Events
Education plays an essential role in increasing awareness of issues related to sustainability and developing the skills and knowledge required to address them. By incorporating sustainable development principles into school curricula and activities, we can empower future generations to contribute to a more sustainable and resilient world. To this end CLRiE along with Laurier's Faculty of Education organized a workshop for educators in August 2024.
In this interactive workshop, Dr. Manuel Riemer drew on his work at the cross-section of community psychology and sustainability science to explore how to foster cultures of sustainability in schools. Topics included the psychology of climate change, systems thinking and change, cultures of sustainability in organizations, engaging youth in climate action, and how to support youth with negative eco-emotions. Dr. Riemer was also joined by Prof. Judy Halpern and Dr. Steve Sider from the Faculty of Education.
To see an overview of the workshop click here.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges in conducting research and and necessitated constant adaptation to changing conditions. To explore this theme the Centre for Leading Research in Education hosted a Panel Discussion titled "Educational Research and Global Engagement in the post-COVID Era" on March 21, 2023. The panel featured CLRiE members engaged in educational research in diverse global contexts and included Alexandra Gottardo, Bree Akesson, Ehaab Abdou, Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy and Steve Sider. The panel shared their experiences of conducting education research in Kenya, Haiti, Egypt and Syria.
The panel stressed that while digital technology was an effective instrument for doing research, it needed to be balanced with human interaction and as such, should be a source of innovation. Besides educating other academics and community partners, researchers also need to be aware of the political, social, and cultural context of the locations they plan to study.
Listen to the related podcast episode on global perspectives on education research by clicking the link below.
In January 2022, the Centre for Leading Research in Education at Wilfrid Laurier University convened a group of 34 education leaders and researchers for a conversation about how the school system should support recovery from the educational and developmental harms associated with COVID-19. The workshop was designed to reflect our belief that better educational policy solutions arise when different voices have a chance to be heard, that there are many stakeholders and researchers who are very keen to help shape and inform the agenda around recovery in Ontario and beyond; and that multi-stakeholder processes are feasible and constructive. It may also usefully provide a benchmark by which we can assess actual recovery policies put in place by government.
Apart from the conversation itself, the workshop resulted in the report, "Educational recovery and reimagining in the wake of COVID-19: Principles and proposals from a multi-stakeholder workshop", available below. The report highlights key priorities for recovery and rebuilding in the education system, reflecting both points of strong consensus and areas where there is not yet full agreement.
Read the report offline. Need an accessible version? Download a text-only DOCX version of the report.
Click to watch elements of the workshop