Honouring teaching and education
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1912
A formal, in-house school program is established. The Toronto Board of Education assigns a teacher to the “Home” for elementary grades
2002
Bloorview MacMillan is affiliated with the University of Toronto as Canada’s only children’s rehabilitation teaching hospital
2009
Holland Bloorview Teaching and Learning Institute is officially opened
1912
A formal, in-house school program is established. The Toronto Board of Education assigns a teacher to the “Home” for elementary grades
2002
Bloorview MacMillan is affiliated with the University of Toronto as Canada’s only children’s rehabilitation teaching hospital
2009
Holland Bloorview Teaching and Learning Institute is officially opened
Lessons learned
When visiting Holland Bloorview, you’re likely to come across someone in the hallway or elevator with an orange lanyard around their neck. This means they’re a student. We’re proud to welcome nearly 500 of these passionate learners annually, completing their placements at Holland Bloorview in areas ranging from medicine and music therapy to physiotherapy and orthotics and prosthetics and many others.
Over the last 125 years, teaching and learning has been a core part of Holland Bloorview. In 1912, a formal in-house school program began in partnership with the Toronto Board of Education. In the 1950s, the hospital established a partnership with the Nightingale School of Nursing and classrooms have been embedded in its facilities since 1975. In 2002, we cemented our reputation when Holland Bloorview officially became a teaching hospital fully-affiliated with the University of Toronto. And, in 2009, the Teaching and Learning Institute officially opened its doors.
Today, Holland Bloorview is known internationally as a leader in the field of childhood and youth disability. It’s also the largest site in Canada for training developmental pediatricians, thanks to the hospital’s continued partnership with the University of Toronto and funding from the Holland Bloorview Foundation. Residents come from as far away as Ethiopia, Israel, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Thailand.
Our vision for teaching and learning is to transform care through education,”
says Shauna Kingsnorth, interim director of the Teaching and Learning Institute
“That means leveraging ground breaking discoveries, precision health, education and knowledge exchange to transform care for children, youth and families who live with disability both here at home and around the world.”
Alifa Khan, family as faculty member, family leader and Holland Bloorview parent
Family as faculty
Part of what makes Holland Bloorview so special is its belief that clients and families are also its teachers. Client and family centred care has been a hallmark of Holland Bloorview’s approach to supporting clients for decades – so it’s no surprise that family members are embedded in the hospital’s teaching and learning experience. The Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty launched in 2019 as a way to formalize the integral role that clients and families play in teaching the next generation of health care workers.
Alifa Khan, one of the program’s inaugural graduates, a family leader and a parent to two Holland Bloorview clients, says the program has been transformational and “helps build bridges between clinical teams and families.” Khan adds she’s been able to share her lived experience as a mother to two children with autism to teach Holland Bloorview staff and students to “meet families where they’re at,” approach conversations with a solutions-focused lens and “really take the time to hear and honour feedback from kids, youth, families and caregivers.”
Family as faculty
Alifa Khan, family as faculty member, family leader and Holland Bloorview parent
Part of what makes Holland Bloorview so special is its belief that clients and families are also its teachers. Client and family centred care has been a hallmark of Holland Bloorview’s approach to supporting clients for decades – so it’s no surprise that family members are embedded in the hospital’s teaching and learning experience. The Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty launched in 2019 as a way to formalize the integral role that clients and families play in teaching the next generation of health care workers.
Alifa Khan, one of the program’s inaugural graduates, a family leader and a parent to two Holland Bloorview clients, says the program has been transformational and “helps build bridges between clinical teams and families.” Khan adds she’s been able to share her lived experience as a mother to two children with autism to teach Holland Bloorview staff and students to “meet families where they’re at,” approach conversations with a solutions-focused lens and “really take the time to hear and honour feedback from kids, youth, families and caregivers.”
Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas, developmental pediatrics clinical fellow
Transforming care globally
Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas is the first developmental pediatrician in Ethiopia. She came to Holland Bloorview in 2021 to complete her residency, hoping to address significant gaps in care for kids and youth with disabilities and developmental differences in Ethiopia. She also opened the country’s first developmental clinic in a major hospital and is hoping to share her learnings with other clinicians back home.
“I am the first developmental pediatrician from Ethiopia to establish a developmental clinic in a major hospital. Holland Bloorview is a great place for learners and provides exceptional clinical care and fosters a culture of research and innovation.”
Transforming care globally
Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas, developmental pediatrics clinical fellow
Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas is the first developmental pediatrician in Ethiopia. She came to Holland Bloorview in 2021 to complete her residency, hoping to address significant gaps in care for kids and youth with disabilities and developmental differences in Ethiopia. She also opened the country’s first developmental clinic in a major hospital and is hoping to share her learnings with other clinicians back home.
“I am the first developmental pediatrician from Ethiopia to establish a developmental clinic in a major hospital. Holland Bloorview is a great place for learners and provides exceptional clinical care and fosters a culture of research and innovation.”
On coming back
Staci Berman first came to Holland Bloorview at age 13 as part of the Get Up and Go program for persistent pediatric pain, following a basketball tournament that resulted in internal bruising, bursitis and chronic pain. Through the years, Staci has continued to volunteer with many programs across the hospital and now, at age 21, is currently in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Western University. In the summer of 2023, Staci returned to the Bloorview Research Institute as part of the Ward Family Summer Student Research Program, where she worked alongside Dr. Shannon Scratch in the NOvEL (Neurorehab Outcomes via Education & Learning) Lab. Staci’s story is emblematic of the experience of so many students who interact with the hospital – they keep coming back!
When asked about her experience at Holland Bloorview and what keeps her returning, Staci says:
“Holland Bloorview not only accepted me but also gave me the tools to accept my own diagnosis. When people ask about my ‘why’ everything connects back to Holland Bloorview. My passion is to be working with kids. It would be the greatest dream of my life to work at Holland Bloorview one day.”
Staci Berman
On coming back
Staci Berman
Staci Berman first came to Holland Bloorview at age 13 as part of the Get Up and Go program for persistent pediatric pain, following a basketball tournament that resulted in internal bruising, bursitis and chronic pain. Through the years, Staci has continued to volunteer with many programs across the hospital and now, at age 21, is currently in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Western University. In the summer of 2023, Staci returned to the Bloorview Research Institute as part of the Ward Family Summer Student Research Program, where she worked alongside Dr. Shannon Scratch in the NOvEL (Neurorehab Outcomes via Education & Learning) Lab. Staci’s story is emblematic of the experience of so many students who interact with the hospital – they keep coming back!
When asked about her experience at Holland Bloorview and what keeps her returning, Staci says:
“Holland Bloorview not only accepted me but also gave me the tools to accept my own diagnosis. When people ask about my ‘why’ everything connects back to Holland Bloorview. My passion is to be working with kids. It would be the greatest dream of my life to work at Holland Bloorview one day.”
The next generation of health care workers
The future of teaching and learning at Holland Bloorview is bright. Guided by lessons learned from the past, and buoyed by the possibility of what’s next, the sky’s the limit.
“Training the next generation of care providers is an honour – and we are grateful for their many contributions as they become academic and clinical leaders in the field of childhood disability and pediatric rehabilitation,” says Dr. Golda MiloManson, vice president, medicine and academic affairs.
The next generation of health care workers
The future of teaching and learning at Holland Bloorview is bright. Guided by lessons learned from the past, and buoyed by the possibility of what’s next, the sky’s the limit.
“Training the next generation of care providers is an honour – and we are grateful for their many contributions as they become academic and clinical leaders in the field of childhood disability and pediatric rehabilitation,” says Dr. Golda MiloManson, vice president, medicine and academic affairs.
Look for the orange lanyard and remember to give a big hello to the next generation of health care leaders! We want to hear from you! Share your story here.
Look for the orange lanyard and remember to give a big hello to the next generation of health care leaders! We want to hear from you! Share your story here.