November 2022: Over 30 students from Recreation & Leisure Services and the Honours Bachelors Therapeutic Recreation attended the annual Active Living Conference at Variety Village. This annual event helps postsecondary students and educators to increase their awareness of inclusive sports & recreation programming initiatives.  Thank you to the Seneca Alumni Affinity Fund for supporting student attendance and participation in this important event for promoting inclusion in sports and recreation.

On Nov. 1, 2019, students and faculty from the Recreation and Leisure Services program took part in Variety Village’s 23rd annual Active Living Conference. Guest speakers included paralympian and recreational professionals. Students also experienced examples of inclusive programming in dance, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, sledge hockey and other sports. The participation of the students at this conference was through the kind support of Seneca Alumni’s Affinity Fund.

In summer 2019, students and faculty from the Fitness & Health Promotion program were invited to participate in the annual CANFITPRO convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This major national conference provided an outstanding professional development opportunity for our students, and Seneca’s School of Recreation is proud of our partnership with CANFITPRO.

During May 2019, Seneca professor Sandra Da Rocha and several Fitness and Health Promotion students volunteered at the Motionball Marathon on May 25, Downsview Hangar.  At this event, Special Olympics athletes play a variety of sports alongside motionball supporters. FHP students and faculty also assisted at the Special Olympics- Invitational Youth Games, hosted at Newnham Campus from 15-16 May. 

Beginning in 2019, Jackson Therapeutic Recreation (JTR) has kindly provided a $1,000 annual scholarship award for students in their final year of the Honours Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation (DTR) program. The scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in their professional placements and the semester work-term. JTR is a unique service provider that offers 1: 1 activity programs to clients in their own homes to help manage health challenges and promote physical, cognitive and social abilities. Their generous award is the first scholarship opportunity available for students in the DTR program alone, and Seneca appreciates the generosity of Matt Jackson and Priya Pillai (pictured) in providing this opportunity to recognize professional excellence among our students.  

In early April 2019, the graduating cohort from the Therapeutic Recreation Bachelors (Honours) degree presented their final semester research projects in Garriock Hall to faculty, fellow students, and members of the Seneca community.  

In early May, the School of Recreation & Environmental Studies hosted a research conference on the theme of “Physical Literacy for Older Adults” with our partners from Sports Aurora and representatives from other community organizations.

Graduating students from Recreation & Leisure Services organized and delivered the “Taste of Success” professional development event on 15 March 2019.   This event provided the opportunity for the graduating student to connect and network with up to 20 recreation and leisure professionals.

February 2019, the students, faculty and staff of King campus celebrated Therapeutic Recreation month through student-led activities involving dance, music, art, yoga and information booths from St John Ambulance Animal Therapy and Nova’s Ark. 

The Bachelor (Honours) of Therapeutic Recreation successfully passed a curriculum review process conducted by an external partner - Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO).  Following the review, students entering the degree program from Sept 2017 are eligible to apply for a professional accreditation upon completion of their studies and work-term.  On 12 March 2019 the Executive Director of TRO, Rozalyn Werner-Arcé announced the accreditation status to students and faculty from the program.

January 2019, students from Seneca’s Therapeutic Recreation program visited the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to discuss adaptive recreation and leisure activities with professionals from the hospital.  Thank you to the students from TRC 302 who participated in the field visit and Dr. Babatunde Oyapero for organizing this applied learning opportunity.  

January 2019, student leaders from Seneca’s Recreation and Leisure program volunteered at annual Ontario Camps Association conference (OCA Connects) at the Hilton Toronto Markham Conference Centre. This three-day conference is Canada’s Largest Camping Trade Show attended by over 400 recreational professionals from across Canada and the world. Pictured (left to right) Toni Pettit, Professor Alf Grigg, Bianca Zeppa, Emma Felton.

January 2019, Student Ambassadors from the Fitness and Health Promotion program volunteered at the Sports for Life conference in Gatineau, Quebec. During the conference, students networked with professionals in the industry and met three-time Canadian Olympian Beckie Scott who discussed her career and volunteer service.

Fitness and Health Promotion faculty recently teamed up with Activate Aurora to host its annual Physical Literacy Summit at King Campus.

More than 80 local professionals, students and faculty attended to discuss promotion of physical literacy in children and youth. Professor Dean Kriellaars from the University of Manitoba was the keynote speaker.

Fitness and Health Promotion students recently volunteered at RBC Training Ground's regional qualifiers in Milton, where they met Paralympian Tyler McGregor and Olympian Michelle Williams. A funding program committed to uncovering and supporting athletes with Olympic potential, students were guided by professor Sandra Da Rocha to assess athletes for future RBC Training Ground support.

Known for his work as a fitness entrepreneur, published author and motivational speaker, Rod Macdonald recently visited Fitness and Health Promotion students for a counselling and communications class. The CEO of Certified Coaches Federation (CCF), Macdonald spoke to students about career development and personal branding.

On 8 November 2018, students from the Recreation & Leisure Services program took part in a ‘High Five for Sport’ professional certification course at King Campus. This 5-hour hands-on training package is designed for coaching in a club/organization and prepares the students to understand the social, emotional, and cognitive development and wellbeing of athletes. Thank you to Seneca Alumni for supporting student access to this qualification.

October 2018, students from Fitness and Health Promotion program with Professor Sandra Da Rocha participated in the PARALYMPIAN SEARCH hosted by the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. This one-day event is designed to test athletes aptitudes to excel in various Paralympic sports, and maybe one day represent Canada at the Paralympic Games. Pictured are Jeff Louie (Canadian Sport Institute Ontario) and FHP students Alisha Payne, Shane Mosoff, Denzel Perez, and Maria Padolina. 

April 2022: Students from the Environmental Landscape Management took part in a field trip to Claireville Conservation Area for a planting session with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

Fall 2022: Thanks to a donation from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) and WWF-Canada’s Go Wild School Grant program, a new forest garden at Seneca's King Campus will be grown and will help with experiential learning and with countering food insecurities for our students. These projects are being led by Environmental Landscape Management (EVL) students working with volunteers from across the college.

September – November 2020: Environmental Landscape Management students volunteered to help the environment through socially distanced planting at Cold Creek Conservation with our partners from King Environmental Stewardship and Toronto Conservation Authority.

Environmental Landscape Management students can now harvest plants from an aquaponics system in the greenhouse at King Campus. Thanks to industry experts, Ripple Farms and Green Relief, students are able to gather a harvest of herbs regardless of weather. Students from the program have also worked on various installations across the campus and in maintaining landscapes at King.

From Oct. 24 to 26, 2019, a team of students from the Environmental Landscaping Management program participated in a three-day charrette in Kingston, Ont., organized by Come Alive Outside. This annual design challenge creates an opportunity for postsecondary students to work with landscape professionals to design and build natural schoolyards and play-spaces for communities. Through the generous support of the event organizers and sponsors (Unilock, Landscape Ontario, Wentworth Landscapes, Gelderman Landscape and Brydges Landscape Architecture), the program was free to the Seneca team including the cost of travel and lodging. Thank you to all who took part in this event and to the generous sponsors.

On 27^th March 2019, the Environmental Landscape Management students provided a Maple Syrup Production Demonstration in the Sugar Shack, King Campus.  This activity demonstrated how to make sustainable use of local resources at King campus to create maple products for the community.