Development
Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy Development
As part of U of T’s Faculty of Medicine, the Department of Occupational Sciences and Occupational Therapy’s students have access to the most extensive network of academic clinical centres and community organizations available in North America, as well as state of the art teaching and research facilities. With your support, we will continue to achieve excellence and produce innovative professionals and academic leaders who are advancing the practice of rehabilitation science and improving the health and well-being of individuals, families, workplaces, and communities across the world.
Visit our online donation page to give to the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Fund. This fund is used to support students through bursaries and scholarships, to fund travel for national and international conferences, and to support clinical placements and the advancement of new techniques and methods in educational programs. Below are some examples of the various ways alumni have given back to students in the department. Be sure to visit this page again soon, as stories will be included about the award recipients.
Thank you for supporting OS&OT!
Alumni Giving Back
Our alumni have been very generous in not only sharing their time, knowledge, and expertise with our students and our MScOT program by teaching, mentoring, becoming clinical preceptors, and working on committees and research, they also give generously to establish teaching materials and spaces, plus awards and scholarships to support our students and the program.
Types of Awards Established by Alumni and Their Families
In Honour Giving
Example: The Colleen Tate Memorial Bursary
Wanting to do something positive following the tragic death of their daughter, Occupational Therapy student Colleen Tate, in a car accident in 1993, Bob and Lorraine Tate established the Colleen Tate Memorial Bursary in her honour. Ongoing support of this Bursary provides support to outstanding students in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy who are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities, both locally and globally. In creating this Memorial Bursary in honour of their daughter, the Tates continue to have a positive impact on the health of people around the world.
What it meant to receive the Colleen Tate Memorial Award (Views from a former student)
Sandy Spence (MscOT ’12) was the recipient of the Colleen Tate Memorial Award in 2011. The Colleen Tate Memorial Award is presented annually to a first-year occupational therapy student nominated by his or her peers. Sandy expressed that she felt honoured and supported by her classmates to receive this award. The financial support received with the award was also helpful, as it can be challenging to hold even a part-time job during the intensive 24-month full-time Master’s program.
Sandy remains mindful about the Colleen Tate Memorial Award to this day, and has maintained a connection with Bob and Lorraine Tate. She and the Tates have kept in contact with updates about her career and OT experiences. Sandy is thankful for the Tates’ support and she is honoured to have received an award that commemorates Colleen – a wonderful young woman and student.
Class Giving
One example of Class Giving: the Occupational Therapy Class of ’51, led by Mary Louise Griffiths, contacted the Department in 2014 to make a ‘Class Gift’ in honour of classmate Beryl Blakely. Collectively, the gifts from this Class will be dedicated to an award for an Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy student who has an interest in pediatrics. According to one classmate: “Beryl has devoted much time and effort over the last 60 years organizing our yearly class reunions as well as keeping track of where each of us is and what we are doing.”
To enquire about making a Class gift or establishing a fund in memory or honour of a loved one, please contact Michelle Fong, Senior Development Officer, at 416-529-8500 or michelley.fong@utoronto.ca.
A list of all student awards can be found here.