Convocation was an especially memorable occasion for the Filipetti family this month, as all four members of the family crossed the stage as graduates of Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education!

For Mike and Julie Filipetti, this milestone represented the culmination of decades-long careers in education and their continued commitment to lifelong learning. For their daughters, Maddy and Abby, it marked the beginning of their own journeys as certified teachers.

Mike Filipetti, currently the Intermediate/Senior Division Coordinator in the Faculty of Education (Thunder Bay campus) earned his Master of Education degree. A Lakehead alumnus, Mike previously graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education (Junior/Intermediate). Throughout his career, he has served students and communities across Northern Ontario and the North, teaching in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Eabametoong First Nation, the Algoma District School Board, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, and Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board. He has worked in Special Education and was a school principal before joining Lakehead University.

Julie Filipetti also earned a Master of Education degree, and she is also an alumna of the Faculty, having graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education (Junior/Intermediate). Her career has included teaching positions in Kingfisher Lake First Nation, Eabametoong First Nation, the Algoma District School Board, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, Lakehead Public Schools, and Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board. For more than 20 years, she has served as a Special Education teacher and Special Education Lead at St. Ignatius High School. Along the way, she coached basketball and volleyball and contributed to numerous school initiatives. Julie, who is now retiring, looks forward to traveling and pursuing hobbies in the years ahead.

The celebration was made even more special by the achievements of the couple’s daughters.

Maddy Filipetti graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Education (Primary/Junior). Currently an Occasional Teacher with Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, Maddy also operates an independent photography business. She is excited to continue occasional teaching in the fall.

Abby Filipetti earned an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology along with a Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Senior, Biology/Chemistry). She currently works as an Occasional Teacher with both Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and Lakehead Public Schools. This summer, Abby is serving as Director of Superior Science, Lakehead University’s summer science camp, and is looking forward to occasional teaching in the fall.

While earning a degree is a significant accomplishment on its own, celebrating four graduations from the same family at the same convocation is a rare achievement. Congratulations to the Filipetti family!

Pictured below, left to right: Maddy, Mike, Julie, and Abby.

Dr. Ellen Field (Associate Professor in Education, Orillia) has been serving as lead consultant on the development of Canada’s National Framework for Environmental Learning (NFEL), a federal initiative supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Framework is intended to help strengthen environmental, biodiversity, and climate change learning across Canadian education systems.

“The National Framework for Environmental Learning responds to a growing recognition that young people are inheriting a world shaped by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and rapid environmental change,” said Ellen. 

“While environmental and climate change education is expanding across Canada, opportunities remain uneven between provinces, territories, school systems, and communities. The Framework is intended to support a more coordinated and future-oriented approach to environmental learning nationwide.” 

Ellen’s work on the project occurred in two phases. Phase 1 involved conducting a landscape review examining environmental education policies related to climate, biodiversity, and pollution and initiatives across sub-national, national, and international jurisdictions. The review explored how environmental learning is being integrated into education systems globally and identified promising practices, policy gaps, and emerging trends.

Phase 2 focused on the collaborative development of learning principles, learning outcomes, and indicators for environmental learning in Canada. At a national forum in March in Toronto, this work was presented to educators, researchers, youth, Indigenous leaders, non-profit organizations, government representatives, and community partners from across the country. From this consultation, participants’ input is being integrated into the Framework, which emphasizes holistic, place-based, justice-oriented, and action-focused approaches to learning that support not only environmental knowledge, but also critical thinking, resilience, civic engagement, and learner agency.

Building National Collaboration and Future Action 

As part of this work, Ellen brought internationally recognized education and climate policy expert Dr. Christina Kwauk, co-founder and chief researcher at Unbounded Associates, on to the project to support the development of the indicator framework. The indicators are intended to help education systems and organizations monitor progress toward strengthening environmental learning across areas such as educator capacity, learning spaces, green skills, governance and community engagement.

One of the most significant outcomes of the project has been the emergence of a growing national coalition committed to advancing environmental learning in Canada. The ongoing development and mobilization of the National Framework is now being coordinated through the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) in collaboration with a coalition of non-government organizations and partners across the country.

Ellen will continue this work this July when she presents on the National Framework for Environmental Learning at the Canadian School Boards Association Congress in Whistler, BC, along with Executive Director Colin Harris from Take Me Outside. The presentation will focus on the Framework’s learning principles, outcomes, and indicators, as well as opportunities for school boards to support environmental and climate learning within Canadian education systems.

Below: The Advisory Committee for the National Framework for Environmental Learning, including Ellen Field and Will Burton (Education PhD candidate).

The May 2026 issue of Education Exchange, the Faculty of Education’s newsletter, is now available. This issue features a Message from the Dean Wayne Melville; Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo’s lecture from the President’s Public Lecture Series, “Self-Regulation and its Role in our Mental Health and Well-Being," faculty news and awards, student and alumni spotlights, a recap of the World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education, and more.

Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston (Associate Professor and Chair of Graduate Studies, Orillia) has received the 2026 Orillia Matters Community Builders Education Award, in recognition of her longstanding commitment to student success and her leadership in building pathways in education.

The annual award honours an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of education in the Orillia community.

Since joining Lakehead University in 2015, Meridith has consistently worked to empower students, helping them feel capable, confident, and equipped to succeed in their communities.  With a research focus on literacy and language arts, she is dedicated to removing barriers and supporting learners at every stage of their academic journey.

“I have taught in classes where I had Grade 12 students who couldn’t read, and I was told that there was nothing we could do about that,” she said. “So, I make sure that I let my students know that, as teachers, there is definitely something we can do about that.”

Her approach to education emphasizes real-world learning, including partnerships with local school boards that place teacher candidates in classrooms. In one initiative, students conducted reading, writing, and math assessments with children in Grades 2–6, gaining hands-on experience while supporting schools.

Meridith has also played a key role in expanding access to Lakehead’s Master’s and PhD programs, opening doors for many first-generation post-secondary students.

Colleagues, in their nomination letters, describe her as a dedicated mentor and leader whose influence extends far beyond the classroom and into the community.

Meridith says she is honoured to receive the recognition and values the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives.

Below: Dr. Meridith Lovell-Johnston receives award from Orillia councillor Ralph Cipolla.

Congratulations to BEd teacher candidate Jessica Nelson, recipient of the Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association (OMLTA) Helen G. Mitchell Award.

Presented annually, this award recognizes one graduating student from each Faculty of Education in Ontario who best demonstrates the qualities of an outstanding French as a Second Language teacher.

Jessica was nominated by James Steele, Contract Lecturer in the Faculty of Education (pictured with Jessica, left), in recognition of her exceptional performance in the BEd program, including her work in Curriculum & Instruction: French as a Second Language (I/S), Part 1. She was also recognized for her ability to apply effective second-language teaching methodologies that support student success during her practicum placements.

For Jessica, the award represents both a personal milestone and the beginning of her professional journey.

“Winning the Helen G. Mitchell Award is an incredible honour. As a graduate of the French Immersion program, my passion for the French language has been a part of my life since the beginning of my education and has continued to grow throughout my studies. This recognition is especially meaningful to me as I begin my journey into the teaching profession. I look forward to bringing and sharing that passion in my future classroom, helping my students develop a genuine appreciation for the language and culture. This is a responsibility I am proud to carry forward,” she says.

Jessica attended the OMLTA award ceremony in Toronto in March and will graduate in June.

Congratulations, Jessica!

As part of Lakehead University’s Research and Innovation Week in February, Anishinaabe scholar, Contract Lecturer, and MEd graduate Vicki Monague delivered an impactful presentation on Anishinaabe star knowledge and her work on the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere project.

Vicki explains that for Anishinaabe peoples, the stars and constellations carry an entire system of knowledge. They connect people to ancestors and the spirit world while also serving as a calendar, navigation system, and guide for seasonal activities, ceremonies, and storytelling.

“As Anishinaabe people, we love the stars,” she said. “But the night sky isn’t just about constellations. It’s a living system of knowledge that guides all of our relationships with the natural world.”

The Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere Project

Developed at McMaster University, the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere program began with a meta-analysis examining the written record of Anishinaabe star knowledge. From that research emerged an Ojibwe star knowledge show presented in a portable planetarium, where students can explore the night sky while learning about Indigenous star knowledge.

The program brings together Anishinaabe gikendaasowin (knowledge) and Western astronomy through a “two-eyed seeing” approach, while aligning with Ontario’s Grades 4–12 science and technology curriculum expectations.

Part of Vicki’s work involves updating the Stellarium software to include Anishinaabe planetary names and constellations. These include clan constellations such as Makwa (the bear, which includes stars from the Big Dipper) and Maang (the Loon, which includes the North Star).

Anishinaabe Natural Law Written in the Stars

“Anishinaabe people are sky beings,” Vicki explains. “Our creation story tells us that we came from the sky.”

Bagone-giizhig, the seven-star cluster known in Western astronomy as the Pleiades and sometimes described as the “hole in the sky,” represents an opening between the Earth and star world, reminding Anishinaabe people of their celestial origins.

Indigenous star knowledge also carries practical teachings that connect to Anishinaabe natural law, guiding people to live in respectful relationship with the land, water, animals, and one another, as well as informing ceremonial practices. For example, the constellation often called the “sweat lodge” in Anishinaabe star knowledge (known in Western astronomy as Corona Borealis) forms a circular pattern that reflects the structure of a sweat lodge. Its seven stars, visible at certain times of the year, are associated with the Seven Grandfather Teachings and serve as a reminder of the responsibilities and protocols involved in holding a sweat lodge ceremony.

There is a deep history and continuity to these teachings, Vicki explains: “People have been here for thousands of years, and our star teachings are older and longer than any established religion or mythology upon the earth.”

By weaving together language revitalization, cultural knowledge, and scientific learning, the Anishinaabe Celestial Sphere program highlights the stars as guides for understanding balance, responsibility, and our relationships with the world around us.

Pictured below: Vicki Monague and the portable planetarium.

The January 2018 issue of our Education Exchange newsletter has been published. This newsletter brings our current and former students as well as our educational partners together to share news, successes, and innovations.

We are pleased to announce that the January issue of our Education Exchange newsletter has been published. This newsletter brings our current and former students as well as our educational partners together to share news, successes, and innovations.

To access our Education Exchange newsletter, click the following link:

Education Exchange Newsletter (January 2019)

To see previous issues of the newsletter, visit the newsletter archives.

We are pleased to announce that the January issue of our Education Exchange newsletter has been published. This newsletter brings our current and former students as well as our educational partners together to share news, successes, and innovations.

To access our Education Exchange newsletter, click the following link:

Click to access Education Exchange Newsletter (January 2017) 

To see previous issues of the newsletter, visit the newsletter archives.