Through a collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) is now home to national leadership programs that empower students and educators to drive community change.
AKFC is a non-profit international development organization and part of the global Aga Khan Development Network. It works to improve quality of life in Africa and Asia through programs in education, health, gender equality and economic development. In Canada, the AKFC focuses on public engagement and global education, particularly with youth and educators.
The partnership between York University’s EUC and the AKFC stems from an introduction by another EUC partner, Learning for a Sustainable Future. Sharing a focus on United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal advocacy and youth engagement, the organizations offered workshops at youth events like EUC’s Change Your World, most recently held April 30, 2025.
Looking to build on their shared interests and initiatives, EUC and the AKFC formalized a partnership agreement in June focused on hosting national leadership programming that brings youth and educators from across Canada to York's Keele Campus: the Youth Leadership Academy and Teachers’ Leadership Institute.
"EUC's collaboration with the AKFC is grounded in our mutual commitments to empowering educators and learners around the world as we collectively strive for a more just and sustainable future. Participants in both the Youth Leadership Academy and Teacher's Leadership Institute will have an opportunity to share stories and experiences, and importantly strategies for positive change in their communities and beyond. Such a gathering of minds and energies is inspiring, and a much needed moment amidst the global strife faced today,” says Alice J. Hovorka, dean and an EUC professor.
The AKFC initiatives provide immersive, residential learning to 70 high school students and educators. The Teachers’ Leadership Institute focuses on global education and curriculum innovation, emphasizing human-centred design to help educators develop curricula that empower students to engage with global issues. Each educator nominates a student to join the Youth Leadership Academy, which features interactive workshops that guide youth in exploring social and environmental challenges and beginning to craft community action plans.
Funded entirely by the AKFC with support from Global Affairs Canada, the programs cover participants’ travel, accommodations, meals and ongoing mentorship. Each educator-student pair carries out a community project during the school year, extending the program’s impact beyond campus.
Through the agreement signed in June, EUC is contributing logistical support – including campus space and accommodations, along with academic and community engagement to enrich participants’ experience. Additionally, EUC is playing an active role in facilitating learning opportunities that connect participants with York’s academic and community values. All activities focus on fostering relationship-building and knowledge exchange at York U including a sustainable campus tour, a collaborative movie night with the AKFC in Nat Taylor Cinema and connecting these special visitors to the University's Observatory research team for a night under the stars.
EUC staff will mobilize volunteers to support activities and discussions, ensuring York’s role extends beyond hosting to active collaboration.
That focus complements EUC’s priorities and values, including a commitment to equity, experiential learning and real-world impact. The partnership allows the AKFC to reach new audiences through a university setting, while giving York students, faculty and staff opportunities to engage directly with national and global education initiatives.
The collaboration has also helped build connections among peers, educators and community leaders across Canada. By bringing these groups together on campus, the program creates space for shared learning, new perspectives and long-term partnerships.
For York, supporting the AKFC’s leadership programs is one way the University helps advance inclusive education and global citizenship. It offers a model for how academic institutions can collaborate with external organizations to empower the next generation of changemakers.