Faculty of Education News Bulletin

Top Stories

Why School-Based Youth Homelessness Prevention Works: The Case for the Reconnect Program Model – This feature by Amanda Buchnea, Stephen Gaetz and Tanya McCagherty (A Way Home Canada, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness) illustrates why school-based prevention works—combining data and one student’s story to show how early, relationship-based support can change outcomes for youth. Read feature

My Literacy Memoir: Year 1 Teacher Candidates’ Multimodal Stories - In EDPJ1000: Language & Literacy in the Primary/Junior Divisions, first-year students from our Markham cohort created multimodal literacy memoirs, exploring their connections to language, identity, and literacy. Guided by Emily Burgis and Dr. Virginia Grimaldi, students shared their stories using a blend of images, sound, text, and movement. This creative assignment highlighted choice and inclusive, student-centered assessment. Both students and instructors found the experience meaningful, deepening understanding of personal and professional growth. The Literacy Memoir brought theory to life, linking course concepts like multiliteracies and identity to students' lived experiences. Explore a selection of these engaging multimodal memoirs here

The Patterns of Exclusions: The Pattern of Canadian Government Responses to Racialized Canadian Minorities - As a part of an assignment for EDFE 2000: Foundations of Education/Theory into practice, BEd student Carlos Gaitan created a video documentary exploring historical patterns of exclusion in Canadian schooling. Drawing on course readings, the video connects the experiences of Japanese Canadians, Chief Thunderchild and his community, and Black Americans fleeing slavery to broader themes of systemic mistreatment––culminating in his own analysis of government responses to COVID-19 in Canadian schools. Watch video

Course Director Elena Rakitskaya recently recorded an interview with Carla Shalaby, author of Troublemakers, for her EDFE 2100 Inquiries into Learning class. In the interview Shalaby reflected on teaching with love, student freedom, and the everyday and political dimensions of the Teacher’s mission.  Watch interview

Congratulations to BEd student Urooj Ahsan on being selected as one of the recipients of the 2025 Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) Scholarship Program - The Ontario College of Teachers’ Scholarship Program awards four $1,500 scholarships to exemplary students enrolled in a teacher education program in Ontario. With years of teaching experience at the postsecondary level and a doctorate in chemistry, Urooj has built an impressive academic and professional career, exemplifying commitment to students and student learning. Read more

Alumna Pamela Farrell (BEd ’07) was among this year’s winners of the Women Executive Network’s (WXN) Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards – Pamela was recognized in the ‘Professionals’ category which recognizes women who are professionals in practice and play a leadership role within their organizations. Read more

York University celebrates exceptional staff at President’s Staff Recognition Awards – Congratulations to Anderson Coward, Marketing and Communications Specialist, on being nominated for the Ronald Kent Medal. Established in 1979 by President Emeritus H. Ian Macdonald, this award honours Ronald Kent’s distinguished legacy of commitment and service to the University through years of dedicated service. Read more

Congratulations to our colleagues in the Office of Students Services – Vanessa Grafi, Teresa Boyle, and Jane Larsson who were recently recognized for their years of service and many contributions to the University at a reception hosted by Vice-President Equity, People & Culture, Laina Bay-Cheng.

Research Office

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Organized Research Units Information Sessions
Join us for an engaging and informative series of 4 online sessions that highlight the role of 18 Organized Research Units (ORUs) in advancing research at York University. Each session will feature brief presentations by ORU directors, offering insights into the research activities and areas of focus within each ORU; opportunities for faculty and student involvement; and ways ORUs can support your research and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The presentations will be followed by an open Q&A session. All faculty and students are warmly invited to attend.

• Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | 12:00 -1:30 p.m. |  REGISTER HERE
• Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. |  REGISTER HERE
• Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE
• Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | REGISTER HERE

Spotlight on Faculty Research: Language and Literacy
Thursday, January 29, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. | online
Join us for a session highlighting the innovative language and literacy research led by our faculty. More details to follow. REGISTER HERE

A Critical Conversation about GenAI in Education
Date to be confirmed
Given the proliferation of GenAI products like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Sora and their impact on society at large and education in particular, this conversation will give us an opportunity to learn more about the past, present, and potential future impacts of these products on learning, pedagogy, research, and educational labour. From philosophical questions about the nature of learning to the more practical considerations in the classroom and in research, this session will allow for an honest and critical evaluation of current issues surrounding GenAI use and create the space to come together as a community to consider the existential impacts of these products and strategize an ethical and compassionate way forward

CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS

• Faculty of Education Dean’s Research Impact Awards: March 20, 2026 Learn more
  • Faculty of Education Undergraduate Teaching Award: Preliminary nominations by February 13, 2026. 
  • Final nomination packages are due March 23, 2026 - To express interest and complete the preliminary nomination, please email the Recording Secretary of CFRAG with the name of the nominee. Please email your preliminary and full nominations to: research@edu.yorku.ca. Learn more

SELECTED 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

• SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grants -The Arts Transformed: December 2, 2025
• SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants: December 15, 2025
• France-Canada Research Fund (FCRF) New Research Collaboration Program: December 16, 2025
• Spencer Foundation - Small Research Grants on Education Program: December 15, 2025
• Environmental Damages Fund: December 18, 2025
• SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants: January 22, 2026
• SSHRC Insight Development Grant: February 2, 2026
• SSHRC Connection Grant: February 2, 2026
• SSHRC Partnership Grant – Stage 1: February 10, 2026
• CFI JELF: February 16, 2026
• GRE Stream A-Strategic Partnership Exploration & Development: Rolling until April 30, 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
• R. Howard Webster Foundation: Rolling

Internal

• Mariano A. Elia Research Fund: December 1, 2025
• Funding for Indigenous Scholarly Events and Outreach Activities: January 1, 2026
• Funding for Scholarly Events and Outreach Activities: January 1, 2026
• Black Scholars and Black Scholarship: Events and Outreach Activities: January 1, 2026
• Global Research Excellence (GRE) Seed Fund: January 5, 2026
• SSHRC Exchange – Conference Grant: February 1; May 1; August 1; and November 1
• York Black Incentive Grant: Rolling
• York Indigenous Incentive Grant: Rolling
• York Incentive Grant: Rolling

SELECTED AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

• Royal Society Canada: December 1, 2025
• 2025-2026 President’s Research Awards: December 10, 2025
• Faculty of Education Dean’s Research Impact Awards: March 20, 2026
• Faculty of Education Undergraduate Teaching Award: Preliminary nominations February 13, 2026; Full nomination packages March 23, 2026
• SSHRC Impact Awards: April 1, 2026

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Office

DHH Program Information Night and 2026-2027 Applications
The DHH Program hosted a virtual Information Night on Tuesday, November 4 as part of our annual student recruitment activities. The event drew an excellent turnout and featured a lively Q&A with prospective applicants. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in mid-December 2025

2025-2026 Practicum Placements
DHH students in the full-time program and final year of the part-time program have begun their fall practicum placements this month. Students are working with mentor teachers in classrooms across Ontario and other provinces, including itinerant and congregated settings. Placements span a diverse range of ASL- and English-speaking environments in both specialized and mainstream classrooms

Professional Learning Office

Introducing Our New 6-Week Winter AQ Pilot – This winter, the Professional Learning Office is excited to launch a new 6-week AQ pilot designed to complement our regular winter course offerings. Delivered in a Virtual Blended format, these sessions are structured to foster stronger community building and deeper engagement among educators with the opportunity to explore a selection of 9 condensed AQs – with the potential for more to come

Resources for Faculty

Understanding PAIR: A Framework for AI in Education
King’s College London has introduced the PAIR framework—Purpose, Accountability, Integrity, and Responsibility—to guide thoughtful engagement with AI in academic settings. Rather than prescribing strict rules, PAIR encourages reflection on why and how AI tools are used, ensuring decisions align with educational values and ethical standards. This framework is particularly relevant for faculty navigating questions like: How do we maintain academic integrity when students use AI? or What principles should shape our own use of AI in teaching? PAIR offers a structured way to approach these issues without oversimplifying them. Read article and explore guidance and practical examples

YU Ethics Review - York’s Office of Research Ethics is proud to launch YU Ethics Review, a secure, modern and user-friendly online system for ethics review. This new platform replaces our 14-year-old legacy system and will roll out in phases: biosafety researchers starting on Oct. 1, researcher with animals in December, and research with human participants on January 20, 2026. Learn more

Holiday Assets
The Holiday Season has arrived! It is important to keep our relationships with our partners and community contacts strong by connecting with them to celebrate the season. Access York University’s branded holiday assets (Holiday Card, Outlook E-Card, Social Media Assets, Zoom Backgrounds) and share the joy of the holiday season. Access Holiday Assets

Transform Your Faculty Profile with Discover York Academics: Create Your Profile Today!
York University has introduced Discover York Academics, an innovative electronic curriculum vitae (CV) tool aimed at highlighting the exceptional work of our faculty. This searchable database allows faculty to showcase and store their research, publications, scholarly and creative works, as well as related teaching and professional activities, all in one centralized profile. Learn more

Email Signatures - For consistency and to support York University’s success in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, please click here for instructions on how to update/brand your email signature

New Publications

Associate Professor Qiang Zha and his colleague Ya Xuan Wang have published a new article titled “This ‘profound’ technical fix can boost rankings’ viability” in University World News

Associate Professor Qiang Zha has a new article titled “China’s HE internationalisation takes a geopolitical turn” in University World News

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. 

Shelterlink marks Youth Homelessness Awareness day with flag raising
York University’s Canadian Observatory on Homelessness was mentioned in Earth Press News Nov. 19.

Faculty of Education Student Association (FESA)

SHIFT 2025 Conference Recap – Thank you to everyone who attended and supported FESA’s SHIFT 2025 Conference. This year’s theme encouraged participants to rethink, reimagine, and realign their practices as future educators. The event fostered meaningful learning, community building, and important conversations. Thank you to all of the professors and staff who contributed to the success of the conference

ETFO Faculty of Education Award: Now Accepting Applications - Final-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students at publicly funded Ontario faculties of education are invited to apply for the ETFO Faculty of Education Award. Each year, one outstanding student from each faculty is selected to receive a $500 award and a Certificate of Recognition, in honor of their leadership, commitment, or excellence during their teacher education program. Please note, this opportunity is only available to graduating BEd students and is not open to master’s or doctoral candidates. Find out more and apply

Bill 33: Stay Informed – Bill 33 has passed and impacts students, teacher candidates, and school boards across Ontario. We encourage everyone to research the bill in order to understand its implications. FESA will continue to monitor updates and explore ways to support students through these changes

Bachelor of Education Grad Photos – Coming Soon – Grad photos for BEd students will be available soon. Details on booking will be shared via email and FES social media channels. Stay tuned for sign-up information to share with your students

Employment and Recruitment Fair–Coming Soon – FESA’s annual Employment and Recruitment Fair will take place on January 30, 2026. The Fair is a key opportunity to connect with school boards, organizations, and education employers. More information and registration details will be shared shortly

Support Wikondiek, Kenya – FESA continues to support theWikondiek community in Kenya which relies on community support to continue providing accessible, high-quality educational resources. Donations help expand programs, fund new initiatives, and support students and educators. Every contribution, big or small, makes a meaningful impact and keeps their mission moving forward. More information can be found here

Alumni News

York U recognizes alumni leaders driving positive change – Alumnus Pamela Farrell (BEd’ 07) was one of six York University alums recognized at the York U Alumni Awards on November 6. Read more

News from the York Community

Nominate outstanding researchers for 2026 President’s Research Awards – Do you know a York University faculty member who is shaping the future of research, scholarship and community engagement? Learn more

What to know about parking on campus in winter - Faculty, staff and students are asked to follow snow route parking procedures during the winter season from November 15 to March 30, 2026. Learn more

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