The School of Creative Arts, in collaboration with Continuing Education, announces the return of the UWindsor Lab School: Summer Music Program, with the addition of the Summer Jazz Program. Both offerings provide a unique opportunity for students to engage with UWindsor faculty.

Students ages 4 to 17 who attend the Summer Music Program will engage in group lessons in strings (violin, viola, cello, string bass), improvisation and composition, along with visual art experiences in SoCA’s studios, with a final performance to close the week. Class will take place daily from July 8 to 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vanessa Mio-Quiring, director of the University of Windsor Lab School and instructor for the Summer Music Program, aims to foster musical growth through engaging experiences.

“The summer program is a fantastic way for students to develop their technique and musicianship in a focused environment with like-minded peers, while also having fun musical experiences through improvisation and composition, theory, and ear training, along with fun visual art activities planned for students — perfect complement to their music studies,” says Dr. Mio-Quiring. “The best part about any summer program is lasting friendships and a collaborative performance to celebrate their work at the end of the week!”

The new Summer Jazz Program takes place the following week and is geared toward high school students ages 14 and up. Students will engage in jazz jam sessions, small-group combo rehearsals, big-band rehearsal, and masterclasses in jazz theory, harmony, and improvisation. Program instructor Michael Karloff is a faculty member in the School of Creative Arts, and is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, and musical director.

“In jazz, storytelling through music is essential, embracing unpredictability is key, and the pursuit of individual expression is paramount,” says Karloff. “To embark on this musical journey, dedication is crucial: mastering your instrument, understanding music theory deeply, honouring jazz's great improvisers, and maintaining an unyielding thirst for self-discovery. We’re excited to help students get started as we share the secrets to learning how to play jazz!”

Upon registration for the jazz program, a short audition video link will be required.

The program will take place at the Windsor Armouries – School of Creative Arts.

Parents are encouraged to enrol their young musicians in one or both programs for an invaluable opportunity to learn in a group setting, explore new artistic horizons, and make lasting memories through social experiences.

Visit the Lab School’s summer program page to learn more and register.

In Canada, Halima Mohamed’s parent found a place where they didn’t have to give up their Somali identities and were instead invited to embrace a new culture as their own.

“My family’s immigration story began with the search for a better life, a journey that is all too familiar for many who leave their homelands,” says the fourth-year biochemistry student. “Being born and growing up here, I witnessed the struggles and beauty that come with the immigrant experience.”

She says that experience taught her lessons in “resilience, strength, kindness, and, above all else, the importance of having a community.”

Her determination to give back earned her the Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship, a $1,000 award to support first- and second-generation Canadians.

The scholarship founder, alumna Cessidia DeBiasio (BSW 2015, BComm 2018), says Mohamed embodies its mission: “honouring our ancestors while giving back to the next generation of student leaders.”

Among Mohamed’s leadership commitments are founding a UWindsor chapter of Diabetes Canada, and volunteering for the Canadian National Institute of Blind, Breast Cancer Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and the Hospice of Windsor-Essex.

“Halima has made it her mission to dedicate her time to supporting various organizations around Windsor-Essex,” says DeBiasio. “This allows her to meet people of different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and ages and extend her hand to others who may also be missing close human connection.”

Mohamed hopes to pursue a career in palliative medicine.

“Sometimes the best way to say thank you is through action and dedication,” she says. “Giving back is the ultimate lesson I have learned from my family’s journey, and it inspires me to do as much as I can to help others in the same way that I have been helped countless times before.”

DeBiasio named the scholarship in honour of her grandmother as a way to acknowledge the efforts of her family and other newcomers to Windsor and Essex County. To learn more, visit the Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship website.

Seeing her work hanging on an office wall pulling colour into the room inside the Welcome Centre has artist Angelina Kirincic feeling inspired.

“It’s very surreal,” Kirincic said. “I never really marketed my work and to have it purchased by the University is a huge honour. It gives me hope that this is something tangible, I can go into this field and profit from it. People like what I’m doing.”

She created the striking piece while working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts after being given the prompt “storm.”

“It's a collage piece originally. There are two different sides to the work, and I cut up a paper that was a printout of a storm. I kind of focused on a purple and pink colour scheme. And a yellow insert. Most of it is painted with my hands, which isn’t the most traditional, but it was done all in one sitting. I added just a few minor things like there's glitter and some iridescent paint layered on top of it,” Kirincic explained.

This piece was experimental for Kirincic, she said, as she usually works in collage adding acrylic and oil paints, taking inspiration from graphic mediums.

“This piece came from intuition. I don't tend to work in abstract form, but I wanted to test it out. And I think it can be a little easier to work when there isn't pressure to adhere to a certain visual, which is how this came about.”

The artwork now adds a pop of colour to the Welcome Centre.

“I never really thought anyone would want to have my work,” Kirincic said, “But it really means a lot to me as an artist to see it hanging here.”

She will graduate this spring and plans to continue her art studies, looking abroad for possible opportunities that could help land her a career in editorial or communications design.

The Humanities Research Group Student Fellowship Program is growing this fall to provide funding of $1,000 for three graduate students and $500 for three undergraduates.

The student fellows will also be mentored by the 2024/25 HRG Fellow, Gregg French, meeting monthly as they develop their research plans. They will receive guidance in applying to research-based competitions, including the SSHRC Storytellers Challenge and the Three Minute Thesis Competition.

The fellowships are benefiting from a new partnership between the Humanities Research Group and the Office of the Provost. The program launched in 2022 with funding from the Feminist Research Group and continues to invite student researchers working on feminist topics related to the humanities.

“We are thrilled to support the H and R in HRG by strengthening student research through robust mentorship by top University of Windsor faculty members working in the humanities,” says HRG director Kim Nelson, an associate professor of film.

HRG invites applications by May 30 from students in any programs in the humanities, engaging in research and the study of literature, the arts, history, and philosophy.

Find more information about the fellowship and application process on the HRG website.