Juan Mavo Navarro’s goal is to improve the learner experience, and teach others how to do the same. Juan, who teaches our Foundations of Instructional Design course, has a background in computer science, coding, and developing programs. A native of Venezuela, he fell in love with developing educational materials and computer-based training early in his career. Determined to share this love with others, he taught for over 12 years at the undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. level. “My work goes beyond just designing programs” he says. “I incorporate needs assessments and strategic planning to make online learning a more intuitive and interactive experience.”

Upon coming to Canada in 2012, Juan chose SCS to enhance his skills, earning certificates in eLearning and Project Management. In 2016, he began working at SCS as a Learning Technology Specialist, designing and developing our interactive courses. A year later, Juan began teaching our Learning Design program. “What I love about teaching at SCS is that my learners are practitioners who come from diverse backgrounds. It’s an interconnected virtual learning experience, where everyone is learning not just from me, but from one another” says Juan. “I end up learning from them too!”

Juan says a big part of his teaching focuses on helping learners find effective ways to implement best practices in their work. “I provide guidance on how to overcome organizational barriers” he says. “I share tips on how to sell an idea, deal with pushback, and communicate effectively with stakeholders.” After a course ends, Juan often receives emails from learners seeking further advice, or reporting their success. “SCS learners know that the journey does not end once you get a degree. They aren’t just learning for their job, they are choosing to learn because it makes them better.”

According to Juan, online learning is critical in our busy, digital world because it provides flexibility and allows people to learn on-demand. “In the future, we need to focus on learner-centric design” he says. “We need to find new and exciting content that truly resonates with learners.”

Despite his busy work and teaching schedule, Juan believes in balance and putting your priorities first. “My top priority is my family” he says. “I keep a schedule and set boundaries. No matter how much I have going on in my life, I do not sacrifice the things that mean the most to me. My daughter’s Christmas concert or dinner with my wife; these are real appointments that I refuse to cancel or reschedule. For me, that’s real balance.”

Mandarin language instructor Efraim Klamph recently received an SCS Excellence in Teaching Award. This honour highlights Efraim’s flexible and creative instruction style, his responsiveness to diverse learner needs, and his deep passion for language instruction.

Efraim has lived in China for an extended period of travel, study, and work. In China and in Canada, he is devoted to combining his passion for the Chinese language and culture with his enthusiasm for education. As a non-native speaker, Efraim possesses first-hand experience of his students' learning process, and he is interested in sharing learning strategies and resources gained through his own development. He has a Master's degree in Education, and he has also taught English as a Foreign Language. Efraim has participated in a number of Chinese proficiency and talent competitions locally and internationally.

His personal experiences and learning insights allow Efraim to teach a variety of levels within our Conversational Languages: Chinese (Mandarin) Certificate. Throughout his courses, learners develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in Mandarin. By teaching the world's most spoken language, Efraim’s courses enable learners to enjoy travel, and show goodwill when meeting people in business or other social settings.

SCS: Why did you decide to explore poetry writing at SCS?

ECS: I used to write poetry back when I was younger, but hadn’t in years. Recently, I became interested in creative writing again, and wanted to find ways to stretch my abilities. As a journalist, I write every day for work, but I wanted to push myself as a writer and shake up my brain a bit … do something outside my comfort zone.

Last summer I was home visiting family in Toronto, and decided to participate in a SCS Summer Writing School intensive five-day workshop. It seemed like a great way to learn while on vacation, and I was familiar with the work of the instructor, Ken Babstock. I wanted to learn from him, and felt it would be a good way to get immersed in a new type of writing, put my head in a different space, and push myself. The workshop got me in the habit of creative writing. When I returned to South Africa, I was writing every day, and reading more poetry. In spring of this year, I wrote After Mining.

SCS: Your poems, After Mining, portray a brutal and vivid portrait of the mining industry in South Africa. What was your inspiration?

ECS: I’ve reported on the mining industry over the years. As a journalist, you’re always trying to tell a story in the most accurate way, to communicate clearly. For this work, I drew from my reporting, but treated it in a really different way, bringing creativity to the page.

Mining has been so fundamental to the South African experience. I wanted to explore how things are changing as the industry wanes. Through my reporting, I have been down one of the deepest mine shafts in the world; I’ve interviewed former miners whose health was ruined from working in unsafe conditions. I tried to bring some of that imagery to the poems. Mining is losing its importance to the South African economy, and I wanted to reflect on the deep impact it has had while also looking forward.

SCS: How has winning this award influenced your creative writing future?

ECS: It’s the first time I’ve ever submitted my poetry work to a competition (or anywhere, for that matter), and I wasn’t expecting to win! It’s been a motivating force to keep writing, keep submitting.

SCS: Any advice for aspiring writers?

ECS: I was so intimidated by my first Summer Writing School workshop. I’m used to my journalistic writing being read and shared, but this was in a creative space so I felt more vulnerable. But I found it to be a really positive place to share my ideas, and I felt very comfortable. My classmates and instructors gave really thoughtful and constructive feedback. It was a great experience, so my advice would be to push past your fear and go for it.

Else Grech, who teaches Accounting: The Fundamentals, and Business Ethics, recently received our Excellence in Online Teaching Award. She was nominated by her learners for her outstanding instructional presence, her ability to create an inclusive digital learning environment, and her talent for encouraging meaningful online interaction.

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Else is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and a member in good standing at the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. A graduate of the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Commerce program, Else has worked in a wide range of senior accounting positions, as well as in recruitment, publishing, and retail web sales. She has taught continuing education courses in-class since 1998, and online since 2003. Else completed her Bachelor of Education in 2007, and is an Ontario Certificated Teacher (primary).  In 2013, she completed her Master’s in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE).  Else plans to continue her studies in the near future in order to obtain her Ph.D. in Education at OISE. 

One of the courses she instructs, Accounting: The Fundamentals, grounds learners in the basics of financial accounting. Else begins by sharing an introduction to basic financial statements, then moves through the accounting cycle and the notion of debit and credit. Learners end the course knowing what questions to ask about a company's financial statements and how to make better business decisions based on sound analysis.

Else is also passionate about instructing Business Ethics, teaching learners that ethics and communication are central to the credibility of those who analyze financial information for employers, clients, and other financial users. She introduces the CPA’s Advanced Certificate in Accounting and Finance (ACAF) Method, which is a road map learners can use to navigate accounting and finance problems.

Originally from California, Leslie lived in England for many years before settling in Toronto. She is a medical anthropologist, and a research associate in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto.

Her prize-winning short story, Natalie, Happy, follows the life of a Canadian anthropologist named Natalie who lives in a fictional town in northern England. The story revolves around her marriage to a man named Erik, a fellow anthropologist from Zimbabwe, and their journey toward building a family and their careers.  Natalie, Happy explores the meanings and challenges of being a mother, a woman, a wife, and an academic.

Leslie sat down with SCS to discuss her story inspiration and passion for creative writing.

SCS: What inspired you to take Creative Writing at SCS?

LC: I loved creative writing when I was younger. When my family moved to Toronto nine years ago, I was struggling to finish a paper I was writing, and at the same time felt overwhelmed by the task of keeping all my friends and family in England up-to-date on my new life in Toronto. A friend suggested I start a blog to keep everyone updated on my new adventures, which inspired me to explore fun ways to reinvigorate my writing.  I took a class at SCS and got hooked, and just this year completed my Certificate in Creative Writing.

SCS: What was your inspiration for this story?

LC: Natalie, Happy wasn’t inspired by one particular event. It’s an amalgamation of many stories and people I have known throughout my life, mixed with my own original ideas and twists. It’s also the product of my personal interrogations of motherhood, professionalism, marriage, and family.

SCS: How has winning this award influenced your creative writing future?

LC: It’s still so fresh, but it’s wonderful. I’d entered other stories in this competition in the past, and had been a runner up more than once. It was becoming an ‘always a bridesmaid, never a bride’ situation, so winning was really special. I’m inspired to carry on writing and taking courses at SCS.

SCS: Any advice for aspiring writers?

LC: I would highly recommend the SCS Creative Writing program; there’s really something for everyone here. Classes are flexible, so you can learn in-person or online (which I chose to do in the dead of winter to avoid the cold)! I also suggest finding a writing community. Being an author isn’t just about learning the practical aspects of writing, but finding a community and becoming part of a conversation around writing, reading, and creative possibilities.

Dave Jailal, who teaches Financial Management at SCS, recently received an Excellence in Teaching Award. Learners were inspired by his love of instruction and mentorship, and nominated Dave for his industry expertise and use of tangible, real-world examples to highlight and explore course content.

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Dave is currently a Director in the Banking Supervision area at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), and a part-time post-secondary instructor. He has over 19 years of experience in progressively responsible roles within the financial services industry, ranging from external auditor to bank supervisor. He has been an instructor for the last 10 years with a specialization in Accounting, Corporate Finance, and Auditing courses. At OSFI, he leads a team of bank supervisors involved in the assessment of risks, governance, and risk mitigation processes for a portfolio of 21 financial institutions. Dave holds an Executive MBA degree, with distinction, from Ivey Business School at Western University, a Chartered Professional Accountant designation, and a Chartered Investment Manager designation.

He has a strong interest in mentorship, and is inspired by the commitment of his Financial Management learners. In his course, Dave introduces learners to the principles of finance and their application. He explores topics such as the time value of money, valuation of financial securities, capital budgeting, determining appropriate discount rates, and short- and long-term financing.

Gabriel Musso is the recent recipient of our Outstanding New Instructor Award. Learners in his course, Statistics for Data Science, nominated Gabriel for his ability to tailor challenging content, and meet the needs of diverse learning styles. His talent for teaching innovative, adaptive, and current material, while being highly accessible to his learners, earned him this exciting honour.

As Chief Scientific Officer at BioSymetrics Inc., Gabriel is focused on growing the company’s AI platform and applying it in the areas of genomics, drug discovery, imaging, and clinical diagnosis. Prior to joining BioSymetrics, Gabriel was a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School where his work focused on using machine learning frameworks to predict gene and small molecule function, and identification of disease-causal genes using large-scale genomic datasets. Gabriel received his PhD in Molecular Genetics and Computational Biology from the University of Toronto (U of T). He also received his Master of Science and undergraduate degrees from U of T.

Gabriel is passionate about teaching data science at SCS. In his course, learners explore probability and descriptive statistics, and cover data analysis from both a classical and contemporary viewpoint while learning how to extract insight from datasets. The course content also covers part of the body of knowledge of INFORMS’ Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification.

People of the jury, we have an exciting update to share.

If you are looking to gain a solid introduction to the Canadian legal system, we offer an online, self-directed course that will guide your bold first steps into the world of legal thinking and analysis.  Introduction to Legal Principles, Thinking and Reasoning delves deep into four groundbreaking cases.  Exploration and discussion will help you understand why certain decisions were reached. You will complete hands-on projects, such as preparing case briefs, while completing quizzes to ensure comprehension of all course materials.

Introduction to Legal Principles, Thinking and Reasoning illuminates how past decisions influence future cases, and prepares you for your next steps-whether that be sitting an exam, or incorporating your new understanding of legal frameworks into your daily work. Prepared and delivered by leading academics from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, the course materials are relevant and thought-provoking, enhancing your ability to read, analyze, and effectively brief legal cases.

Moving through modules at your own pace, you have three months to complete all course materials, but are welcome to expedite your learning if you prefer. Our fully online course allows you to learn where and when it best suits your busy schedule.

This flexible course isn’t just for aspiring law students. Business professionals who directly or indirectly deal with legal matters, entrepreneurs, and internationally educated professionals can all benefit from learning the foundations of our legal system. Our dynamic instructors, Anthony Niblett and Yasmin Dawood, offer perfect examples of the interdisciplinary nature of law. While both are highly accomplished Canada Research Chairs, they leverage their legal skills in a variety of unique ways. Anthony is an entrepreneur whose work brings together dig data, law and economics, contract law, and judicial behaviour. His start-up company, Blue J Legal, proves that law and creative potential go hand-in-hand. Yasmin, an expert in election law, has shared her legal savvy with the media, and has even testified as an expert before Parliamentary House Committees; her legal knowledge allows her to stand at the forefront of important public issues in Canada.

A new offering of this course is offered every month with our next course starting August 1! If you need further evidence, click here to learn more.

Also, check out this short video to meet our instructors and further explore this exciting opportunity.

When Ana Fukushima came to Canada in 2016, she immediately began pursuing her Cyber Security Management Certificate at SCS. “When we decided to relocate to Canada, I began researching opportunities to enhance my skills and gain a certification in my field, information security” says Ana. Her first goal was to become a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). “I knew the CISM certification would increase my employability” says Ana. “The certificate at SCS is aligned with the CISM curriculum, so it was the perfect way to upgrade my skills, earn a certificate, and prepare for the CISM exam all at the same time.”

While the certificate definitely helped Ana prepare, she found networking with her peers and instructors to be the most valuable aspect of her experience at SCS. “I am in touch with many of my classmates and instructors to this day. Our relationship didn’t end when the courses ended. We reach out to one another with questions and job opportunities” she says. “Being new to the Canadian job market, this was invaluable.”

Within six months of completing her certificate, Ana earned her CISM certification. In the meantime, she was hired by eHealth Ontario in cyber security operations. Six months after that, she earned her Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Today, she is a Senior IT Security Consultant with eHealth Ontario.

Ana really connected with her instructors, and stayed in touch with Carlos Chalico, who is Director of Membership at ISACA, the global professional association that issues the CISM certification. “Carlos encouraged me to volunteer with ISACA, mentoring newcomers and young professionals” Ana reflects. “It felt great to give back while expanding my network.”

Reflecting on the future of the cyber security industry, Ana thinks that increased public awareness around security is an important step forward. “With all the recent security breaches we have seen, people are taking data security more seriously” she says. “This shift in public perception will open doors, allowing us to improve policies and procedures in the future.”

$1000 Winner: Erin Conway-Smith for After Mining

Erin Conway-Smith is a journalist reporting on southern Africa for The Economist, and other publications. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she has lived in Johannesburg since 2009. She was previously based in Beijing. Her reporting has appeared in publications such as The Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and The Independent.

Juror’s citation:
The poems in After Mining collide to create a vivid and devastating portrait of the mining industries in South Africa. The poet re-visions the extracted and stripped landscape and the people who live there using bold and dynamic language of place and identity. In these poems fracture reigns, and both land and language are opened up in ways that are brutal and necessary to read. 

-Hazel Millar, Co-Publisher, Book*hug Press

$500 Winner: Melany Franklin for Triptych

Melany Franklin is a former Bay Street litigator, now part-time lawyer with the YMCA of Greater Toronto. She is writing her first novel, thanks in no small part to Dennis Bock’s Novel Writing Workshop at SCS, and ongoing encouragement from her writing groups, the Sceniuses, the Ladies of Balmoral, and Stillpoint writers. Melany is currently adjunct faculty to Osgoode Law School’s Certificate in Human Rights: Theory and Practice, and previously taught labour and employment law at Woodsworth College, University of Toronto. Melany has been published in the Law Society’s Special Lectures Series (2013) and her high school year book. Her absolute favourite poem is Gwendolyn MacEwen’s Sunlight at Sherbourne & Bloor.

Juror’s citation:
In her Triptych of poems, Melany Franklin demonstrates a light touch; her images are unhurried and yet precise, a ‘gentle tumble’ of perceptions that manage, very quietly, to dramatize grief. No mean accomplishment, that these pieces hold the darkness so softly, like a sleeping bird in hand.

               -John O’Neill, poet

$500 Winner: Jane Macdonald for Bread Creek Runs Under Our Village and Other Poems

Jane Macdonald lived in California for fifteen years, where she was a student of the poet Ellen Bass, and where she was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest under her teacher, poet Angie Boissevain. Jane has participated in workshops with Marie Howe, Sharon Olds, Jane Hirshfield, Tony Hoagland, Dorianne Laux, Frank Gaspar, and Mark Doty. In 2009, Jane returned to Canada, where she now lives in Prince Edward County and is enrolled in the Poetry Certificate Program at SCS. 

Juror’s citation:
This collection of poetry vibrantly captures the idyllic life of sound and shape, of animals and family, air and water. Macdonald expertly uses concrete language and imagery to hold both the universal and the local on the page. Swift and subtle in their immersive nature, these poems highlight the smallest moments to paint a pastoral community in words, excellent to the ear and eye.

                -Terese Mason Pierre, poet

Finalists for the Penguin Random House Canada Student Award for Fiction 2019

Established in 2002 Value: $2,500, plus two finalist awards of $1,000 each annually

This generous award supports emerging writers (learners) taking Creative Writing courses at SCS. The competition for this endowed award is open to all creative writing learners who have taken a course in the previous year. Winners and Honourable Mentions will be announced in August! Here is a list of the finalists and the title of their entry.

Leslie Carlin, Natalie Happy

Diana Catargiu, Saint

Stephanie Cesca, Dotted Lines

Sheila Chapman, Departure Lounge

Suzanne Dugard, The Book of How Things Used to Be

Laurie Elmquist, Max the Drag Queen

Stephanie Mark, Animal Intelligence

Pratheesh Nair, The Signalman

Sherman Snukel, Behind the Miracle Bakery

Benno Tutter, Boxes

Finalists for the Marina Nemat Award 2019

Established in 2008 Value: up to two awards of $1,000 annually 

Thanks in part to the generosity of writer Marina Nemat, this award is given each year to the most outstanding Final Project of a Creative Writing Certificate student. Winners are chosen by a panel of Canadian publishing-industry professionals.  Winner(s) will be announced in late August! Until then, here is a list of finalists and the title of their entry.

Logan Broeckaert, Boyish And Other Stories About Home

Leslie Carlin, The Richley Chronicles

Kathleen Kampeas-Rittenhouse, 2200 Avenue Ste. Gertrude

Catherine Taman, Life Without Limbs

"My whole writing career is based on making lemonade out of lemons” says Ariel Ng Bourbonnais. At 33, after losing her first pregnancy at 8 weeks, Ariel was diagnosed with Low AMH, meaning she had a low egg reserve for her age. To process her shock and pain, Ariel turned to writing. “I had heard that writing about your feelings could help. Next thing I knew, I was hooked” she says. While completing her Certificate in Creative Writing, Ariel wrote about her personal experience; she found it cathartic to shed light on infertility issues, which afect approximately 16% of Canadians trying to conceive, according to government statistics.

Ariel’s instructor and mentor, author Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, played an important role in her writing, guiding her and providing an interesting male perspective on infertility. Meanwhile, Ariel and two friends co-founded The 16 Percent, an online community dedicated to providing a safe space for couples and individuals to share their infertility and pregnancy loss stories. “I realized how much hearing other people’s stories of loss and courage helped me heal, and inspired my writing” says Ariel, who recently published a book of essays with her co-founders titled Through, Not Around: Stories of Infertility and Pregnancy Loss.

“I wouldn’t have been able to edit a collection of essays without taking the creative writing courses at SCS. They taught me how to present and edit my work, incorporate feedback into my writing, critique others’ writing, and provide feedback” says Ariel. She also credits her Certificate in Project Management, which she obtained prior to her Certificate in Creative Writing, for helping keep her writing schedule and content planning on track. “My project management abilities helped me manage my time better, and break my writing into steps. This allowed me to write over 50,000 words within a year while working full time.”

Looking towards the future, Ariel has big plans. She is writing (and aims to publish) a personal memoir, and plans to take our Non-Profit Leadership for Impact Certificate to help her grow The 16 Percent. “I would like to develop a web series about infertility to be shared Canada-wide” she says. “Learning at SCS has sparked my creativity and there’s no turning back.” Ariel is however giving back; all proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network based out of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.