OISE, 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2212

Tues 26th, 3 - 5:30 pm: From Medicalization to Social models of Disability,
OISE 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2212

Tues 26th, 6:30-9 pm: Worker Rights “good enough to work, not good enough to stay,” OISE, 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2212

Wed 27th, 3–5:30 pm: Corporatization & Environmental Consequences,
OISE, 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2212

Wed 27th, 6 - 8 pm: African Can. Womyn and the Radical Tradition,
321 Bloor St W, Waters Lounge (Corner of St.George & Bloor St)

Thurs 28th, 3 - 5 pm: Creating a Sustainable Food System,
APUS, 100 Devonshire Place

Thurs 28th, 6 -8 pm: Don’t Play Games with our Priorities: No Pan Am Games, OISE 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2212

Fri 29th, 4 -6 pm: Artistic Pedagogies, Education Through Art,
321 Bloor St.W, Waters Lounge (Corner of St.George & Bloor St)

Sat 30th, 1 - 4 p.m., Imbizo III, African Centered Mathematics,
OISE, 252 Bloor St. W, Rm 2214

Note: Read more information below

*ASL interpretation, childcare, and other accommodations available upon request*

Contact us at 416 978-0831 or info.apus@utoronto.ca

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**MONDAY MAY 25th:

FREE EDUCATION IS POSSIBLE!
Mon 25th: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., OISE, 252 Bloor St. West, room 2212

*Nigel Moses, Saron Ghebressellassie, Paul Tsang, and Susan Nielson

While U of T calls for deregulation of fees and attempts to impose a Flat Fee for undergraduate tuition, many countries around the world are able to offer free university education. Join this dynamic discussion about the free education movement in Canada and why we need new models that use zero tuition and decreased corporatization on campus. Join us as we transform U of T into a free, open and universally accessible institution.

*Free Refreshments will be provided*
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**TUESDAY MAY 26th:

TOWARDS 2025: FROM MEDICALIZATION AND SELF-ADVOCACY TO SOCIAL MODELS OF DISABILITY Tues 26th: 3:00 - 5:30 p.m., OISE, Rm 2212

*Facilitated by Joeita Gupta, speakers John Rae, Jeff Peters and others…

Would putting in additional ramps or expanding accessibility services do more to include people with disabilities? This session explores the shifting paradigms around self-identifying as “disabled”, social models of disability and the concept of universal design.

WORKER RIGHTS: “GOOD ENOUGH TO WORK, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO STAY!” Tues 26th: 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., OISE, Rm 2212

* Chris Ramsaroop (Justicia For Migrant Workers, J4MW), Kim Abls (Filipino Canadian
Youth Alliance), Ajamu Nangwaya (CUPE), Owen Sankara (unionist)

The economic downturn has meant mass deportations of migrant workers and massive job losses in Ontario. Labour and employment standards are outdated, ineffective and do not reflect the realities of the experiences of workers in today's economy. Speakers will explore ways for the labour movement to reinvigorate itself in these tumultuous times.
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**WEDNESDAY, MAY 27th:

CORPORATIZATION OF EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES:
Wed 27th: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., OISE Rm 2212

*Facilitators: Angela Bishof and Paul York

This session focuses on social and environmental justice issues, including climate change, energy issues, nuclear energy and extractive industries. It will also focus on how the corporatization of universities adversely affects society and the environment through restrictions on academic freedoms, brought about by financial investments and professional training and recruiting.

AFRICAN CANADIAN WOMYN AND THE RADICAL TRADITION
Wed 27th: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Woodsworth College Residence, 321 Bloor Street West, Waters Lounge (Corner of St.George & Bloor Street)

*Njoki Wane, Murphy Browne, Dara Thomas, Shequita Thompson

African Canadian womyn have been leading the struggle for social transformation dating from the days of African enslavement (Marie Joseph Angelique) to the present struggle for the establishment of an African centred school. This forum will examine the multifaceted leadership contributions of African womyn in Canada as presented by social activists.
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**THURSDAY, MAY 28th:

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM
Thurs 28th: 3:00 - 5:30 p.m., APUS, 100 Devonshire Place (1 block South of Bloor St.) *Facilitator: Katie Wolk

In this workshop we will be learning the fundamentals of growing our own food and empowering ourselves to create a sustainable and healthy food system. This will be a hands-on session with sprouting demonstrations.

DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH OUR PRIORITIES: No Pan-American Games in Toronto!
Thurs 28th: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., OISE, Rm 2212

*Anti-poverty activist Josephine Grey (LIFT) and Vancouver Anti-Olympic activist Chris Shaw, (author of Five Ring Circuses: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games), and others will lead the discussion.

Mega sporting events, such as the Olympics and the Pan-American games are a tremendous financial drain on the cities that host them, always engender environmental degradation, contribute to the attrition of valuable social infrastructure, and launch full-fledged attacks on the most vulnerable communities and peoples. Is it the business of a public university to prioritize mega-sporting events over the academic and financial concerns of the students and broader community? *Refreshments will be provided*

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**FRIDAY, MAY 29TH:

ARTISTIC PEDAGOGIES: EDUCATION THROUGH ART
Fri 29th: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Woodsworth College Residence, 321 Bloor Street, Waters Lounge

*Neena Saloiya, Murphy Browne, Mary-Auxi Gaui, Oriel Varga and others…

Explore innovative discourses that chart the connections between education and artistic expression from elementary school through University. We will discuss art forms such as tactile pictures, spoken word and music in this refreshing, one-of-a-kind workshop, that contests and reforms what is usually considered education.

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**SATURDAY, May 30th:

IMBIZO III: AFRICAN CENTERED MATHEMATICS
Sat 30th: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., OISE, Room 2214

This workshop will be led by Linda James, author of Math in a Kola Nutshell, The Rhythm of Mathematics and the African Medicine Wheel. She is an energetic and spirit-filled presenter who is dedicated to teaching effective mathematical strategies.

*Performance by Debbie Douglass and Achilla Orru*

*Free Lunch and African centred activities for Children*

www.apus.utoronto.ca or contact us at 416 978-0831 or info.apus@utoronto.ca

Free Education Week Schedule

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