In this reflection, first-year BEd student Bennett De Medeiros shares their experience leading their practicum class through an engaging and creative introduction to print media.

Introduction
My name is Bennett De Medeiros (he/they), a first-year Education student at 91亚色. My primary focus within my Visual Arts teachable is to provide students with diverse hands-on opportunities within the Arts. Grade 11 and 12 students from St. Edmund Campion were welcomed into the Print Media Studio at 91亚色 for a school workshop. As a Print Representative for the Visual Arts Student Association (VASA), I worked alongside David Scott Armstrong, the Print Media Associate Professor here at 91亚色.

Exploring the Creative Process through Monoprinting
In planning this workshop, our goal was to provide an experience unavailable at St. Edmund Campion. We chose Monoprinting, a unique disciplinary art form. While most Printmaking is defined by its ability to create repeatable images (like the everyday use of an ink stamp), Monoprinting produces a singular, non-repeatable design. To prepare for the workshop, I introduced my students to the global history of Printmaking and taught how to develop templates to ensure a smooth transition of the creative process once they arrived at the studio.

The SHSM Experience
This event was programmed as an Arts and Culture Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) workshop, designed to introduce visiting students to post-secondary facilities. Under the demonstrations and the guidance of Professor Armstrong, students toured the studio, analyzed existing 91亚色 student work, and dove into the technical process of Printmaking by preparing their plexiglass surfaces to roll and draw ink to create their designs. Then to produce their design, students collaboratively used Printing presses to transfer designs onto specialized paper and how to safely prepare the printing bed. A crucial component of the Printmaking is learning the essential habits of studio maintenance and safety, students handled and cleaned the ink and tools for the future Printmakers of the studio.

Reflections of Community
Beyond the technical skills, the workshop emphasized the importance of the shared studio environment. Learning to maintain a clean, safe space as it is integral to the post-secondary experience and fosters the loving creative community here at the Department of Visual Art & Art History (VAAH). To conclude the day, each student was awarded a SHSM certificate of my own design. Overall, I am incredibly proud of how these students navigated a professional studio space for the first time as their results truly exceeded my expectations.

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Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education at 91亚色, is leading research that asks a deceptively simple question: What actually helps children learn to read 鈥� and how early can schools intervene to make a lasting difference?

Years of experience as a school teacher and psychologist have framed his thinking about research, which since 2023 has focused on how children learn to read, both typically and atypically.

His research has also informed literacy policy and classroom practice in Ontario.

For instance, Savage served as a consultant to the Ontario government on its reading curriculum following a 2022 Ontario Human Rights Commission report on human rights issues affecting children with reading disabilities. Drawing on his research expertise and experience in schools, he contributed to the revised curriculum and helped develop supporting videos and scripts to make the changes easier for teachers to understand and incorporate into the classroom.

鈥淚鈥檓 always interested in a mix of theory and practice and in how to use theory to develop better programs for developing reading,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 also like to collaborate.鈥�

During another project, while working with colleagues at Concordia University, he co-created the web-based literacy program  that offers activities for learners and is free to the public.

More recently, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Max Bell Foundation, Savage and a colleague at the University of Alberta have partnered with school boards in five provinces, including Ontario, to develop new screening tools, assess existing ones and share literacy resources. School boards in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Saskatchewan have used the tools to screen incoming Grade 2 students, assess reading skills, identify areas of concern and implement targeted reading programs to help prevent reading difficulties.

Read the full article in the May 22, 2026 issue of Yfile

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A program that would have been unthinkable five years ago is strengthening guidance and connections for students pursuing a career in teaching.

The Faculty of Education鈥檚 Alumni Network has launched a pilot mentorship program that pairs alumni with 91亚色 BEd students to provide career insights and build professional relationships.

鈥淲e relaunched the network after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and we are rebuilding,鈥� says Jason Singh, a 2011 91亚色 graduate and director of education for Medix College鈥檚 health care programs, who serves as Chair of the group. 鈥淧ost-COVID, people want to connect and our objective is to engage them and connect them back to the Faculty and 91亚色.鈥�

Read the full story in the December 17, 2025 issue of Yfile

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The fourth annual Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Conference, hosted by the Toronto District School Board鈥檚 Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement (CEBSA), delivered a powerful showcase of Black youth leadership. Held on Saturday, November 1^st, 2025, at Highland Hall on the University of Toronto鈥檚 Scarborough campus, the event brought together students, educators, administrators, and community partners. Their shared goal: elevate student-led research and highlight the issues that matter most to Black learners.

The conference grew out of the Black Student Summer Leadership Program (BSSLP), a creative initiative shaped by CEBSA. The program began with ten students in 2019 in partnership with the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community, and Diaspora at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education. Participation expanded to 30 students in 2020 and surged to 100 by 2025. This growth turned the program into a competitive, in-demand experience for students eager to lead, research, and influence their schools. BSSLP affirms Black identity, excellence, and leadership, while modeling how schools and communities can work together to expand access, create career pathways, and drive systems change.

on the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper website

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There aren鈥檛 a lot of awards for people in public education. 

So, when 91亚色鈥檚 Emily Burgis, who has spent most of her career in public education with the 91亚色 Region District School Board as a teacher, guidance counsellor and curriculum consultant, learned she won an award from the Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA), she was thrilled. 

鈥淭eachers don鈥檛 often get awards, they usually only see rewards by seeing the impact they have on students,鈥� she says. 鈥淭o be recognized by an organization outside the system 鈥� it鈥檚 a real honour.鈥� 

Burgis is a visiting professor in the Faculty of Education at 91亚色鈥檚 Markham and Keele campuses where she applies her knowledge and experience as a teacher, with a focus on education that is grounded in equity and inclusion. 

Read the full article in the November 5, 2025 issue of Yfile.

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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.

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ERC Hours

The ERC operates on the following schedule:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tuesday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

If you have any questions or need assistance, the ERC team is here to help! You can reach out at 416-736-2100 x40565 or by email at erc@edu.yorku.ca

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Two 91亚色 community members 鈥� Professor Satinder Kaur Brar and Faculty of Education PhD candidate Anna Pearson 鈥� have been recognized with a 2024 Minister鈥檚 Award of Excellence from Ontario鈥檚 Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

The annual awards celebrate the work of faculty and staff at publicly assisted colleges and universities who are making a difference in students鈥� lives, in their communities and in the province. This year, there were more than 170 nominations and only six recipients selected, including professors, researchers and post-secondary leaders.

Brar, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at 91亚色鈥檚 , received the award in the category of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The category recognizes faculty and staff who work with industry and business to drive economic development in Ontario.

A globally recognized leader in green technologies for removing contaminants from drinking water and wastewater, Brar was recognized for her pioneering research in enzyme-based environmental remediation. Working in collaboration with researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique and engineering consulting firm TechnoRem Inc., Brar helped develop and implement a faster, more sustainable method for cleaning petroleum-contaminated sites using enzymes rather than traditional microorganisms. The method, which is 100 times faster and achieves an 80 per cent reduction in contaminants without toxic residues, is especially effective in cold northern climates where other microorganisms are less viable.

The approach has been supported by the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and is already in use at several polluted sites across Canada, addressing surface water, groundwater and soil contamination. 鈥淥nce it [the method for cleaning sites] gets into the field, that is where the real magic starts,鈥� says Brar, noting how rewarding it is for her team to see their lab work result in real-world environmental improvements.

She describs receiving the award as a 鈥渇antastic surprise鈥� and emphasizes the recognition is a shared achievement with her research team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great boost for them to understand that whatever we do in the lab does see light of the day at some point,鈥� she says.

Brar also highlights the importance of collaboration with stakeholders and industry. 鈥淭his kind of recognition reinforces the belief that we can transition from lab to field,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd when we see the results in the field, it can have fantastic repercussions.鈥�

Pearson, a PhD candidate at 91亚色, received the award in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario鈥檚 Students. The category highlights individuals whose work helps students build the skills and resilience needed for success in a rapidly evolving world.

Pearson, who has taught in both elementary and secondary settings across Ontario for nearly two decades, was recognized for her contributions to program design, policy leadership and community-based learning initiatives aimed at preparing teacher candidates to meet the demands of a changing educational landscape.

Reflecting on the award, she credits those who shaped her own academic path. 鈥淚t means I've had some wonderful teachers in my life,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd it also means that now I'm giving my students the same kind of mentorship that I received.鈥�

She also sees the recognition as an opportunity for thoughtful evaluation. 鈥淚t means that I have an opportunity to see what's working and what's not,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd that's the hard part.鈥�

Brar and Pearson鈥檚 achievements exemplify 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation and societal impact.

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Katrina Cain-Griffin was not expecting to find deep connections to the work of James Baldwin, an African American writer and civil rights activist, during a graduate seminar led by Professor Emeritus Warren Crichlow.

The first-year master鈥檚 student at 91亚色, who grew up in an inner-city area, saw herself in the protagonist of Baldwin鈥檚 semi-autobiographical novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain.

鈥淚 think this really reflects my own story because I鈥檓 the first in my family to pursue post-secondary education and come from a low-income background, much like Baldwin. While Baldwin pursued education independently and I chose the academic route, we both used education as a way to persevere and strive for something greater,鈥� Cain-Griffin says. 鈥淎m I meant to be the chosen one? How can anyone truly be the chosen one in their family to break a generational curse?

鈥淗e talks about why is there this generational curse which, of course, goes back to systemic racism. And I questioned, how does Baldwin emerge from being the saved one in his family?鈥�  

Crichlow, a retired professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education, designed the seminar to explore the relationship between Baldwin鈥檚 life and writing. He returned from recent retirement to honour the centenary of the writer鈥檚 birth by teaching this favoured topic.  

鈥淏aldwin鈥檚 centenary was coming up, so I proposed the course to the Faculty of Education, and they wholeheartedly supported it,鈥� he says.  

鈥淩esurgence of interest in Baldwin鈥檚 work is frequent and is somewhat generational,鈥� Crichlow says. 鈥淏ut we mustn鈥檛 forget that the murder of George Floyd prompted a massive return to Baldwin. And the year of his 90th birthday, in 2014, initiated several conferences, symposiums, film series and the founding of The James Baldwin Review, a major academic journal. There鈥檚 an abundance of excellent extant scholarship on Baldwin, but the constant proliferation of readings from newly considered optics does amaze one.鈥�  

The seminar鈥檚 description indicates its range: 鈥淛ames Baldwin鈥檚 writing, to include novels, poetry, essays, plays, children鈥檚 book, speeches and interviews, along with his personal experiences in national and international contexts, remains an exemplar of activism for civil rights, social and racial justice and principles of human equality.鈥� 

Crichlow says it was fascinating to see a different generation react to Baldwin, noting this was a first encounter with the author and civil rights activist for some. The seminar offered the opportunity to read, in a concentrated way over the term, and take a deep dive into a number of works, particularly novels, ranging from his first, Go Tell It on The Mountain (1953), to his last, Just Above My Head (1979). Students read several of Baldwin鈥檚 autobiographical essays in between to explore how conceptions of self and other relations inform his novels.

鈥淭he seminar was structured to foster thinking about the way in which concerns Baldwin articulated in his first novel in 1953 return in the last novel decades later in 1979 but are recirculated in a markedly different manner.鈥� 

The class includes students from across disciplines and many reacted to the material in different ways. Some, for instance, collaborated on a podcast. 鈥淭hey brought a bit of technology into the mix to produce a podcast-like dialogue between themselves and their reading of Baldwin and intercut that with samples of Baldwin鈥檚 own voice.鈥� 

Other students were interested in Baldwin鈥檚 relationship to music because, as Crichlow explains, so much of Baldwin鈥檚 writing is rooted in music, particularly gospel music and the blues. One theatre student in the class concentrated on Baldwin鈥檚 work as a playwright to deepen their understanding around issues of performance in educational practice. Another student, steeped in the humanities, explored points of contact between Baldwin and the 19th century theologian and philosopher S酶ren Kirkegaard.  

鈥淭he range of interests was variously broad. I would never have thought of this particular intersection,鈥� Crichlow says.  

Aida Mohammadi, a student in Crichlow鈥檚 class, was inspired to enrol after learning the course included reading several fictional pieces, as she had been looking for a chance to read more novels. She initially approached the class out of curiosity, but it profoundly changed her perspective on literature.  

鈥淚 consider Baldwin in everything now, everything I read, everything I see, any social conflict today, whether in a movie or real life, I wonder what Baldwin would think, what he would say,鈥� Mohammadi says.  

The course also opened her eyes to the power of the essay as a literary genre, a form she believes is not as valued in literary studies as it should be.  

鈥淏aldwin showed me the artistry of essays, and I now see them as just as impactful and complex as novels.鈥�  

She praises Crichlow鈥檚 thoughtful arrangement of the readings, emphasizing the order in which he assigned them was essential to her understanding of Baldwin鈥檚 work. 鈥淚 found it brilliant.鈥�  

Crichlow has applied to organize panels for students to present their final papers in 91亚色鈥檚 upcoming Education Graduate Student Conference and may plan future conference opportunities. He intends to continue working with the 14 students enrolled in the course, regardless.  

鈥淚 will follow up on insights from their own reading and research that I hadn鈥檛 imagined or encountered,鈥� he says. 鈥淚ndeed, I have certainly learned a lot from these students that will enrich my continued study of James Baldwin.鈥�

With files from Julie Carl

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Participants explored the Camerise Project鈥揳n online hub designed to support FSL teachers in sharing and adapting classroom resources, learned about Open Education, Creative Commons licensing, and effective strategies for collaborating online.

The workshop included a panel discussion featuring experts in FSL education, who shared insights on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), the action-oriented approach, and ways to incorporate diverse Francophone perspectives into teaching materials.

First-year Glendon BEd students played an important role in the workshop. Having completed the Camerise online asynchronous course on Creative Commons licensing and resource sharing (), the students contributed valuable knowledge to experienced teachers who may be new to open licensing practices. The students also collaborated with teachers to co-create classroom resources, giving them an opportunity to apply their learning in a practical setting.

鈥淭his collaboration offers mutual benefits: experienced teachers gain fresh insights from students engaged in current research, while BEd students gain a deeper understanding of real-world classroom challenges鈥�, said Muriel P茅guret Co-lead of the Camerise Project (FSL hub) which has been funded for the past five years by MOE and Heritage Canada. 鈥淏y working together, participants created resources that are not only effective but also responsive to the evolving needs of FSL classrooms鈥�.

The resources that were created will be shared publicly via the , allowing other educators to re-use, adapt them and re-share their adaptation for the benefit of the community.

The workshop鈥檚 broader goal was to build a community of practice that connects future and experienced educators. By fostering dialogue and collaboration, the workshop helped BEd students to feel connected to the profession before they officially enter the classroom. For experienced teachers, this opportunity to exchange ideas and collaborate with peers outside their school boards encourages fresh approaches to lesson planning.

By combining the expertise of seasoned educators with the fresh perspectives of Glendon BEd students, the workshop aims to build a community of practice to generate high-quality resources that will enrich FSL classrooms. The initiative highlights how resource sharing can save teachers time while enhancing student learning in FSL classrooms across Ontario.

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