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Customized Training

IDI’s capacity-building activities develop and strengthen the skills, abilities, processes and resources that an organization needs to sustain the change brought on by development initiatives. IDI embeds capacity building within its projects for all appropriate audiences, from public officials and senior leadership to grassroots and community members with training and modules tailored to the need of the partner and project. The goal of all capacity-building activities is to ensure a sustainable transformation that goes beyond the time limitations of projects and focuses on changing mindsets alongside skills.

International Development in the Classroom 2021

Clarisse Estebar, IDI’s International Development Project Lead, conducted a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Simulation as part of Professor Susan’s Murray course, Media for Social Change, for the Bachelor of Film and Media Production Program. The program focused on combining theory and practice in videography, post-production, editing, cinematography, storytelling techniques and more to prepare students for a career in media. Murray invited Estebar to conduct the simulation to use the SDGs as a framework to teach the course. Students were introduced to the SDGs in a two-part training session. The first part featured an overview of the SDGs and how they relate to the world, and the second was the game. The students used their newfound knowledge of the SDGs to create short films focused on a particular SDG and how they can be applied to everyday life.

Nalini Andrade, Director IDI, led the “Careers in international development” course under the International Development Graduate Certificate program in 2019-20 and 2021-22. The course provided the students with an orientation to the different paths in the international development sector, and guidance on applying for jobs in the sector in a Canadian context. The course features guest speakers from different organizations and subject matter expertise, providing the students first-hand knowledge of roles in international development.


Monitoring and Evaluation 2019

The M&E course, organized in summer 2019, was open to the general public and provided an overview of monitoring and evaluation practice (M&E). Through a series of modules, it introduced a toolbox of techniques and explained where these could be best applied using practical strategies and case studies. The course presented M&E as critical and integral to all policy, project, or program development stages. It explained how M&E contributes to monitoring performance, results and measuring performance.

Group photo of the people who attended the M&E Course


Management and Operationalization Development of Science Techno Parks 2019

In November 2019, IDI hosted a two-week training and applied learning program on the Management and Operationalization Development of Science Techno Parks (STP) for a delegation of the Indonesian Directorate of Science and Technology in the Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education (MoRTHE). There were seven participants, including STP Directors, Managers, and Managers of STP’s Development Section (Government representatives).

The first week of the training took place at Humber. The second week of the training included industrial visits with hands-on practice for applied methods. These visits helped participants learn more about the operation and management of technoparks, the policies around them, the technoparks' institutional and business model, and the relevance of identifying stakeholders throughout the planning and management process.

Student getting hands on training


SDG Training 2018

In November 2018, IDI organized a workshop on the SDGs for the Beyond Borders class and their application in various contexts. Beyond Borders, a program under the Upper Grand District School Board, introduced a new course about the SDGs. The desired learning outcomes are leadership development, future career planning and experiential learning.

Group of people watching a workshop presentation

Internationalization at Home

International Development Week (IDW)

Since 1991, International Development Week (IDW) has highlighted the international development contributions Canadians and citizens abroad have been making through partnerships globally. The tradition involved hundreds of activities around the world to advance the United Nation’s SDGs to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all.

International Development Week 2023

The International Development Fair, hosted by Humber College’s International Development Institute (IDI) engaged with Humber’s community (students, faculty and staff) and external parties interested in international development to raise awareness of IDI, Humber’s growing development projects portfolio and share how Humber College contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

a person looking at a phone by a food booth

a group of women standing next to the Humber Global Booth


International Development Week 2022

After three years of no in-person events, IDI created an IDW digital media campaign. The campaign promoted IDI’s global work to improve the quality of education, adapt gender equity and environmental awareness in institutions, and create valuable partnerships with Canadian and international stakeholders. Interested audience members were able to interact and engage with the material to learn more about IDI and how international development impacts across a variety of sectors.


International Development Week 2020

Contributing to the United Nation’s (UN) theme #GoForTheGoals, IDI’s event revolved around gender equality. Through a collaboration between IDI, the Bhutan Canada Foundation (BCF) and World Vision, the theme “Gender Equality through Disruption: Innovation as a Way Forward,” brought a diverse group of speakers to learn and ideate on key topics such as sexual reproductive rights, domestic violence, gender and governance, maternal, newborn and child health, innovation, art and storytelling.

Q&A with panel (Left to right: Abena Thomas (moderator), Shakila Zareen, Interpreter for Shakila, Kent Schroeder, Zanubia Mohammed-Husein)

Group of people on stage talking


International Development Week 2019

IDW 2019 consisted of different events to bring about collaboration, awareness and knowledge generation. Some activities were catered to Humber’s community, specifically while others were open to the general public. Participants learned about the current issues surrounding international development, learned about IDI and the various ways one can engage in international development at Humber College.


World Café: Engaging in International Development at Humber College

Humber faculty and staff were invited to discuss ideas and build partnerships to address complex global challenges. This event introduced the International Development Institute (IDI) as well as opportunities to engage in international development work through Humber. It included roundtable discussions on different development topics and provided participants the opportunity to network, share, engage and collaborate on global issues.


Talk With Jean Chamberlain Froese, Save the Mothers

Humber’s International Development Student Village Club organized a talk with Jean Chamberlain Froese, to talk about the Save the Mothers’ program and its particular focus on advocacy training for safe motherhood. She shared her personal experience in working with women in development countries, followed by a Q&A session.


Breaking Stereotypes: We Can All Play a Role in International Development

This panel discussion was open to the public and discussed the diverse skill-sets needed to tackle today’s development challenges on both a global and local scale.


Together for Gender Equality: Strengthening Organizational Practice and Policies to Prevent and Address Sexual Misconduct

Over the past year, a number of disturbing reports of sexual abuse and misconduct in the international development sector surfaced. Condemning these actions, the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) - a national voice for the international development and humanitarian sector, vowed to create a steering committee to address these systemic issues.

The Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) and Humber College co-hosted a panel discussion and workshop focused on strengthening organizational practices and policies to guide the prevention and management of sexual exploitation, abuse and misconduct. The event facilitated a high-level conversation sharing best practices and identifying the next steps to ensure responsible and accountable practices by Canadian organizations providing development and humanitarian assistance overseas.

Group of people talking in a presentation


International Education Week (IEW)

IEW has been celebrated globally since 2000, showcasing the impact that international education has on preparing students for the world and supporting international engagement efforts. It is a reflection of the spirit of cooperation and collaboration among various stakeholders to join forces to highlight the importance of international education.

International Education Week 2022

The International Development Institute hosted an event showcasing EDC-Kenya, a recent project, and participated in International’s Global Cultural Hub for IEW 2022. EDC-Kenya stands for Entrepreneurship + Digital Livelihoods + Creative Arts and connected students to the local Kenyan partner working with female refugees on digital business training. During this event, Humber and Kenyan partners highlighted the outcomes of the innovative training module involving digital entrepreneurial and life skills that empowered urban refugees, particularly women, to start or improve their businesses and allowed artists in their communities to market their skills and talents to a global audience.

IDI had a booth at International’s Global Cultural Hub to engage with Humber students and raise awareness of the International Development Institute, Humber’s international development initiatives and past student engagement opportunities in IDI-led projects. Students stopped by the booth to look at the presentation board, talk with IDI team members and sign up for the $25 Starbucks raffle.

a group of people at a booth

a group of women standing in front of a projector screen

a poster board with pictures and text


International Education Week 2021

Covid-19 restrictions prevented in-person events in 2021, but IDI held two virtual events for the Humber community and our international partners. The events were held to introduce IDI and its role in the Humber Community. The first was a storytelling event where Humber faculty and international partners shared their international education experiences. The second event featured a Kahoot! Game that tested audience knowledge of international education and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


International Education Week 2019

The International Development Institute collaborated with Humber’s Community Outreach and Workforce Development (COWD) and held a Non-Profit Marketplace with booths from various organizations highlighting internship and volunteer opportunities.

IDI hosted an International Storytelling: Advancing International Development Efforts through Media event for eventgoers to watch the short documentaries produced by students from the Bachelor of Film and Media Production program during their trip to Kenya in support of the Kenya Education for Employment Project (KEFEP-02). The film screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring the filmmakers as they explored the role of media in advancing international development efforts. Attendees had the opportunity to network while enjoying Kenyan refreshments after the panel discussion.

a person standing at a table with posters and a person standing at a table

a group of people at a booth

a group of women posing for a photo in front of a non-profit sign

group of people on a stage going through an international storytelling presentation

a group of people watching the international storytelling presentation

Knowledge Sharing

Foro Capitalizacion: Programa EPE en la Alianza del Pacifico 2023 (Capitalization Forum: EPE Pacific Alliance Program)

Project Lead Juanita Perez participated in Foro Capitalizacion: Programa EPE en la Alianza del Pacifico, organized by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) from January 24-26 in Mexico to celebrate the project’s results and impact. In addition, she was able to exchange good practices with other institutions and organizations under the Pacific Alliance Program.

Juanita shared key results from the B.08.2 Supporting the Pilot Implementation of a National Network of Digital Fabrication Laboratories (Fab-labs)-Peru (MINEDU) Project with forum attendees. She, along with Benoit Lanciault from Cegep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (CSTJ) and Braulio Parizaca, HOD of Industrial Electronics of IDEX Pedro P Diaz, shared how the training and additional coaching delivered to the 26 IDEX strengthened the institutions to develop innovative projects for the community.


International Partnerships and Sustainable Development 2022

DI joined Carnegie Mellon University (USA), York University (CAN), Oklahoma State University (USA) and Simon Fraser University (CAN) in a virtual panel hosted by CBIE International Relations Professional Learning Community (IR-PLC) and the Community of Practice for Partnerships (CoPP).  

The International Partnerships and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Embedding Sustainability into Global Engagement session involved each higher education institution sharing their experiences on how to embed the SDGs in the institutional agenda, communication for recruitment and harness and foster partnerships to contribute to the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.  

Ana Garcia, one of IDI's project leads, was a panellist at the event, sharing her insights on engaging the campus community, getting them involved in IDI's work and aligning the work IDI does with the SDGs. 


EDC Kenya Presentation at OCIC’s AGM & Symposium 2022

Project leads Vidushi Sanghadia and Clarisse Estebar joined representatives from civil society organizations (SMOs, grassroots and community-led initiatives) at the Ontario Council for International Cooperation’s (OCIC) AGM & Symposium 2022: Global Stories that Change our Global Story.

On September 27, 2022, Sanghadia and Estebar presented the innovative pilot testing project, Entrepreneurship + Digital Livelihoods + Creative Arts: Socio-economic empowerment of women refugees in Kenya, at the FIT ‘Innovation Stations’ for Dialogue, Reflection & Learning. The two gave an overview of the project and explained the innovative ideas implemented through digital entrepreneurship.


Spur Change National Conference 2022

Project Lead Clarisse Estebar participated at the Spur Change National Conference 2022: Peace Beyond the Absence of War in Montreal, Quebec. Estebar joined over a hundred small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs), teachers and youth over three days to explore in-depth ways sustainable peace is not just the absence of war and conflict but a culture of peace that every individual must foster through international solidarity, SMOs and global citizenship education.

Watch the video to hear a few of our SMO participants answer questions about their current projects, what they hope to achieve, and how Spur impacted their organizations.

Video on Spur Change


CICan Connection Conference 2022

CICan Connection Conference is an annual meeting hosted by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to foster connections between postsecondary institutions from across the country and around the world. In 2022, Humber College’s International Development Institute members, Jorge Montoya, Manager of Business and Operations, and Clarisse Estebar, International Development Project Lead, presented at the conference in Halifax, Canada.

Jorge Montoya, Manager of Business Operations and Clarisse Estebar, International Development Project Lead, represented Humber College and delivered presentations at Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICan) Connection Conference in Halifax, Canada. The pandemic affected work and school activities in many countries. Jorge’s presentation, “International Project Management in a Post-Covid-19 World,” outlined how the Young Africa Works in Kenya-TVET-07 project was designed and implemented during this period, making use of management methodologies and operational strategies.

Clarisse’s presentation, “Sustainability in Focus,” featuring Faculty of Media and Creative Arts Professor Susan Murray, shared how IDI expanded its contribution to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the community, student engagement and curriculum development by collaborating with the students of Murray’s Media for Social Change course. The SDGs were used as a framework to bridge the gap between global issues with the current digital practice.

Humber College was awarded the Gold for Excellence in Global Engagement. The award highlights many of the institution’s diverse and industry-leading international initiatives.


Internationalisation in Higher Education Society Virtual Conference 2021

IDI participated in a panel at the Internationalization in Higher Education Society’s (IHES) virtual conference to represent Humber College and exhibit the institution’s contribution to developing global citizens through international development. Nalini Andrade, Director of IDI, delivered a presentation focusing on IDI’s delivery, support and contribution to meaningful internationalization through opportunities, allowing faculty, staff and students to expand global citizenship through international development projects in Kenya.


UNESCO-UNEVOC’s BILT Learning Forum on New Qualifications and Competencies: Building the future of TVET 2021

IDI and SNP were invited to the UNESCO-UNEVOC’s BILT Learning Forum on New Qualifications and Competencies: building the future of TVET, held virtually Nalini Andrade, IDI’s Director, and Tom Makomere, formerly Sigalagala National Polytechnic’s Head of Electrical Department, managed the booth at the virtual marketplace and highlighted SNP’s  activities under KEFEP-02.

BILT Library: Kenya Education for Employment Program – KEFEP-02: