COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INSPIRES TORONTO ZOO AND MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH CANADA PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH NEW STUDENTSHIP

TORONTO, ON, Monday, September 13, 2021: Your Toronto Zoo and Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) are proud to announce a new partnership formed from the development of research and education opportunities to better support our communities. This internship will provide the opportunity to a Masters’ student to conduct a mental health research project in partnership with your Toronto Zoo to explore the human-animal interaction and its impact on mental health in humans. We are so pleased to have established this $15,000 studentship opportunity, as part of the MHRC-Mitacs 2021-2022 Studentship cycle.

The focus of the MHRC and The Toronto Zoo Mental Health Impact Internship is exploring the interaction between animals and human mental health:

  • The impact of spending time around animals and being outdoors on mental health;
  • The impact of human-animal interactions on the Toronto Zoo staff;
  • The impact of caregiver fatigue in Toronto Zoo staff caring for aging and/or sick animals.

Students will share their time between academic institutions and community service providers, tying together their research with the end-users to ensure the project is tailored to and appropriate for that community’s needs and people with lived experience. Applications are open now through Sunday, October 31st, 2021 and this project is targeted for the Summer 2022 academic term (project to begin April 2022).

“Your Toronto Zoo is excited to be collaborating with Mental Health Research Canada on this amazing studentship opportunity,” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “This new partnership comes at a time when supporting mental health initiatives is more important than ever. We know the benefits of being outdoors to our well-being and look forward to embracing this unique chance to learn more about the impact on mental health when spending time with animals” he added.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Your Toronto Zoo on this exciting initiative as part of our commitment to supporting early career researchers in mental health. What a tremendously exciting opportunity for a young researcher. In these challenging times, more Canadians than ever understand the importance of good mental health for all,” said Akela Peoples, CEO of MHRC.

About Your Toronto Zoo

Your Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive. An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year.

About Mental Health Research Canada

MHRC is a national, charitable organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of the one in five Canadians – over 7 million people – living with mental illness. We advance mental health research that is problem-solving, cost-effective and usable in the real world, transforming treatments and prevention in creative and collaborative ways. Learn more about our work and impactful research we fund at www.mhrc.ca.

For more information on the MHRC and The Toronto Zoo Mental Health Impact Internship,

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Toronto Zoo Media Contact:

Amanda Chambers
Supervisor of Strategic Communications
[email protected]

Mental Health Research Canada Contact:

Sarah Murphy
Research Coordinator
[email protected]




For general information visit torontozoo.com

The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive.

An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year.

Toronto Zoo is accredited by Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto ON, M1B 5K7

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