High school students embrace humanities at U of T fair

The  University of Toronto’s Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI) would normally be closed on weekends but on one recent Saturday, its offices were bustling − packed with high school students.

The students were taking part in Humanities Matter, the very first humanities fair for secondary students organized by volunteer teachers and JHI staff.

“Humanities matter in different ways. Interpreting in different ways [matters],” said Lizzie, a senior student from St. Clements Girls’ School. “It’s a good title.”

Lizzie was one of 21 students from grades 11 and 12 who delivered ten-minute presentations at the fair, addressing the theme of translation and the multiplicity of languages before small but attentive audiences that included U of T student judges.

One mother (pictured right) who arrived just before her daughter’s presentation on Translations of the Bible said the experience was profound.

“My kid is a scientist which makes this cool. She was excited about the research [because she] worked on something deeply important to her …. [she will] probably change directions because of this.”

Using media that ranged from song to power point and Facebook to posters, students used the theme to explore everything from the benefits of multilingualism to the historical role of Augustus Caesar.

“It was a deeply moving experience to watch those smart, brave, creative thinkers bringing their ideas out in public,” said JHI Associate Director Kim Yates.

Yates first discussed the idea of a humanities fair with volunteer teachers last July during the JHI’s week-long Summer Institute for Teachers. That event brought together more than a dozen Ontario secondary and elementary teachers, some of whom received subsidies from the JHI, to undertake intensive studies with Faculty Research Fellows Jill Ross and Ruth Marshall of the University of Toronto.

The teachers, all of whom viewed themselves as humanist regardless of their specializations, saw nothing strange about beginning their summer holidays by learning. With Ross and Marshall, the group discussed themes as varied as Iberian identity in the 14th Century and multicultural politics in Quebec.

By the end of the session, everyone wanted to find a way to extend the experience to high school students. All agreed their students were capable of engaging with the theme and in a milieu otherwise reserved for international humanists and graduate fellows – and reaching out to high school students would signal that the humanities at U of T were a field truly open to inquiry and interpretation.

The result? In April, four Toronto secondary teachers and 21 students from  private English and public French school systems took part in the fair. As a token of recognition, the top achievers received gift certificates to the University of Toronto book store on College Street.

“The students benefitted a lot,” said Spanish teacher Susi Lessing.

Teacher, writer and alumna Ruchika Arora was one of the organizers of the fair. She’d like to thank Robert Chambers, Diana Pai, Susi Lessing and Charlie Pullen for making “Humanities Matter” a focus in their senior classrooms and to congratulate all the participants as well as the winners (below). * Because the choice was so difficult, two third-prizes were awarded.

1. Zhenglin, “Mass (Musical score and composition)” University of Toronto Schools

2. Alison, “Problems Faced in Biblical Translation, as pertaining to Matthew 4:1-11” St. Clement’s School

3. Duncan and Selina, “Two Intaglio Illustrations” University of Toronto Schools

3. Katerina, “Two versions of a song in French and English: Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry and Marie-Jeanne by Joe Dassin” College Français