Urban Ex is an organization that, to me, offers a unique “Urban Experience” with a goal to promote understanding in a world still mired in fear of differences.
That’s how I see it.
But I’ve been told that I have even the name wrong. Urban Ex actually stands for, Urban Excursion.
They conduct regular week-long “excursions” to Toronto that all begin and end right here at our hostel. And these “excursions” are “experiences” so let’s not argue semantics.
Now here is the hard part: That is to try to tell you exactly what they do. To describe their methods would require that you think “outside of the box”. (Something I don’t do very well, I’m afraid.)
But, it seems, their entire program involves just such a mind set. Their week-long excursions consisting of a series of imaginative training exercises designed to promote an understanding of persons of different cultures and different socio-economic backgrounds.
The concept was developed by its founder Em Johnson who brings to the table an impressive resume in social advocacy. She is assisted by her Associate Director, Alan Waugh who has a similar background of social justice advocacy.
They have chosen Toronto as the city to conduct their exercises because of its’ cultural diversity and choose to stay our hostel for precisely the same reason. Here their group can interact daily with travelers from all around the world.
That’s how I see what they do. But to get a real idea of their concept and methods etc., you might visit their website:
http://www.urbanex.org/index.html
A final word on their program (as an outside observer) would be the daily exercises conducted by the Urban Ex staff appears to be a whole lot of fun.
When you read the daily papers and note the degree of discord in the world, it is impossible to deny the value of such a program.
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Em Johnson - Founder/Director
Alan Waugh - Associate Director