Education stories
Merah Gasmo is finding purpose in education
Merah is set to graduate in June 2024 with her Bachelor of Education. She is committed to creating a safe space for students and uplifting Indigenous worldviews in her future classrooms. Read her interview.
Change at the helm in the Faculty of Education: A conversation with the Deans
We spoke with incoming Dean of Education Dr. Vanessa Andreotti and Acting Dean Dr. Catherine McGregor to learn about their experience with the leadership transition year and their hopes for the future. Learn more.
What do brain health, lifestyle and sex hormones have in common?
Researchers at the UVic Cerebrovascular Health Exercise and Environmental Research Sciences (CHEERS) Laboratory are investigating the relationship between lifestyle, sex hormones and brain health using physical exercise. Learn more.
2023 Faculty of Education Award Winners
On May 8, 2023, the Faculty of Education hosted our annual end-of-year award ceremony. Faculty, students, friends and family gathered to celebrate and raise a toast to all of this year’s inspiring award winners. Meet the award recipients.
E₭ÁTEL - An event to celebrate Indigenous Language Revitalization at UVic
On April 3 & 4, 2023, the Indigenous Education department and Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams, Chair of First People’s Culture Council, hosted E₭ÁTEL - We are all connected, Global and Local Glimpses of Language Revitalization (UVic and Beyond). Learn more.
Jon Woodend wants you to think about equity and inclusion for newcomers
Jon Woodend's life has been shaped by multiple international moves. Now, his research focuses on international career transitions for those whose move to a new country has influenced or impacted their career. Learn more.
Belinda Daniels is reclaiming nationhood through Cree language learning
Dr. Belinda kakiyosēw Daniels is a celebrated educator, collaborative researcher and community leader. She teaches Indigenous Language Revitalization at UVic and leads the nēhiyawak language experience, a non-profit organization that offers immersive, land-based language learning camps. Learn more.
Alumna Jace Meyer establishes new education scholarship for Indigenous students
Jace Meyer (B.Ed 2011) is a Métis woman and the founder of COYA Productions Inc., an education production company that amplifies the thought leadership of Indigenous entrepreneurs. She has established an entrance scholarship that will be awarded to an Indigenous student. Read more.
Trevor MacKenzie centers curiosity for student-led inquiry
Trevor has been a high school teacher for almost twenty years. In 2019, he completed his Master of Education at UVic with a focus on implementing inquiry-based learning in a K-12 setting. Read more.
Monica Prendergast uses theatre to explore youth mental health
Monica has been awarded a two-year SSHRC grant for the amount of $69,880 CDN to support her research project entitled ‘Youth Mental Health Performance: How young people respond to portrayals of mental health, resilience and well-being in and through drama and performance creation’. Read more.
Literacy educator Tanya Manning-Lewis working for those on the margins
Tanya completed her Ph.D. in Language and Literacy at UVic before teaching in the department of Curriculum and Instruction for four years. In May 2022, she was awarded the Diversity in Education Excellence Award for her work delivering anti-racism training for our teacher candidates. Learn more.
Darlene Clover Inducted into the International Adult Education Hall of Fame
On September 28, 2022, Darlene was inaugurated into the International Adult Education Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Cork University in Ireland and became the sixth Canadian to be so honoured. Learn more.
Research in motion: Inspiring healthier BC families
Generation Health is a free, 10-week healthy living program for families in BC with children between the ages of 8 and 12. The evidence-based program was developed using a consultative approach and is delivered in partnership through the province of BC, Childhood Obesity Foundation, and UVic. Learn more.
Dr. Catherine McGregor is appointed Acting Dean, Faculty of Education
We are pleased to announce that Dr. McGregor has accepted the appointment to serve as Acting Dean, Faculty of Education from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. Catherine was ratified for this appointment with an 84.8% vote of acceptance. Read the announcement.
Ralf St. Clair reflects on eight years as UVic Dean of Education
We caught up with Ralf to discuss and reflect on his two terms as Dean of Education at UVic. Read the story.
Teaching in a remote northern community: A conversation with 2018 Teacher Education graduate Ryan Chickite
Ryan Chickite graduated from UVic with a Bachelor of Education in 2018. He has since relocated to the remote northern community of Arviat, Nunavut, where he currently lives and works as a high school teacher. We caught up with Ryan to learn more about his life up north. Read the story.
SSHRC-funded music education conference at UVic seeks to weave Indigenous knowledge into K-12 provincial music curriculum
Community members from school districts across BC will come together to connect and explore ways of embedding locally relevant Indigenous teachings into classrooms. Read the story.
Dr. Vanessa Andreotti is appointed Dean, Faculty of Education beginning in 2023
We are thrilled to share that Dr. Vanessa Andreotti has accepted the appointment to serve as Dean, Faculty of Education effective July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028. Read the announcement
Faculty of Education graduate student wins leadership award and scholarship for her work centering Métis identity and belonging with K-12 students
Lauren Petersen grew up seeing and hearing very few stories of Métis resilience. She decided to construct a province-wide art project for K-12 learners centered on the question: “Why are you proud to be Métis?” This is the focus of her studies at UVic, where she is currently completing a project-based graduate degree in educational psychology. Read more.
Education researchers address pandemic-related issues, thanks to emergency funding
As a part of our work to transform the way we learn, teach, and research in the current ever-changing landscape, the Faculty of Education launched the COVID-19 Emergency Research Fund earlier this year as a way to provide small, internal grants for COVID-19 related funding. Read more.
Unique summer camp blends technology, music, and outdoor education
An innovative educator, Secondary Post-Degree Professional Program student Sasha Ilnyckyj combined his love of music technology, outdoor education, project-based learning and mindfulness practice to design The Found Sound Project. Read more.
From BC to Africa: A Practicum in Tanzania
For six UVic teacher candidates from the Victoria and Cranbrook campuses, traveling to Tanzania for their first practicum was the experience of a lifetime. As a co-teach practicum, the three pairs each had a classroom connected to the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE). Carly Pearson, studying in Cranbrook, through the East Kootenay Teacher Education Program shares her experience. Read more
A gift of Indigenous art to inspire teaching
Inspired to bring Indigenous art to life in classrooms, local Coast Salish art enthusiasts, George and Christiane Smyth, gifted Coast Salish art prints from the Salish Weave Collection to UVic’s Faculty of Education for teachers in training to integrate the artwork in their teaching right from the start. Read more
Dean Ralf St. Clair reappointed
Dr. Ralf St. Clair has been reappointed as dean of the Faculty of Education. Dr. Valerie Kuehne, Vice-President Academic and Provost & Chair of the Appointment Committee for the Dean of Education announced that the recommended re-appointment of Dr. Ralf St. Clair has been ratified. Dr. St. Clair will serve as Dean of Education for
Helping girls and women get physical
Congratulations to Jennifer Fenton (BA’ 87 in Leisure Studies Administration, EPHE) on winning the ProMOTION Plus In Her Footsteps 2018 award in recognition for her extraordinary contribution to providing opportunities for girls and women in physical activity and sport in BC. Read more
NEȾOLṈEW̱: One mind, one people and 42 Indigenous languages
NEȾOLṈEW̱, a new language revitalization project lead by Onowa McIvor, professor in Indigenous Education, and linguist Peter Jacobs at Simon Fraser University, will bring new life and strength to Indigenous languages in Canada. Engaging with nine Indigenous-led partner organizations representing 42 distinct languages, forming a learning and research network to strengthen efforts to revive Indigenous languages. The six-year project, supported by a $2.5 million Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant. Read more