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STEPS Public Art Social Enterprise Placements - STEPS Public Art

Toronto, Ontario

STEPS offers Social Enterprise student placements embedded within our Operations Team. These placements are ideal for students interested in the intersection of business, arts, and community impact (particularly those looking to gain practical experience in areas such as business operations, customer experience, systems optimization, and marketing strategy within a nonprofit social enterprise). We typically host up to two (2) placements per academic term, tailored to the student’s skills, interests, and learning goals. Students are supported through onboarding, mentorship, and access to platforms and tools used by our team.

  • Articulating Public Art Value Propositions: Support the development of content and communications that convey the value of public art, cultural planning, and creative placemaking services to diverse audiences — from municipalities to developers and nonprofit partners.

  • Customer Journey Mapping & Experience Design: Participate in mapping the client and supplier experience journey to identify touchpoints for improvement, retention, and increased satisfaction across multiple service lines.

  • CRM Systems & Relationship Stewardship: Learn how to use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (such as Salesforce) to organize, track, and enhance relationships with clients, artists, and suppliers.

  • Lead Generation & Outreach Strategy: Research and contribute to lead generation activities that support STEPS’ business development goals, identifying potential partners and collaborators across Canada.

  • Market Research & Data Analysis: Conduct primary and secondary research using digital and CRM platforms to gather data that informs marketing and outreach strategies, supports decision-making, and improves client experiences.

  • Operational Efficiency & Systems Thinking: Identify opportunities to streamline and enhance operational workflows related to client communications, supplier onboarding, or service delivery, with a focus on effectiveness and scalability.

Benefits of this placement include:

  • Mentorship from public art professionals
  • Skill development in project planning, site logistics, accessibility, and community engagement
  • Training in equity practices, risk assessment, and site safety
  • Opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects that centre equity-deserving communities

Placements are hybrid or virtual depending on the participant’s location and project needs. While unpaid, STEPS may reimburse specific project-related expenses (e.g., travel or training).

Placement and Volunteer Eligibility

We understand that people may want to participate in a placement for different reasons, and we have tried to be flexible with the formats of placements within the constraints that the Employment Standards Act provides.

Our placements are targeted at the following:

  • Participants in a placement program approved and operated by an Ontario university, college, or private career college
  • Newcomers to Canada who are seeking a volunteer opportunity that will help enhance their resume as well as build relationships in the region
  • Visitors to Canada who are not legally able to work, but who are seeking a volunteer opportunity while in the country

Placement Format

STEPS is mostly a virtual team. We have an office in downtown Toronto, and given the place-based nature of our work, we’re frequently at project sites in the community. Individuals enrolled in placements who reside in southern Ontario may have the option for hybrid placements that combine virtual and in-person experiences. For those located outside of southern Ontario, most placements will be virtual, though there may be some hybrid opportunities available for those residing in communities where we currently have projects. We ask those submitting an expression of interest to communicate their placement preferences and ability to travel to sites.

STEPS can accommodate a range of placement formats and scheduling options. The total number of placement hours and the number of placement hours per week will vary from placement to placement, but the format must be identified before the start date, so that our team can thoroughly assess whether we have the capacity to appropriately support the requested schedule.

Typically, we do not host placements for less than the equivalent of 1 day (8 hours) per week, which we find is the minimum amount of time it takes to provide a meaningful placement experience over a term. We ask those submitting expressions of interest to provide as much information as possible regarding their availability and the specifications of any academic requirements they seek to fulfill in their submission.

We only host placements when we are confident we have the capacity to appropriately onboard, train and support individuals to succeed in those placements. This ensures maximum benefit for those enrolled in placements or partnering on a project with us. While we state an approximate number of placements available each term, these are estimated maximums, subject to change, and STEPS is under no obligation to host a certain number of placements in any given term.

STEPS Public Art