community Archives | Faculty of Education

91��ɫ research results in guide to support children’s museum educators

acoward — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:06:47 +0000

Edited by: Ashley Goodfellow Craig | March 27, 2026

91��ɫ Faculty of Education Professor Lisa Farley and her research colleagues have developed a reflection guide for museum educators to support their efforts to discuss challenging topics and ideas with children.

The guide builds on the team’s 2025 study of programming and practices at children’s museums in Canada and the United States.

^{Lisa Farley}

Farley says museum educators are navigating increasingly constrained environments when addressing equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion with young audiences. Often, the idea of “childhood innocence” is cited as a reason to censor or downplay controversial and challenging ideas.

At the same time, Farley says, "children live within the social and political world, and are themselves subjects of and/or witnesses to injustices, violences and inequities."

She adds that the question then becomes "not how to protect them from difficult knowledge, but what it can mean to facilitate meaningful engagements.”

Farley and her colleagues, including 91��ɫ’s Gillian Parekh, associate professor of education and doctoral candidate Suad Ahmed, conducted the original study in partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). Their research found that while many children’s museums focus on exploration, play or self-expression, addressing social and historical issues with young audiences were secondary.

Read the full article in the Friday, March 27, 2026 issue of Yfile

Article written by Elaine Smith, special contributing writer

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From BEd to Beyond: Insights from alumna Katrina Cain-Griffin

devontem — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:11:09 +0000

We sat down with 91��ɫ Faculty of Education alumna and current Master’s student Katrina Cain-Griffin to talk about her journey—from navigating the BEd program to stepping into the classroom as an occasional teacher, and continuing her studies at the graduate level.

In this short interview, Katrina shares her experiences, insights, and advice for current teacher candidates who are preparing for what comes next.

If you’re wondering what the transition into teaching actually feels like, or thinking about pursuing further studies, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Watch the full interview now and hear directly from someone who was in your shoes not too long ago.

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Powwow as Pedagogy: Educator Panel

acoward — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:59:30 +0000

Powwow remains a site of important cultural resurgence for First Nations across Canada, with countless gatherings occurring across the Great Lakes region. However, the role movement and dance play as a form of knowledge creation and can operate as a pedagogical framework continues to be underrepresented and marginalized within educational studies. Panelists will share their stories and experiences in challenging these narratives and offer insights into how Indigenous movements and pedagogies can foster critical consciousness for First Nations dancers, families and communities alike.

Featuring:

Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane PhD (c), Anishinaabe, Wikwemikoong, Mount Royal University, Calgary
Neegawnee Oshkawbaywis, Raymond Deleary, Anishinabe
John Hupfield, Assistant Professor, Anishinaabe, Wasauksing First Nation, 91��ɫ Faculty of Education

Miigwech to the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages (CIKL) for their gracious support and the Faculty of Education @ 91��ɫ for financial support

Co-presented by Miikaans: Mobile Movement Lab and ISAY – Indigenous Students Association at 91��ɫ as part of the Indigenous Week @ 91��ɫ Series

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Engaging Communities: Lessons and Insights from Research Partnerships

acoward — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:45:23 +0000

This roundtable brings together researchers working in and with communities to reflect on experiences and lessons from university-community research partnerships. Panelists will discuss how well we understand communities’ needs, concerns, and expectations; how researchers can be more responsive to these needs and expectations; and how research findings are shared with communities, especially those whose members participated in the research. They will also discuss how universities and researchers can build and sustain strong partnerships with communities; and the extent to which communities feel well served and satisfied with these partnerships.

Panelists:

Angele Alook, Associate Professor, School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies & Director, Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages
Rebecca Beaulne-Stuebing, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
Jennifer Foster, Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
Carl James, Professor & Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, Faculty of Education
Byron Gray, Manager, TD Community Engagement Centre

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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91��ɫ U scholar supports national study advancing Black health

acoward — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:35:30 +0000

_{Edited by Ashley Goodfellow Craig February 25, 2026}

Carl E. James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education, brings his expertise to a four-year Genome Canada research project focused on Canada’s Black population.

Genomic Evidence for Precision Medicine for Selected Chronic Diseases Among Black Peoples in Canada – developed through collaboration with the Centre for Applied Genomics, at SickKids Hospital and McGill Genome Centre – is an effort to sequence the genomes of 10,000 Black Canadians to ensure equitable health care for an often-understudied population.

By sequencing the nucleotides that make up the participants’ DNA and RNA, researchers will gain a better understanding of how diseases affect Canada’s Black population and develop better precision medicines to target their conditions.

_{Carl James}

“We need to encourage these approaches for research, since medical studies often miss the racial diversity of health care recipients,” says James, a renowned sociologist with a research focus on race and ethnic relations. “In fact, we need to understand differences in all populations.”

The study is led by four prominent medical researchers: Upton Allen, division head at SickKids Hospital’s Infectious Diseases and professor at the University of Toronto; Loydie Jerome-Majewska, McGill University Department of Pediatrics professor and co-founder/program lead for the Canadian Black Scientists’ Network (CSBN); Juliet Daniel, McMaster University cell biologist and cancer researcher; and OmiSoore Dryden, professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University.

Read the full article in the February 25, 2026 issue of Yfile

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Following 50 years of Canadian life

acoward — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:27:40 +0000

**A led by 91��ɫ follows Class of '73 high school graduates over the span of five decades in The Story of a Generation, a book that offers powerful insights on the baby boomer generation.**

Culminating in a new book titled , the research marks the longest-running Canadian generational study of its kind, following nearly 50 years in the lives of a cohort of high school students who graduated in 1973.

The project originated with Paul Anisef, professor emeritus at 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies who began with a survey of high school students to help the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities understand and project post-secondary enrolment.

“I didn’t have in my mind at all that this would become a long-standing longitudinal study,” says Anisef. “It started as a ministry-sponsored survey of high school students, and one thing led to another.”

Encouraged by colleagues after the initial survey, Anisef returned repeatedly to the same group of students – just under 2,500 members of the class of 1973 – surveying and interviewing them in seven waves, from adolescence through midlife and into their early to mid-'60s.

The final phase, conducted between 2019 and 2021, captured their reflections as many approached retirement, offering a rare, lifespan perspective on Canadians.

The newly released book is co-authored along with 91��ɫ Faculty of Education professors Paul Axelrod and Carl James, as well as 91��ɫ PhD student Erika McDonald, and includes contributions from Wolfgang Lehmann, Karen Robson and Erica Fae Thomson. It’s a follow-up to an earlier volume, Opportunity and Uncertainty: Life Course Experiences of the Class of ’73 (2000).

Read the full story in the January 16, 2026 issue of Yfile

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Fighting food insecurity from afar

acoward — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:51:02 +0000

People in the Niagara Region of Ontario have a 91��ɫ Faculty of Education alumna to thank for the healthy, reasonably priced food options regularly available to them.

Pamela Farrell, currently an assistant professor at the Werklund Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary, earned her BEd at 91��ɫ in 2007, the first step in a journey of lifelong learning in the field of education that eventually led her to found , Canada’s first community food literacy centre based in Niagara Falls.

_{Pamela Farrell}

Farrell, a native of Switzerland, met her Canadian husband while she was in London and originally came to Canada through the Youth Mobility Program. She began working for EY Canada in human resources, which included adult learning and diversity training.

“EY was ahead of its time with regard to diversity, and I learned about inequity in the workplace and in hiring, something that transferred to education,” Farrell said .

Her husband inspired her to pursue her interest in education through 91��ɫ.

“91��ɫ’s BEd program was transformational; it makes you think about your own learning and is very introspective and reflective. You consider how learning resonates with your own experience and values. I’m not sure that any other program requires you to think about your own experiences and how they affect your principles, as well as how you learn and how others learn.”

The BEd program also emphasized the importance of lifelong learning, a belief that Farrell embraced. She pursued further studies and has since acquired an MEd from Australia’s University of South Queensland and a doctorate in education from the University of Calgary. She is currently pursuing an MA in Educational Leadership from Harvard University.

Where does GROW fit into this picture, one might ask? It grew out of Farrell’s doctoral dissertation, given her specialization in language and literacy. When Farrell came across the term food literacy, she decided to explore the term from a literacy perspective.

“People often approach food literacy from a health and nutrition point of view, but what does it really mean?” Farrell asked. “You need to understand the social context behind literacy. Everyone has food literacies, but they look different across cultures, and some people can’t act or do what they like to do with food.” {GROW defines food literacy and skills as the interconnected information, knowledge, relationships, capacities, and sense of agency, together with the social, cultural, and physical environments, that support healthy eating and informed food choices.)

Through her research, she discovered that many “low-income people have rich food literacy practices, but no access to healthy foods and fresh vegetables.” In addition, she found that only 25 per cent of food-insecure population used food banks and when they do, “they might get three days’ worth of food that isn’t culturally or nutritionally appropriate. Her research illuminates a stark public health crisis; persons with disabilities, especially women, are disproportionately affected by food insecurity.

While living in Niagara, she decided to use this research to make an impact in the community, and in 2020, created a concrete way for the community to access healthier food. Its low-cost market in Niagara Falls provides fresh produce, dairy, and meat, as well as dairy and meat alternatives to community members living on low incomes. The program is supported by grants, program partners and runs with the assistance from volunteers.

“GROW provides food access in a dignified way,” Farrell said. “There’s no prescribing, and we’re not shaming you; we’re just providing access. We know you can cook, so here are the ingredients.”

To meet demand in Niagara, in 2024, GROW added an electric mobile market truck, GROW-on-the-GO, to its programs in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada. Working with partners throughout the region, GROW-on-the-GO travels daily to locations throughout the region that are identified as food deserts – urban areas with no affordable grocery stores. As GROW-on-the-GO completes its second year of service, Farrell and her team will conduct a formal evaluation of the new addition to determine how it can serve the community better.

“GROW-on-the-Go is Pam’s vision brought to life,” said Lindsay Krahn, the mobile marketing program manager for GROW. “It was her idea of how we could expand in the region without needing more bricks and mortar.

“Pam really brings a unique perspective to this work. She is so involved in the research side of things, but is also dedicated to the practical component. She is really dedicated to this work.”

Farrell, who now oversees GROW from Calgary, says it’s all about education.

“When I think about my own philosophy of teaching and learning, it’s critical to have the literacy to understand our neighbours, our food systems and how the world works.”

Story by Elaine Smith, special contributing writer

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Revitalized alumni network leads to new mentorship program

acoward — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:56:34 +0000

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’s Alumni Network has launched a pilot mentorship program that pairs alumni with 91��ɫ BEd students to provide career insights and build professional relationships.

“We relaunched the network after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and we are rebuilding,” says Jason Singh, a 2011 91��ɫ graduate and director of education for Medix College’s health care programs, who serves as Chair of the group. “Post-COVID, people want to connect and our objective is to engage them and connect them back to the Faculty and 91��ɫ.”

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

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Waaban program continues to turn Indigenous knowledges into teaching credentials

acoward — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:27:20 +0000

The Waaban teacher education program in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education is being given a reboot designed to ensure students feel comfortable in both Indigenous and university settings.

The accelerated 16-month program is offered every two years, and applications are open through mid-January for its 2026 cohort. Cohort members move through the program together, forming a community.

Assistant Professor John Hupfield, the program co-ordinator, emphasizes Waaban’s unique pathway toward a Bachelor of Education degree and Ontario teacher accreditation.

_{John Hupfield}

“We’re creating a conduit for Indigenous educators,” says Hupfield, an Anishinaabe educator and grass dancer from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, Ont. “We’re creating an access point for mature learners and culture-based educators so they can get into the classroom. It’s a way of giving back to our Indigenous communities.”

The accelerated 16-month program doesn’t require its candidates to have any university experience or a teachable subject; the Faculty of Education team considers an applicant’s knowledges, experience and interest in sharing it. People with a passion for their culture, whether they create beadwork or ribbon skirts, dance in pow wows or serve as knowledge keepers for their First Nation, are encouraged to apply.

“The university education system wasn’t designed by Indigenous Peoples,” Hupfield says. “That construct didn’t exist in our communities, and the education system isn’t equipped to meet our needs. The Waaban program takes into consideration the unique needs of Indigenous students, rooted in history and factoring in the residential school experience and the resulting intergenerational trauma.”

At Waaban, however, students’ Indigenous backgrounds are considered valuable and important.

“It’s not traditional teacher education,” says Gabrielle Ayotte, a 2021 Waaban graduate, who is currently working on her PhD in Indigenous education at 91��ɫ. “The program implements oral knowledge, and the relationship between students and teachers is at the centre. We’re able to think about land and spirit and have opportunities to bring our own stories into the classroom. Our knowledges are not usually validated in the education system.”

Ayotte grew up in Montreal as a member of Garden River First Nation. She visited her community near Sault Ste. Marie each summer.

_{Gabrielle Ayotte}

“My Indigenous identity was never discussed growing up,” Ayotte says, “but family and friends began to ask questions about residential schools [when news broke about the Joyce Echaquan tragedy] and our identities. I wanted to learn more about my identity and colonization, and Waaban seemed like the perfect program for me. It had all the elements I needed to learn about and grow.

“It provided a space where my classmates and I could breathe and didn’t have to explain what it means to be Indigenous. I found community there.”

Hupfield says that Waaban “tries to create educators better equipped to meet the specific needs of Indigenous students. One of the ways we do that is by helping teaching candidates foster their own sense of identity and understand the values they carry and the teachings they know. I want to equip them to take on a leadership role.”

Waaban classes have generally been held at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre (UIEC) in Toronto’s East End, but this year, the 91��ɫ campus will host the classes throughout the summer. Hupfield is eager to see 91��ɫ build stronger ties between the university and local Indigenous communities.

“There are lots of opportunities for the program to grow and for 91��ɫ to have meaningful relationships with the Anishinaabe Nation and other First Nations,” Hupfield says.

“91��ɫ will once again be hosting the winter Pow Wow on campus, and it is an opportunity for Indigenous people to see themselves on campus and consider it as a place for culture-based gatherings.”

UIEC also has a major benefit as a classroom space; it is located next to Wandering Spirit School (Kâpapâmahchakwêw), a K-12 Toronto District School Board school that “provides Indigenous children with an opportunity to learn about Anishinaabe cultural traditions in a nurturing, caring environment.”

Laurie LaBrecque, who graduated from Waaban’s first cohort, teaches land-based learning and physical education at Wandering Spirit School. A member of Dokis First Nation situated along Ontario’s French River, LaBrecque, who grew up in Toronto, says “Waaban changed my life.”

“I grew up in a white, middle-class environment and saw myself as white, even though I knew my culture. My grandfather was a residential school survivor who grew up on a trapline, and I went to Pow Wows with my aunt. But I struggled at university, and graduation felt very far away.”

A friend who taught at Wandering Spirit School encouraged her to consider Waaban, given that she had always enjoyed working with children.

“I look at people talking about Indigenous pedagogy and a lot of them have no classroom experience,” says LaBrecque, who is now working on a master’s degree at the University of Toronto. “I believe the biggest change I can make is in the classroom.

“Education was used as a weapon of violence against Indigenous people. The only way to make change is to have people with lived experience involved in the system.”

As Waaban graduate Ayotte says,

“The media frame us as broken people, but we are reframing that.”

The Waaban program is an important piece of that puzzle.

To learn more about the Waaban teacher education program or to apply, visit /edu/students/waaban/

Article by Elaine Smith, special contributing writer

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In the media: Sankofa Square finally gets its ‘grand opening’ this weekend. For many, it’s a long time coming

acoward — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:31:43 +0000

_{The new logo and signage for Sankofa Square at the “Sankofa Square” celebrations on Saturday. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star}

Sankofa Square, formerly known as Yonge-Dundas, is finally ready to celebrate its new identity.

Thousands of people are expected to flood downtown Toronto for the inaugural event at the rebranded public space Saturday. The celebration commemorates Sankofa Day, a date recognized internationally by the United Nations in remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition.

Carl James, 91��ɫ professor and the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora, said the renaming of the square acknowledges Canada’s “colonial baggage” — a positive development that he hopes contributes to a shift in thinking among broader Canadian society.

“It’s a good first step,” he said. “Now, what do we do further?”

He noted that the conversations in 2020 that spurred the name change are a signal of what can happen “when we start paying attention.”

Read the full article in the .

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