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Creating a Sense of Belonging in the Academy: An Example of a Métis-Centred Space

Lucy Delgado and Laura Forsythe
As post-secondary institutions continue the slow move towards indigenization and reconciliation, more Indigenous-centred spaces are created. But how many of those spaces are Nation-specific? In this article, we describe one example of a Nation-specific gathering, the Métis Research Symposium, and the impact that the gathering had on the mostly-Métis audience, including the enhanced sense of belonging and connection that the respondents reported. We advocate for institutions and administrators to shift towards creating more Nation-specific opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at all levels.

Nature’s Way-Our Way: A Journey Through the Co-Creation and Sharing of an Indigenous Physical Literacy Enriched Early Years Initiative

Amanda Froehlich Chow, Kathy Wahpepah, M. Louise Humbert, Natalie Houser, Mariana Brussoni, Marta Erlandson, Amanda Gannon, Ashley Larmour, Erica Stevenson, Kathryn Riley and Fatima Ali
Early years are a critical time in the healthy development of young children. It is essential for children to develop healthy bonds with family members to increase well-being. Colonialism has resulted in the loss of many Indigenous activities, intergenerational teachings and relationship-building strategies that encourage wholistic health-promoting behaviours. Research focused on physical activity behaviours among early years children has had limited success. To address these challenges, the Western concept of physical literacy that applies a wholistic approach to physical activity by focusing on physical, social, emotional, and spiritual wellness can align with many Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing.Purpose: Our multi-cultural team embarks on a journey to co-create, and expand a physical literacy enriched and culturally rooted initiative designed to promote wholistic wellness.Methodology: Etuaptmumk (Two-eyed Seeing) guides the team through braiding Indigenous Ways of Knowing,Being and Doing in early childhood wellness and land- and nature-based games alongside Western knowledge of developing physical literacy and promoting risky/adventurous play. We apply a pre-mid-post design for the meaningful evaluation of the Nature’s Way-Our Way initiative.Impact: Partnering with communities, we aim to produce 40-45 activity cards to promote physical literacy and wholistic health in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Schools as Sites of Homelessness Prevention: Learning from Youth Experiences in a Canadian Context

Jayne Malenfant and Naomi Nichols
Youth homelessness in Canada impacts a significant number of young people. More specific to our focus, populations of young people who are more likely to experience homelessness (e.g. youth with mental health issues, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, youth from care, and Indigenous youth) face significant barriers to accessing safe, culturally appropriate, and supportive education, suggesting rights to housing and rights to education are intersecting equity issues. This article presents findings from a participatory research project led by members of Youth Action Research Revolution, carried out in Tio’tiá:ke/Montréal, Québec, Canada. Building from experiences young people shared, this article highlights aspects of the public education system that pose problems for youth who are precariously housed or homeless, namely, the application of one-size-fits-all approaches, barriers for students with mental health or learning disability diagnoses, and the lack of clear or actionable institutional mechanisms for students to access preventative support. Following this, we outline educational discourses, practices, and processes that constitute where something may have been done differently to prevent homelessness. We conclude with possible actions to support youth homelessness prevention in schools, including creating more flexible ways for children and families to access supports, resourcing “champion” teachers, and addressing the insidious biases and discrimination in the organization of school policies.

Représentations idéologiques d’une francophonie albertaine en mutation

Sylvie Roy and Fanny Macé
Les apprenant·e·s de français langue seconde (désormais FLS) sont souvent confronté·e·s aux idéologies associées au français dont l’une consiste en une vue homogène de la langue et de la culture francophone. Toutefois, la reconnaissance d’identités plurielles et multiples peut amener un changement au niveau des discours si nous acceptons les multiples variétés de français de personnes plurilingues, non seulement issues de familles immigrantes mais aussi de programmes d’immersion française.Dans cet article, à la lumière de la sociolinguistique pour le changement, nous examinons comment ces idéologies linguistiques influencent certains discours et pratiques d’étudiant·e·s en formation des maîtres ainsi que ceux de jeunes de la communauté d’expression française vivant en Alberta. Après avoir soumis nos données à une analyse de discours, nous constatons que la plupart des apprenant·e·s de FLS ne se perçoivent pas comme faisant partie intégrante de la francophonie. Toutefois, les discours sont en proie au changement et les personnes plurilingues semblent en mesure d’apporter leurs contributions à ces récits et à la façon dont on les déconstruit afin de (re)définir la francophonie canadienne : l’objectif visé étant de miser, à plus long terme, sur une inclusion accrue de tous les locuteurs et locutrices de français au sein de la francophonie mondiale.

Examining Students’ Perceptions of Equity in Informal STEM Education: A Community-Engaged, Visual Method

Karie Jo Peralta and Sloan Eberly Mann
This report from the field presents a community-engaged, visual method for evaluating students’ perceptions of equity in Maker Club, an informal STEM (Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering) education program in Ohio. The purpose of the program is to increase access to and interest in STEM fields among underserved communities. A total of fifteen middle school-aged program participants from two cohorts that were hosted at two different after-school program sites engaged in participant-employed photography to document their views of the implementation of six design principles for equitable learning. The evaluation process unfolded in five phases: 1) recruitment of co-researchers, including explanation of guidelines; 2) teaching co-researchers how to use the camera, including testing out the camera; 3) co-researchers observing, and taking pictures of, students and staff engaged in the makerspace; 4) informal photo interviewing; 5) sharing with program staff via informal conversations and a formal meeting discussion. Takeaways include that co-researchers perceived students benefiting from social support, community partner presence, and local knowledge being recognized. Lessons learned entail keeping students on track, ensuring that there is enough staff support focused on the evaluation process, and being open to other potential, meaningful uses of co-researchers’ photos.

The End of This World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada

Gabrielle Mclaren

A Delicate Balance

Jan Corcoran