Ask any student at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) what they love most about KPE and you’ll probably get the same answer: the sense of community.
This fall, that community spirit will live on through KINections: an initiative of the Registrar’s Office designed to help students connect with each other and get involved beyond the classroom.
Working collaboratively with KPE student groups like the Kinesiology & Physical Education Undergraduate Association (KPEUA), Kinesiology & Physical Education Athletic Association (KPEAA), Kinesiology & Physical Education Graduate Society (KPEGS), and campus partners such as U of T Student Life and Sport & Recreation, KINections presents curated remote and on-campus activities that support wellness and connection, at KPE and with the local and global community.
Launching on September 15, KINections includes a dedicated website that provides a central place for students to explore all of the opportunities available to them. KINections activities are organized around five themes: mentorship, health and wellness, community engagement, global citizenship and career development. An intentional focus on equity, diversity and inclusion is woven into all the themes, and will also be the main topic for some events.
KINections will kick off with two events focused on community engagement and a new mentorship program:
- 2020 Acts of Kindness: A virtual challenge for everyone in the KPE community, 2020 Acts of Kindness encourages us to connect to those around us, create positivity in the world and boost our mental well-being by being kind to others.
The goal is perform 2,020 acts of everyday kindness during the challenge period. Students, staff, faculty and alumni are all invited to participate in the challenge whether you’re on campus or off, at home, or out and about.
Perform an act of kindness and let us know about it! This may be within KPE, at home, or in your local community. You can also share an act of kindness you received from someone in the KPE community. If you’re on Instagram, tag @uoftkpe and use the hashtag #kpekind for your stories or posts. Or, send a photo and/or note to kinections@utoronto.ca to share your act of kindness.
Feeling shy? You can also submit your act of kindness anonymously.
We’ll keep a running tally and feature different acts on the KPE Instagram throughout the challenge. When we meet our goal, we’ll share a little something special with the community!
- Terry Fox Virtual Marathon of Hope: 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. This year, Canadians can continue to support the cause through virtual runs from coast to coast. Each year, KPE organizes a team to participate—and this year is no different. Register with the KPE team and walk, ride, and run to raise money for cancer research.
- Faculty-Student Mentorship Program for 1st year BKin Students: This year, all incoming BKIN students will be grouped with a faculty mentor for additional support and advice during their transition to university studies. Mentorship activities will include a 1:1 personal meeting with the faculty mentor, two student group meetings per term, and ongoing information sharing and referral to student support services. Additional details will be provided by email to all 1st year BKin students later this week.
Because KINections is a collaborative effort, volunteers and support from anyone in the KPE community are welcomed. Send a note to kinections@utoronto.ca to learn more about how you can get involved.