Students thank professor in Zoom classes for 'keeping our spirits high' during pandemic
Students at York University surprised their professor during Zoom class to thank him for his work during a challenging year. Professor Mario Di Paolantonio of York University in Toronto, where he's been an educator for over 20 years, spent time reworking his in-person coursework for online learning due to the pandemic and found this surprise by his Educational Studies students to be "a real gift.

New set of courses creates space for Indigenous students to ‘Make Good Tracks’
Rooted in Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies, the Wüléelham courses, cohorts and programs engage participants in learning from Indigenous peoples’ experiences and perspectives. In the 1990s, when few of us realized the importance of Indigenous pedagogy, Lenâpé -Potawatomi Professor Susan Dion, was immersed in the topic. Today, the York University associate professor of Indigenous education has brought her research and knowledge to bear in creating Wüléelham, a set of Faculty of Education courses, cohorts and programs that are rooted in Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies.

York University grants master's degrees to first cohort of refugees in Kenya
Mark Okello Oyat and four of his fellow students at the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya are waiting for the pandemic to wind down before celebrating their new master’s degrees in style, but the thrill is still present among the members of the first cohort of Dadaab students to earn York University graduate degrees, which were awarded this past June. 

Professor Stephen Gaetz appointed Tier 1 York Research Chair in Homelessness and Research Impact
As a world leader in the area of homelessness research, Gaetz’ work has been defined by his desire to ‘make research matter’.  His research agenda has been developed on the premise that there are realistic and practical solutions to homelessness and that communities across Canada can implement effective plans to achieve that end when informed by credible evidence and supported by appropriate policy and funding frameworks. 

Education researchers awarded close to $450,000 in SSHRC grants
Professors at the Faculty of Education have been awarded grants by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Summer Institute going strong all year
The Faculty of Education Summer Institute (FESI), may have bowed to COVID-19 in terms of format, but it is unbowed in terms of mission and content. For 2020-2021, the institute has morphed into a series of five free webinars titled Up Close and Personal: Conversations on Anti-Oppression.

Monthly virtual colloquium series examines the intersections of refugee education, anti-Black racism and COVID-19 in Canada and East Africa
‘Reciprocal Learning in Times of Crisis’ is the first colloquium series of its kind to feature experts from York University and from institutions that are comprised of or work with refugees in equal measure.

New program trains environmental leaders of the future
Rooted in concern for the Earth, a new Faculty of Education program will teach youth who are concerned about the environment the leadership skills they need to champion their cause. Rooted & Rising is a certificate program that grew out of the interest Toronto-area youth showed in part in the Fridays for Future environmental demonstrations inspired by teen Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

Grad student at York's campus in Dadaab, Kenya receives inaugural scholarship from CRS
Dahabo Ibrahim, a master’s student in education at York University’s campus in Dadaab, Kenya, is the inaugural recipient of the Centre for Refugee Studies’ (CRS) Anthony Richmond Scholarship.

Faculty launches first phase of new and improved website
The Faculty’s new website launched on Aug. 31 with a modern design, enhanced functionality and an improved user experience. The new website was a part of York’s new pan-University web optimization strategy.

Faculty releases 2016-2020 Impact Report highlighting accomplishments over the past four years
From our work in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, to our growing partnership with the Urban Indigenous Education Centre in Toronto, we have continued to make a difference in, and have a real impact on, the world.