Community Through Creativity: College of Arts to Host Culture and Technology Studies Workshop on Take Our Kids to Work Day

On November 6, the University of Guelph will participate in Ontario's Take Our Kids to Work program. This annual event allows Grade 9 students from local school boards to shadow their parents at work, offering them a glimpse into various careers and work environments.

As part of this initiative, the College of Arts will be hosting an interactive workshop on November 6 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. in The Humanities Interdisciplinary Collaboration (THINC) Lab in the McLaughlin Library. The workshop, led by Dr. Kimberley Martin, assistant professor in the Department of History, will give students a hands-on introduction to zine-making, an activity that involves creating small, handmade magazines that are rooted in feminism and social justice movements.

The Fine Details

During the workshop, 10 Grade 9 students will collaborate with CTS students and faculty and have opportunities to bring their unique perspectives to their mini-magazines and choose any topic they feel passionately about as the creative focal point.

Throughout the workshop, participants will also have opportunities to express their thoughts on critical cultural issues through the zines they create while learning about the Culture and Technology Studies (CTS) program and experiencing first-hand the strong sense of community within the College. This workshop will contribute to bridging the gap between high school and University by encouraging critical thinking and academic and artistic exploration for future thinkers and creators.

Learning Key Cultural Concepts

As part of the workshop, CTS students will guide Grade 9 students through key concepts from the CTS 1000: Keywords in Culture and Technology course. Topics such as Power, Race, Data and Gender will inspire zine themes. Throughout this collaboration, CTS students will share insights from their studies, encouraging thoughtful discussions and helping Grade 9 students connect these concepts with their own experiences.