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The 2020-2021 York Circle @ Home Lecture Series

Hosted by Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell, Academic Chair of The York Circle, this virtual lecture series will showcase York's leading faculty members—from policy makers to molecular scientists—to engage in lively panel discussions and Q&A sessions on key themes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series will be held over four sessions throughout the year.

The first 200 people to register for three or more York Circle @ Home virtual sessions will:

  • Receive a complimentary York University coffee mug¥
  • Become a member of The York Circle
  • Be entered for a chance to win 1 of 4 $25 gift cards per session, made possible by MBNA Rewards® Platinum Plus® Mastercard®*

Registration is required. You can register now by using the buttons below for each session. We'll send you a reminder closer to the event date.

¥ Complimentary York University mugs will be reserved for the first 200 people who register for and attend three or more York Circle @ Home sessions, while quantities last; mugs to be delivered in spring 2021.
* Prizing provided courtesy of MBNA Rewards® Platinum Plus® Mastercard®.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 | 10-11:30am ET 

During these unprecedented times, politicians, parents, health professionals and educators are struggling to determine what is best for students heading back to school this fall, whether that’s virtually or in person. In this timely panel session, York University experts will discuss the economic, social, and practical impacts of the pandemic on children, parents and educators in relation to inequities in the current education system. Dr. Gillian Parekh, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, will explore tensions around education and care for students with disabilities; Dr. Vidya Shah, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, will offer ideas for providing learning engagements focused on relationality, as well as community and critical consciousness; and Dr. Stephen Gaetz, Professor in the Faculty of Education, will speak to the problem of supporting youth experiencing homelessness or who are precariously housed during the pandemic.

Click here to RSVP now.

Dr. Stephen Gaetz

Professor, Faculty of Education, President, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and Scientific Director of Making the Shift (Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab)

Dr. Stephen Gaetz is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and leading scholar on homelessness. He focuses his efforts on working in collaboration with partners to conduct research that will guide and inform solutions to homelessness. Dr. Gaetz has played a leading international role in knowledge mobilization and homelessness research through the Homeless Hub. In 2017, he was awarded the Member of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Gillian Parekh

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Canada Research Chair in Inclusion, Disability and Education

Dr. Gillian Parekh is an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Inclusion, Disability and Education (Tier 2) within the Faculty of Education at York. As a previous teacher in special education and research coordinator with the Toronto District School Board, Dr. Parekh has conducted extensive system and school-based research in Toronto in the areas of structural equity, special education, and academic streaming. In particular, her work explores how schools construct and respond to disability, as well as how students are organized across programs and systems.

Dr. Vidya Shah

Assistant Professor, Leadership and Education, Faculty of Education

Dr. Vidya Shah is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University and teaches in the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement and Initial Teacher Education Programs. She received her Doctorate in Educational Administration from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and her research explores the contributing factors to district reform for equity. Dr. Shah has worked in the Model Schools for Inner Cities Program in the Toronto District School Board and was a primary, junior and intermediate teacher in the TDSB.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 | 10-11:30am ET

Full list of panelists and event description will be shared shortly.

Click here to RSVP now.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 | 10-11:30am ET

Full list of panelists and event description will be shared shortly.

Click here to RSVP now.

Date: Saturday, April 17, 2021 | 10-11:30am ET

Full list of panelists and event description will be shared shortly.

Click here to RSVP now.

Ideas for Life, Living and the World Around Us

Since 2009, York Circle has showcased the ideas and research being generated by York University’s community. Topics come from every faculty and have included discussions around gender issues, brain function, mental health, international aid, sports injuries, financial policy and many more evolving subjects. Learn more about our past lectures and the distinguished speakers who presented them, and then sign up to hear about our upcoming presentations.

Join The York Circle

Membership is free! Once you’ve joined, we’ll invite you to each event where you can:

  • network in a relaxed environment
  • learn about current research on key topics from York’s professors
  • meet like-minded people who love to learn

Please note: Current students and faculty of York are not eligible to join The York Circle but can attend as a guest of a registered member.

For more information on The York Circle, call us at (416) 650-8159 or email us at yorkcircle@yorku.ca.

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