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MUZC01H3 Exploring Community Music

A guide aggregating resources you will need to successfully complete your assignments for VPMC01H3

How to Find Information about Organizations

1. Visit the Website

Most websites are a great source of information about the organization that you would like to partner or work with. Websites usually have: 

  • Mission Statements
  • Vision
  • History
  • Services or Programs
  • Staff and Management

Most of this information is usually found in the "About Us" section of the website. You should also take a look at any media or press coverage for the organization, as this can tell you a lot about their programs and priorities. 

2. Look at their Social Media Channels

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. You can learn a lot about priorities and perception when you take some time to look through these channels of promotion. 

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn contains company profiles. These profiles can be a good way to find more information about a company that you are interested in working with. You can also usually see company statistics here. 

4. News stories 

You can also check recent news stories that name the organization. As University of Toronto students, you have access to newspaper databases that index millions of articles. Try using the Canadian newspaper databases for best results. This wonderful library guide will show you how. 

5. Schedule an Informational Interview 

You can reach out to employees of the organization themselves. Typically you can find contact information on the company website - don't be afraid to reach out! Do some research about the company ahead of time and go prepared with a list of specific questions, as this will help to keep the interview focused. 

 

 

Researching Audiences/Demographics

There are numerous sources of information for both the population and the community that you want to reach. Here are a few:

1. Organizational Websites

As mentioned above, an organization's website can be a great indicator of whom that organization serves. For instance, look at Daniels Spectrum "About" section: http://danielsspectrum.ca/about-daniels-spectrum/

Here you can learn where the organization is located, that it is meant to function as a community hub, what customer service standards it meets, and what services it provides. 

2. Community Statistics

There are numerous websites that are easy to use and that can help you find additional information about the make up of particular neighborhoods. Here are a few: 

a. Scarborough Census Profiles

b. Toronto Census Profiles 

3. Governmental/Municipal websites 

The City of Toronto also provides a lot of information regarding neighborhood demographics:

1. City of Toronto - Data, Research and Maps - Neighborhoods and Communities

2. City of Toronto - Data, Research, and Maps

3. Wellbeing Toronto