Dr. Gary Pluim Awarded Tenure

Congratulations to Dr. Gary Pluim – educator, researcher, and advocate for global citizenship education – on being awarded tenure!

Gary joined Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education as a Contract Lecturer in 2012, and was hired on a full-time basis in 2021 as an Assistant Professor (Orillia campus). An accomplished educator, researcher, and advocate specializing in critical global citizenship, youth development, education for democracy, and intercultural education, Gary holds a PhD in Comparative and International Development Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. 

Gary’s doctoral research, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), explored youth participation in Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Since then, his research interests have been rooted in the intersections between critical global citizenship and education that is place-based, reflexive, and intensely local. Currently, Gary is leading a research project that investigates the nuances of education transfer – whether and how curriculum for youth and youth workers should be shared between small countries of the Commonwealth.

“Many of my current projects bring young people together from different parts of the world to examine how global trends affect local realities,” he says. “I am interested in questions such as how youth realities are impacted by the culture and politics of their own regions, how intersections between global and local citizenship might differ in various contexts, and how teaching and learning of global issues should respond to location variations.”

Much of Gary’s research focuses on voice, experiences and the perspectives of youth in education. These standpoints are essential to address complex global problems that older generations have been unable to solve.  

Gary has extensive international experience in educational leadership, having worked in various countries, including East Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Canada's Arctic region. His global exposure has shaped his understanding of education's role in fostering critical thinking, social justice, and intercultural awareness.

Through his teaching, research, and activism, Gary is a transformative figure in the field of education, promoting a vision that emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and global citizenship in today's interconnected world. In 2024, his teaching earned him a Contribution to Teaching Award. In recent years, he has taught courses including Curriculum & Instruction in Social Studies, Social Difference in Education, Democracy and Education, Educational Psychology, and Place-Based Education in Simcoe County.

Gary is also an active participant in civil society, having served as a human rights monitor for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, a board director for Cycle Toronto, and a spokesperson for the Global Campaign for Education. His activism underscores his commitment to social justice and community engagement.

Gary lives in Huronia with his partner and three children. In his free time, he is an avid runner, cyclist, and cross-country skier, balancing his professional achievements with a passion for outdoor activities.