CityLAB Semester In Residence
Overview
Offered each fall semester, CityLAB Semester in Residence is a 15-unit course designed for passionate, motivated, and enthusiastic students. If you want to learn from the community, apply your studies to make change, and expand your personal and professional networks, then this is the course for you!
Students and staff from the City of Hamilton co-create and design an innovative real-world project to address the problem, gaining valuable insight and data that can be shared and potentially scaled up. Students in any faculty from McMaster are welcome to apply.
CityLAB Semester in Residence Courses
CMTYENGA 4A06 and CMTYENGA 4A09 are co-requisite courses which means they run at the same time. You must take both courses to participate in CityLAB Semester in Residence.
CMTYENGA 4A06 - Design and Dialogue Inquiry
CityLAB Semester in Residence is a project-based experiential program where students work in interdisciplinary teams mentored by staff from the City of Hamilton and local community organizations, as well as course instructors, to address real challenges affecting communities in Hamilton. CMTYENGA 4A06 is one of the two mandatory courses part of CityLAB SIR.
Using an inquiry model and drawing on an associated city-identified challenge, this course develops disciplinary capabilities in design thinking and dialogue to promote effective change-making. Below are examples of questions explored in both the design and dialogue sections of this course.
Design:
- How can we construct a physically accessible city?
- What is the value of community assets, such as sports stadiums or public parks, from an economic, social or health perspective?
- How can we design cities to address the ongoing housing crises?
Dialogue:
- How can we develop cultural humility?
- How can we establish trust, and create spaces for effective discourse?
- What are the best practices for engaging in public communication to reach underrepresented groups?
Six hours; One term
Co-requisite(s): CMTYENGA 4A09
Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level III or IV.
CMTYENGA 4A09 - Applied Project Experience
CityLAB Semester in Residence is a project-based experiential program where students work in interdisciplinary teams mentored by staff from the City of Hamilton and local community organizations, as well as course instructors, to address real challenges affecting communities in Hamilton. CMTYENGA 4A09 is one of the two mandatory courses part of CityLAB SIR.
Using an inquiry model and drawing on an associated city-identified challenge, this course develops disciplinary capabilities in project management to promote effective change-making. Below are examples of questions explored in this course:
- How can we effectively plan and execute significant community building or city planning projects?
- How can we build relationships and engage with stakeholders to prioritize reciprocity and equity in change-making initiatives?
- How do we create room for differing views in team settings?
Six hours; One term
Co-requisite(s): CMTYENGA 4A06
Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level III or IV
Course Outlines Learn More
Semester at CityLAB is composed of both CMTYENGA 4A06 – Design and Dialogue Inquiry and CMTYENGA 4A09 – Applied Project Experience. Both courses must be taken as co-requisites.
Semester in Residence Resources
Apply for CityLAB SIR Apply Now
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Round One Applications are due 11:59PM on May 16, 2022 and acceptance will be determined soon after.
Frequently Asked Questions Download PDF
Read our Frequently Asked Questions here. If you have additional questions, email Randy Kay, Outreach Director for Semester in Residence at kayrl@mcmaster.ca.
Week in the Life Magazine Read the magazine
Check out our CityLAB Ambassadors “A Week in the Life of an SIR Student” magazine.
Our fantastic CityLAB Ambassadors, Maleka El Naghi and Amandeep Saini, have created an online magazine that takes you through a week in the life of our Semester in Residence students: from classes to a visit to Tim Hortons Field to student testimonials, this magazine can help you decide if taking CityLAB Semester in Residence could be the right move for you!
Final Project Reports Learn More
CityLAB projects have focused on climate change resilience, sustainable and inclusive communities, public engagement and connection during COVID-19, and community art, among many other themes and challenges in Hamilton.
Contact Us Contact Us
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Reach out to us and we’d be happy to help!
Navigation Groups
A special podcast brought to you by CityLAB Semester In Residence students. We talk about current issues in the City of Hamilton, global issues and bring experts from a variety of fields to discuss these issues and solutions.
CityLAB works with city staff members to identify complex challenges related to the theme areas of Healthy Neighbourhoods, Climate Change, and Municipal Excellence, and matches them with faculty and courses from Hamilton’s three post-secondary institutions: Mohawk College, McMaster University, and Redeemer University College.