Second-year Bachelor of Education student, Natasha Reodica talks about her experience this past summer in Freiburg, Germany.

This past summer, 8 Bachelor of Education students took their learning beyond the classroom through 91亚色鈥檚 Summer Exchange to Freiburg, Germany. For four months, they studied at the University of Education (PH Freiburg) alongside students from across Europe, Africa, and Asia, gaining fresh perspectives on teaching and learning.

Living in the heart of the Black Forest, our students immersed themselves in German culture, picked up new languages, and traveled to eight countries during their exchange.

The Summer Exchange to Freiburg is open to 91亚色 BEd students, typically in their first year of the program, and offers university credit courses in English, German, or French. The program blends academic study with cultural immersion, helping teacher candidates build independence, cultural awareness, and global networks. All skills that enhance their future classrooms.

To learn more about eligibility, courses, and application details, visit the Summer Exchange to Freiburg program page.

The post Expanding Horizons in Freiburg: A 91亚色 Education Student鈥檚 Transformative Exchange Journey appeared first on Faculty of Education.

In an evolving landscape of careers in education, 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education is committed to pioneering programs that equip graduates for the unpredictable twists and turns of their professional journeys. At the heart of this innovative approach is the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Educational Studies program, created as an option for students seeking a career in education outside of the traditional classroom. Darren Syd Sia Duya exemplifies the impact of this program on his career, showcasing how flexible, real-world learning can shape one鈥檚 future and forge leaders.

Darren graduated from the BA Educational Studies program at 91亚色 in May 2022and now serves as a youth worker with Ach膿v, within the EmpowOUR Youth for Engagement (EYE) / Youth 2 Action (Y2A) initiatives. In his role, Darren skillfully navigates the realms of networking, administration, event planning, and marketing, making a significant impact on the lives of the youth he serves. His journey from an aspiring educator to a professional deeply involved in youth development, serves as a testament to the program's curriculum and impact on both personal and professional levels. "I have always enjoyed education, but even more so because I enjoyed working with youth," Darren shares. 鈥淥riginally, I was thinking of getting a degree to become a teacher, but then I came across the BA Educational Studies program at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education which was more suited for me鈥�.

The BA Educational Studies degree emphasizes not only knowledge of theories, but also concrete skills and personal growth. Darren鈥檚 experiences in the program showcase that flexibility, building relationships, and fostering these relationships while exploring education holistically are the strongholds of the program. He recalls, "It was the professors that impacted my journey," especially when the times got tough, like in the face of a pandemic. Being confined to one's own room for months was draining; however, interacting with teachers and students online helped alleviate some of my anxieties. A part of the program curriculum focused on building relationships and support, emphasizing the place of people in success鈥攂e it personal or professional鈥�.

One of the strengths of the program is its real-world applicability. Part of what Darren does for EYE/Y2A involves complicated networking, administration, event planning, and marketing that he became familiar with through the BA Educational Studies program. "Adaptability in learning and application is so important in real-world jobs," he says. 鈥淚t was my education at 91亚色 that allowed me to have a flexible personality and work ethic. Flexibility in learning is something I consider to be applicable in today's world鈥攖o gain transferable skills and apply them to your workspace or other areas of life.鈥�

As Darren looks to the future, his advice for both incoming and current students is simple: "Connect and volunteer. It is essential to get involved and to participate in the broader 91亚色  community which includes students, professors, the administration and the different clubs and activities across campus,鈥� he says. 鈥淰olunteering in proper spaces opens up networks that wouldn't be available otherwise.  If you do these two things effectively, they will be applicable to both your education and the steps that come after that.鈥�

Reflecting on his time with 91亚色, Darren speaks highly of the program's influence on his career. "I loved being an educational studies student and plan to revisit the campus every now and then, whether it be for furthering my education or for social reasons," he says. 鈥淭he current job market is difficult to navigate, so building a network of like-minded individuals and mentors helps establish a community to rely on.鈥� Darren's journey serves as a testament to the fulfillment derived from aligning one's career with the passions and importance of cultivating a supportive community.

His journey, from being a student in the BA Educational Studies program and now along the way to becoming a youth worker who changes people's lives every day, is a perfect manifestation of the transforming power that education can represent. It tells everything about the flexibility of the programs offered, faculty involvement, community participation, and fun.

Article by Dennis Bayazitov special contributing聽writer.

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A closer look into 91亚色鈥檚 Master of Leadership and Community Engagement Program

The Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) is a part-time interdisciplinary cohort-based Master鈥檚 program that brings together professionals from varied education contexts to learn together how to best serve their immediate communities. The program creates a unique learning community where students learn from each other 鈥� both in theories that work across workplaces, and in practical applications of these theories.

Natalia Balyasnikova is just one of many experienced professors who has taught in the program. 鈥淲hat I was taken by was the students鈥� passion,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ecause these are working professionals, many with years of experience, MLCE students truly care about the issues we discuss in the classroom, and are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes of their learning.鈥�

MLCE addresses broad issues in leadership and community engagement without limiting itself to one area. As such, students are empowered to envision new career pathways for themselves. They gain interdisciplinary knowledge and develop transferable skills that significantly elevate their chances of employment.

One such student is Kaitlin Biddie, who was looking for opportunities to continue her education 鈥� specifically in the field of community engagement. 鈥淚 was drawn to the MLCE program and its experiential model because I felt I would not only gain academic and theoretical knowledge, but practical experience as well,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 found that the program really helped round out my education. I have a background in environmental science and conservation, so the MLCE program has been the perfect bridge to help me gain more perspective about the 鈥榟uman side鈥� of the work I do.鈥�

Biddie notes one thing she especially appreciated about the MLCE program was the cohort-based model. 鈥淚n the MLCE, we are learning about community building, so it makes so much sense to participate in this program alongside a tight-knit community of peers,鈥� she says.

Tharmila Apputhurai is another student, who after completing her Bachelor of Education degree, sought a graduate degree from 91亚色. Having discovered the MLCE program, she felt it had been designed to 鈥渢ruly reimagine graduate work and look beyond what we might consider the 鈥榯raditional鈥� norms of graduate studies.鈥�

鈥淭he program prepares students to reflect deeply about what leadership means to them, what is community engagement, and how they can be leaders within various public and private sector organizations,鈥� Apputhurai says. 鈥淚t provides students various opportunities to make connections with a wide network of people and really prepares them with innovative and practical tools that they can implement in their current and future jobs.鈥�

A chief tenet of the program is experiential education. There are two placements that students need to complete as part of the program. They have to be taken in two different community-based spaces, which makes the experience a truly diverse one in learning.

Biddie participated in two different community placements as part of her program. 鈥淏oth placements were in sectors that I wanted to try out, and it was helpful to gain experience in roles that were quite different than my own,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n the MLCE placements, I was able to share my visions and thoughts with my placement organizations and felt like a valuable contributor to their teams. 鈥淭his left me feeling more empowered and confident in my abilities.鈥�

Apputhurai, too, recounts her own experiential education, which extended an opportunity for her to partner with two different public and non-profit agencies. 鈥淚t helped me complete a literature review, connect with leading researchers in the area that I was interested in, and create networks outside of my current employment sector,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t allowed me to collaborate with others on projects in a meaningful way through which I gained valuable insights about myself and about employment sectors that were unfamiliar to me prior to the experiential education aspect of this program.鈥�

To any prospective students considering pursuing the MLCE, professor Balyasnikva says this: 鈥淭his is a special program, where one can broaden their horizons both academically and professionally.鈥� She notes that one unique aspect of this program is that it is cohort-based, which means that all students move through the courses together and deepen their relationships with each other and within the community.

Bidde emphasizes that no matter who you are, or what field of work you are pursuing, the learning outcomes of the MLCE program will prove to be valuable. 鈥淭his program has changed the way I think about the world around me and the power dynamics that have built it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 will forever be grateful that I had the learning experience, and I had fun along the way too!鈥�

Appuruthurai echoes this sentiment. 鈥淕o for it!鈥� she says. 鈥淭his will be one of the best educational journeys you鈥檒l embark on in your life and it truly will transform your perceptions of what it means to be a leader, and to work in and with the community to improve the world that we live in.鈥�

The application deadline for the next cohort who will be admitted to start the program in May 2023 is December 15, 2022. Visit yorku.ca/edu/mlce to learn more.

Article by Dennis Bayazitov special contributing writer

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