SP0207: Childcare for Architecture's Lecture Series

The Childcare for Architecture's Lecture Series project aims to offer childcare for the first time during the School of Architecture's Lecture Series (2018-2019), in an effort to allow every student equal access to attend these important event. 

Every year, the School of Architecture hosts 14 lectures which are highly anticipated by students and staff. In this lectures, renowned architects and theoreticians from around the world come to McGill to talk about life in architecture, technology and to share groundbreaking ideas. These lectures not only draw in students but also design professionals (architects, planners, landscape architects, lighting designers, civil engineers) from around Montreal. There are 12-14 lectures scheduled every year.

Traditionally, the time and place of the lectures is on a weekday (Monday or Tuesday) at 6pm on campus. Although this time is chosen to benefit most of the student body and to allow them to participate, an important part of architecture students have been systematically excluded: parents. Given the high hourly rates of childcare and that most daycares and school close at 6 pm, students with kids are missing out this learning opportunity.

The initiative is to offer professional childcare services and safe pop-up play sessions for the kids of any McGill student or staff that wishes to attend the Lecture Series. The department is supporting the initiative by offering the facility (room) free of charge. Resources from the SPF will be used to hire a fully-insured professional childcare service, Le Lion et Le Souris, for the duration of the lectures.