Introducing the new OISE CPL

2020 has been a challenging year, to say the least. In spite of all the uncertainty in the world around us, we’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on who we are, and how we can better serve our wider community of educators and learners around the globe. Months of research and stakeholder consultation provided clarity that we needed to more clearly articulate our purpose as a provider of continuing and professional learning through our language and visual communications. Together with our partners, we’ve built on our successes and improved how we present our offerings to the world—and we couldn’t have done it without the involvement of our community, whose passion, energy and insights are our greatest strengths.

To help guide us, we turned to our current and past learners, OISE CPL facilitators, OISE and UofT colleagues, industry advisors, and domestic and international clients, who came together in small groups online and in-person to discuss OISE CPL’s strengths and weaknesses in program offerings, learner experience, external perception and communication.

For many years, OISE CPL has been primarily known for Additional Qualifications (AQ) courses for Ontario certified teachers. But since 2014, our scope has increased significantly to serve more professionals in Post-Secondary Education, Workplace Learning & Development, Human Services, and Pre-K–12 Education, through open enrollment programming, as well as customized programs and consultancy services for organizations around the world. While AQ courses are still a mainstay, we have considerably expanded our audience of educators to include those who work beyond the classroom.

Still, our research indicated that prospective learners who might benefit from our programs—such as corporate trainers and counsellors—may not necessarily understand this shift, and perhaps did not see themselves as included in the category of “educators.”  We needed to express our distinct purpose: To empower all those who teach, guide and educate; to help them become more prepared, more confident, more curious, more skilled to share knowledge.  By building the capabilities of educators and talent leaders around the world, we can make a positive difference to individuals and the broader society

We are confident that our new look and feel will invite a broader audience into our community, appealing to ALL those who work to expand others’ knowledge in a classroom, in the workplace, or one on one.

Looking ahead, our stakeholders believe OISE CPL’s offerings can help educators and learners navigate the future of work, where transferable skills are in high demand. Studies indicate that a large proportion of workers feel unprepared for their current roles, and uncertain about their ability to ride the waves of organizational shifts, especially in environments where formal workplace training is being reduced. Empowering employees to coach, motivate, share knowledge, and design relevant and engaging workplace learning experiences is becoming paramount. With rapid demographic shifts in classrooms and workplaces, there is an opportunity for OISE CPL to step in and support.

In the process of redesigning our website, we considered what visual elements reinforce our overall strategic position. We kept our original typefaces and colour palette, especially the primary use of navy, to emphasize our place within the UofT family, with some tweaks in the way they are used to create a fresh aesthetic.

We hope you’ll take a few moments to explore the site and all we have to offer, from our popular and extensive selection of Additional Qualifications courses to our customized programs, services and beyond. We extend a huge thank you to our dedicated partners in this process, SOS Design Inc., and our community of learners, clients, facilitators, OISE and UofT colleagues, partners and advisors, whose input was invaluable during the process, and whose contagious passion for teaching and learning makes us who we are.

Let’s stay connected—we can’t wait to exchange new ideas, hear different perspectives, and share everything we know about being an educator and leader in a changing world.