Lisa Dampier, Grade 7-8 teacher at Thunder Bay’s Westmount Public School, has been awarded the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) 2017 Anti-Bias Award for her work teaching global citizenship and social justice.

The award is presented to educators who incorporate practices in their teaching that work toward the elimination of bias.

Lisa established a Learning Academy for her students, through which they broadened their perspectives by learning about different cultures, religions, and world issues such as the uneven distribution of water and resources. They learned about the negative impacts of bias, racism, and stereotypes. They also worked to make a difference by creating social media videos that addressed bullying and children’s rights, and repairing and restoring old bicycles to give to local children in need.

“I believe it is extremely important for young people to begin to develop a social conscience as early as possible. By learning about different cultures, world issues and events, as well as what's happening in their own community, they are able to gain greater awareness of the importance of diversity, compassion and equity. Seeing students develop a voice and passion for change, and watching the pride they feel in themselves when they realize their actions can make a difference, has been both inspiring and empowering for me as a teacher,” she explains.

Lisa is a graduate of Lakehead’s Bachelor of Education program (1993) and an Associate Teacher to Lakehead BEd students.  

Dr. Janet Dyment, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of School in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania, was recently named Australia’s Teacher Educator of the Year.

This award was given to Dr. Dyment by the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) at a conference in Brisbane, Australia in July. The aim of the award is to “recognize dedication to innovative teaching practices in teacher education at a university level,” as noted on the ATEA website.

In her positions at the University of Tasmania, Dr. Dyment has taught into many teaching specializations (e.g., health and physical education, leadership, outdoor education, social sciences) and many core teacher education units. She is known for taking an interdisciplinary approach in various curriculum contexts and seeks to make her teaching thematic, integrated, and situated in real-life contexts.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this award. I feel truly grateful for my experiences both as a PhD student and academic at Lakehead, where my passion for teacher education first began,” she says.

Dr. Dyment is a Lakehead Faculty of Education Joint PhD in Educational Studies alumnus (2005), and was a contract lecturer in Lakehead’s School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism (1999-2003).

Congratulations, Dr. Dyment, on this well-deserved recognition!

Dr. Lisa Korteweg, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, has joined the Canada Research Chair (CRC) program’s Interdisciplinary Adjudication Committee—a committee of invited and appointed experts across the NSERC, CIHR, and SSHRC councils.

The Interdisciplinary Adjudication Committee is responsible for making final recommendations on Canada Research Chair nominations when members of the College of Reviewers are divided. The Committee also provides policy advice on key aspects of the CRC program, and is responsible for ensuring the consistency of standards across the program.

Dr. Korteweg was invited to the Committee on account of her familiarity with the CRC program, her previous experience on SSHRC committees (as former Chair of the SSHRC Indigenous Research Panel), and her areas of research expertise.

She has accepted a three-year term as an adjudicator and will attend the next Interdisciplinary Adjudication Committee meeting in October in Ottawa.

The CRC program invests approximately $265 million each year to attract and retain up to 2,000 Chairholders in universities across Canada, with the goal of promoting research excellence in natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Dr. Ruth Beatty, Acting Chair of Orillia Educational Programs, has been conducting mathematics research for several years in schools in southern and eastern Ontario. 

Working in conjunction with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and the Ministry of Education, her recent research project, “The Mathematics of Algonquin Looming,” explores how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the Ontario math curriculum.

One of the schools where her research was conducted, Eganville and District Public School, has recently been named as a recipient of the Premier's Accepting Schools Award.

This award “recognizes teams across the province that have done exceptional and innovative work in creating a safe, inclusive and accepting school environment,” as outlined on the Ministry of Education website.

As part of Dr. Beatty’s research, students conducted traditional Algonquin activities such as beading, which helped them to learn about patterning, algebra, fractions, and geometry.

Congratulations Dr. Beatty for this achievement, which shows how faculty research can have a significant impact.

Letizia Tremonti, Principal of St. Martin School in Thunder Bay, was named Principal of the Year by the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario and selected by her peers as Outstanding Principal this year.

Letizia is a Faculty of Education BEd alumnus, who graduated with First Class Standing in 1986.

In a press release, she stated: “There have been many wonderful moments over my 31-year career but being nominated for Principal of the Year by my colleagues is one of my greatest moments.”

For more information, see the article here.

Darren Lentz, Kingsway Park/Hyde Park Public School Principal, has been named as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals of 2017.

Darren is known for his dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm. He is a Faculty of Education BEd and MEd alumnus, and has taught for the Faculty in several programs, including the BEd, NLIP, and AQ programs.

This prestigious award is well-deserved recognition for Darren's achievements.

For more information, visit https://www.lakeheadschools.ca/outstanding_principal/

Lakehead Orillia BEd students Dave Venneri and Ryan Pasquin have helped to develop an experiential-based learning model for Camp Couchiching’s Climbing Tree Experiential Tutoring program.

As reported in a news story, Climbing Tree Experiential Tutoring program helps students rebuild their relationship with learning through experiential teaching activities, including hands-on, active learning with props and resources, and outdoor learning. Each student’s learning style is first assessed, then the tutoring is tailored to them accordingly.

Dave Venneri notes: “This program is an amazing opportunity for students who might not excel in a traditional classroom setting to be exposed to a form of education that is more accommodating of the specific needs of students, while still fulfilling all of the Ministry of Education’s curriculum expectations.”

Dave and Ryan are completing an internship with the Camp Couchiching Community Initiative through Lakehead’s Education 4000 course.

Dr. Sonja Grover has published a new book with Routledge, entitled The Responsibility to Protect: Perspectives on the Concept’s Meaning, Proper Application and Value.

This edited book presents the views of various international law and human rights experts on the contested meaning, scope of application, value and viability of the principle of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). R2P refers to the notion that the international community has a legal responsibility to protect civilians against the potential or ongoing occurrence of the mass atrocity crimes of genocide, large scale war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

For more information, visit Dr. Grover's website.

Dr. Sonja Grover is co-investigator on a three-year, $200,000 SSHRC Partnership Development Grant awarded to The International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP). ICCRP establishes a new multi-sectoral partnership, including ten NGO partners and seven academic research institutions in five countries.

The partnership is investigating the relationship between child participation in international and national child protection contexts and quality of child protection outcomes. Dr. Grover will be doing case analysis on child participation in the child refugee protection context. ICCRP will conduct case study research via fieldwork and document analysis in Canada, Brazil, China, and South Africa. 

Dr. Gerald Walton has received a Contribution to Teaching award for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Committee noted that Dr. Walton is highly respectful of students, establishes an excellent learning environment, is deeply committed to social justice, and encourages critical thinking.

Congratulations to Dr. Walton on this award!