GOING GLOBAL
University of Toronto Schools put students on the world stage
The poster of the sharply dressed debate team from another era caught Armin Safavi-Naini’s eye as he wandered the halls of University of Toronto Schools during a recent orientation day. Safavi-Naini passed the poster and continued his visit to what would become his school for the next six years. But the seemingly random moment had sparked an interest that led the now-Grade-12 student to a spot on the UTS debate team and the opportunity to pursue his passion on a world stage.
“I literally stumbled upon that picture which I now walk by every day and still notice sometimes,” says Safavi-Naini, who most recently helped the UTS debate team take top spot at this summer’s Heart of Europe debating tournament in the Czech Republic, which included 40 international teams. “It reminds me that there’s so much UTS offers and the only limit is what you are willing to do to harness your interests.”
An independent secondary school today, when UTS was founded by the University of Toronto (U of T) in 1910, it was a laboratory school for teachers in training. In 2004, it became an ancillary unit of U of T, separate from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and formed its own board of directors representing alumni, parents and the university administration. UTS offers merit-based, needs-blind admission with available bursary support, which makes it financially accessible.
Last December, UTS and U of T renewed its affiliation agreement, which will see UTS remain at, and redevelop, its current Bloor Street West location to create a state-of-theart and environmentally responsible learning facility.
Rosemary Evans, principal at UTS, says that while the school’s history makes it unique, its focus on ensuring students such as Safavi-Naini are supported in their interests sets it apart from other secondary institutions.
“Students have the opportunity to distinguish themselves in many areas and our staff is able to support them in competing globally,” she says. “This helps students to set personal targets for achievement that reflect global standards and ensures they can make an impact.”
Her assessment is bolstered by the generations of UTS alumni in the ranks of the country’s leaders across fields that include politics, academia, science, the arts, business and medicine. The school has produced 55 Order of Canada recipients, 20 Rhodes scholars, 15 Olympians and two Nobel laureates.
Amanda Morin, another UTS student who has had the opportunity to represent the school and the province on an international scale, will join that alumni network when she graduates next year. The Grade 12 student is a member of the UTS Envirothon team, which this summer won the 2016 North American Envirothon after claiming first place at the Provincial Envirothon Championship for the third consecutive year. The competition involves a series of challenges that test students’ skills and knowledge of environmental topics.
Morin says her involvement has deepened her interest in the environment and equipped her with essential skills that she is able to employ in her academic and personal life.
“I think this team gave me more life skills than others might because it has a group aspect,” she says. “There are various skill and mind sets you have to be able to work with, and I learned how to talk to people when they are really stressed out and how to help them utilize their skills. It also helped me with public speaking and making my point clearly and effectively, which is always useful.”
Safavi-Naini — who, along with two other UTS students, is also a member of Canada’s national debate team (the first time three students from the same school have qualified for the team at the same time) — has a similar take on his experience.
“Debate literally changed my life,” he says. “It not only forces you to think critically and speak clearly but we are all becoming more knowledgeable individuals and as a result, more responsible.”
He cites the Heart of Europe tournament as an example: “Our last debate was about whether EU nations should remove restrictions on former colonies. We were arguing that they should and there were countries there that are former colonies. So you quickly learn when you are debating, it is bigger than a debate because these are real issues that affect real people.”
And while enriching students’ lives through global opportunities is one of its top priorities, Evans says UTS takes it one step further with its strong dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We are committed to having as much access as we can across the socioeconomic spectrum,” she says. “Our bursary support ranges from five to 100 per cent coverage. And if a student qualifies for an international opportunity, the school will cover the same percentage of the opportunity as the student’s bursary coverage.
“We want any student who comes to UTS to feel like part of the community and have a lifechanging experience.”
“The school has produced 55 Order of Canada recipients, 20 Rhodes scholars, 15 Olympians and two Nobel laureates.”