Faculty of Education News Bulletin

Top Stories

NEW ED Global Insights research newsletter – Introducing a new newsletter from York University’s Faculty of Education, showcasing transformative research and bold ideas shaping the future of education and driving positive change around the world. View Winter 2026 issue

York research results in guide to support children’s museum educators - 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. Read more

York U scholar supports national study advancing Black health - Carl E. James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora, brings his expertise to a four-year Genome Canada research project focused on Canada’s Black population. Read more

York research challenges how healthy aging is defined - A new study led by associate professor Natalia Balyasnikova is calling for a shift in how healthy aging is understood globally. Read more

Charles Hopkins Invested as Member of the Order of Canada - Congratulations to UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability Charles Hopkins who was recently invested as a Member of the Order of Canada. The investiture took place in Ottawa on March 19. Read more

Teaching & Learning

From assignment to teaching resource: Student-created Yearbook – Students in Assistant Professor Lorin Schwarz’s English Education course marked the end of the term with a Poetry Carnival showcasing their final assignment. Each student was tasked with selecting a poem from the pre-1920’s and connecting it to a course reading. The poems were then compiled into a class yearbook to serve as a resource for their future classrooms

Research Office

Call for presenters & participants
Our annual Faculty of Education Year-End Celebration with the theme The Art of Scholarship: Arts-Based Research and Pedagogy will take place on the afternoon of Thursday, May 21, 2026. If you’d like to take part, please send a brief (30 words or fewer) description of what you would like to share to Research@edu.yorku.ca

Selected Research Funding Opportunities
Please reach out to the OADR (research@edu.yorku.ca) if you have questions or would like support in preparing a submission for any of the following grants:

• External
  • Spencer Foundation Research Grants on Education- Small Grant: April 15, 2026
  • GRE Stream A-Strategic Partnership Exploration & Development: Rolling until April 30, 2026
  • SSHRC Connection Grants: May 1, 2026
  • SSHRC Exchange – Conference Grant: May 1, August 1, November 1, and February 1.
  • 2027 Dorothy Killam Research Fellowships: May 21, 2026
  • SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants: May 22, 2026
  • 2027 Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship: June 9, 2026
  • SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants: June 15, 2026
  • SSHRC Connection Grants: August 4, 2026
  • SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants: September 22, 2026
  • Canadian Heritage - Scientific Knowledge in French Support Fund – Minority Language Education: Rolling
  • Québec Secretariat for Canadian Relations - Support Program for the Canadian Francophonie: Rolling
  • Mitacs Globalink Research Award: Rolling
  • Mitacs Accelerate: Rolling
  • Max Bell Foundation: Rolling

• Internal
  • Black Scholars and Black Scholarship Events and Outreach Activities: April 1, July 1, September 1, and January 1
  • Funding for Indigenous Scholarly Events and Outreach Activities: April 1, July 1, September 1, and January 1
  • Funding for Scholarly Events and Outreach Activities: April 1, July 1, September 1, and January 1
  • York Black Incentive Grant: Rolling
  • York Indigenous Incentive Grant: Rolling
  • York Incentive Grant: Rolling

Past Events:

• Spotlight on Faculty Research: Perspectives on pedagogy, curriculum, and migration in language and literacy in an interconnected world | Thursday, January 29, 2026

• A Critical Conversation About GenAI in Education | Thursday, February 12, 2026

Upcoming Events:

• Organized Research Units Information Sessions
  • Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | Online
    Participating ORUs:
  • Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages
  • Centre for Research on Language and Culture Contact
  • Mad Studies Hub
  • The Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Society

• Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | Online 
  Participating ORUs:
  • The City Institute at York University (CITY)
  • Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research
  • Centre for Refugee Studies - Centre for Refugee Studies
  • Institute for Technoscience & Society

Expanding Scholarly Conversation Through Media Engagement: A Two-Part Workshop

Workshop Leader: Michelle Stack with Jordan Michael Smith
Co-organizers: Roopa Trilokekar & Khaled Barkaoui
Co-sponsored by the Faculty of Education and Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies

Are you wondering why, as an academic, you would want to engage with media, particularly in the current moment of heightened threats to academic freedom and widespread disinformation? This two-part interactive workshop, led by Michelle Stack and Jordan Michael Smith, explores why engaging with media matters for scholars and how it can help amplify the impact of their research beyond academia to shape public discourse and inform policy.

Part 1: Why Media Engagement Matters 
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom

Part 2: How Scholars Can Engage Media Effectively
Monday, April 27, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | 280 N York Lanes

Roundtable: Building and Sustaining Research Relationships with School Boards
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom

Interested in conducting research with schools/boards but unsure where to start or what they might expect of you? Your search is over! Come meet our expert researchers representing four Ontario school boards. They will discuss important aspects of building university/public education research relationships and strategies on how to sustain them. Lots of time for discussion so please bring your questions! Session will be facilitated by professors Carl James and Gillian Parekh

Professional Learning Office

AQs are open for registration to Spring 2026 graduating teachers!
Graduating BEd students can register now for an AQ course that starts May 5th and get a head-start on their professional learning. We have more course choices than ever this year including AQs, ABQs, Tech Ed ABQs and more. For those who prefer their AQs in French, we have Special Education Part 1, French as a Second Language Focus and Reading Part 1, French as a Second Language Focus

Resources for Faculty

New Land Acknowledgement for email signatures - The University recently signed an MOU with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. One of the outcomes is the launch of a new land acknowledgement website. This update also affects email signatures. All staff and faculty are encouraged to update their email signatures with the new Land Acknowledgement. Updated templates are available by campus, Faculty and sub brand. They can be downloaded from the Email Headers and Signatures section of the York brand website

Promising AI Resources for Teaching and Learning

• AI tools are increasingly used in higher education to support personalized learning, accessibility, and student engagement
  • The Impact of AI and LMS Integration on the Future of Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for Transformation
  • Promoting equity and addressing concerns in teaching and learning with artificial intelligence

• Institutions are using AI to streamline administrative work and learning analytics, freeing time for student support and mentoring
  • Artificial intelligence in higher education, opportunities, and challenges: a review

• Researchers warn that AI systems can reinforce existing inequities, including algorithmic bias, digital divides, and data privacy concerns
  • Ethical Challenges Associated with the Use of Artificial Intelligence in University Education
  • Striking a Balance: Navigating the Ethical Dilemmas of AI in Higher Education

• Equity-focused AI adoption emphasizes AI literacy, transparent policies, inclusive design, and ongoing impact assessment
  • Artificial intelligence in higher education: a systemic review of contributions to SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 10 (reduced inequality)

New Publications

Associate Professor Natalia Balyasnikova and co-authors have a new paper titled “Sustainable learning ecosystems in later life: A critical realist perspective” in Educational Gerontology

In The Media

Please note: Some media stories mentioning York University are behind paywalls. To ensure accuracy and accessibility for our community, we only include articles we can fully access and verify. 

Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director Natalia Balyasnikova was interviewed for a new documentary series titled "Seniors and Technology: Embracing the Digital World" on 99.3 County FM. The series explores topics and trends to help seniors navigate through the maze of today’s technology. The interview aired on March 12. Listen to interview

Faculty of Education Student Association (FESA)

FESA Formal: Casino Royale – FESA hosted its annual Casino Royale Formal at Pinecrest Event Centre, bringing students together for a memorable night of connection and celebration. Guests enjoyed a themed photo booth and raffle prizes while connecting and celebrating ahead of the end of the academic year

FESA x YUEAN Mentorship Summit - FESA, in partnership with the York University Education Alumni Network (YUEAN), hosted a Mentorship Summit this past Wednesday, connecting students and alumni through networking and meaningful discussions. The event highlights FESA’s ongoing commitment to mentorship, career readiness, and community building

Wikondiek Fundraising Recap – This year, FESA raised over $1,000 in support of Wikondiek Primary and Secondary School in Kenya through raffles and other initiatives. These funds will support educational resources and opportunities for students, reflecting the Faculty of Education’s commitment to global citizenship and giving in support of Wikondiek Primary and Secondary School

Alumni News

From BEd to Beyond: Insights from alumna Katrina Cain-Griffin – In this interview, alumna Katrina Cain-Griffin reflects on her journey from navigating the BEd program to stepping into the classroom as an occasional teacher–and continuing her academic path at the graduate level. Watch Interview

Waaban BEd grad brings Indigenous-Centred pedagogy to Ontario schools - A career in education can take many forms, but for Bailey McGill, education goes beyond lesson plans–it's rooted in community, healing, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Read more

News from the York Community

York University jumps 20 spots in QS World University Rankings by Subject - York University jumped 20 spots in the QS World University Rankings by Subject today out of close to 2,000 universities. The University continues its upward trajectory landing six subjects in the top 100 globally this year – the most ever – which shows its growing academic and employer reputation. Read more

Indigenous-led land acknowledgements gifted to York U community - Three new land acknowledgements, developed by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, will guide how York University recognizes the territories its campuses occupy and are accompanied by new protocols and resources for community use. Read more

Notice of parking rate changes - York University parking rates for 2026-27 come into effect on May 1. Learn more

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