Student Membership

Get involved, start networking, and participate in volunteer and continuing education opportunities. Become an OPPI Student Member!

Student planners are future of the planning profession and OPPI encourages students to apply for OPPI Student Membership.

Student members from accredited planning programs may be eligible to apply for OPPI Scholarships, and become Student Liaison Committee members or the Student Delegate.

Student Liaison Committee

The Student Liaison Committee (SLC) is made up of OPPI Student Members from each of Ontario’s accredited planning programs. This leadership network links planning students to OPPI and represents the interests of planning students across Ontario. Committee members are given exciting opportunities to become involved in OPPI initiatives.

The SLC meets throughout the school year and promotes the value of OPPI student membership. SLC members may be contacted about a wide-range of OPPI activities, as well as school planning societies and associations.

Student Delegate

One student from an accredited planning program becomes the Student Delegate, elected by OPPI student members for a one-year term.

The student representative’s term of office runs from June to June in a given calendar year. The Student Delegate chairs the 16-member Student Liaison Committee (SLC) which serves as a leadership network linking students across the six accredited planning schools to OPPI. The Student Delegate and the SLC promotes student awareness of OPPI and student membership in the institute, and events and programs targeted to students: OPPI's student scholarships, participation in our annual event, the Student Case Competition, and nominations for student representatives and our next Student Delegate.

In addition, OPPI's Student Delegate will have the opportunity to participate in OPPI's Outreach Committee and help organize outreach events for students across the six accredited planning programs about the benefits of OPPI student memberships, becoming an RPP and careers in planning.

2022-2023 OPPI STudent Delegate - PAUL Simoneau 

As OPPI's Student Delegate, Paul will chair the SLC, which serves as a leadership network linking students across the six accredited planning schools to OPPI. The SLC meets throughout the school year, and working with their student colleagues, Paul and the SLC will promote the benefits of membership in OPPI and events and programs targeted to students: OPPI's student scholarships, participation in our annual event, the Student Case Competition, and nominations for student representatives and our next Student Delegate.

Please join us in thanking Regan Zink for her volunteer service over the past year and welcoming Paul onboard as OPPI's Student Delegate. We look forward to working with Paul and the SLC this year.

Background

Paul graduated from the University of Toronto in 2015, majoring in political science, and minoring in history and human geography with a particular interest in municipal politics, Canadian history, and urban studies. 
 
His experience ranges from working in finance at a development company to work as a planning researcher summarizing Ontario Land Tribunal cases and council agendas. Paul draws from a diversity of experiences to understand the role of public space and urban design on how people experience cities, the role of community in the creation of more equitable spaces and the impact policies have on the built environment. 
 
Paul is currently working towards his MES at York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change under the supervision of Dr. Ute Lehrer. His current research includes examining the role of public and shared spaces over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Student Delegate Nominations

Nominations for Student Delegate are closed. Stay tuned for nominations open in March 2023.