CSSE 2023 Knowledge Mobilization Team – Nova Heartland

CSSE took part in Congress 2023 Reckonings and Re-imaginings, which reconnected Canadian educational professionals and practitioners for an in-person event, which took place at York University in Toronto, Ontario.

The conference provided delegates with a space to reckon with pressing educational topics and issues within the Canadian research and teaching communities, and helped delegates reimagine ways in which one can approach educational standards with heightened compassion and creativity.

Congress made an earnest effort in Truth and Reconciliation by honouring Indigenous presenters and knowledge keepers throughout the event. This effort was an opportunity for all delegates to learn from Indigenous Peoplesknowledge, expressions, and protocols, which inspired approaches to adopt pragmatic actions to decolonize the Canadian educational systems and reflect on timely and impactful ways to Indigenize one’s professional practices.

Eve Tuck’s presentation, Enlivening the Practice of Collaborative Indigenous Research: A New Digital Garden shared valuable insight on the creation of a virtual gathering place to bring together participatory research and Indigenous research. The digital garden is aimed to cultivate meaningful connectivity and foster inspiration among university-affiliated researchers considering the unique methods and approaches specific to Indigenous knowledge.

Lace Marie Brogden’s presentation, Looking Back, Moving Forward with Critical Anti-Racist Education addressed the realities and impacts of racial inequality experienced by Indigenous learners in the Canadian public education system. Brogden ignited a collaborative inquiry on sharing responsibilities toward creating inclusive and equal educational opportunities that are informed by Indigenous cultures and contexts.

The theme of this year’s conference was aptly designed to celebrate interdisciplinary scholarship surrounding educational-related fields of research, which invited delegates to reimagine the landscape of education beyond the K-12 framework.

Yu-Ling Yee’s presentation, Mobilizing Pre-service Teachers’ Knowledge and Honouring Their Voices through Podcasts shared how the process of pre-service teachers creating podcasts can help validate, appreciate, and honour their identities and voices, which in turn can amplify their agency within and beyond classroom settings.

Sylvia Kind’s exhibit, More Than the Mark: The Choreographic and Generosities of Young Children’s Drawing showcased a series of children’s drawings in the context of relationality and delved into using the creative medium to self-express organically rather than being constrained by defined representational intentions. This initiative empowered participants to showcase their feelings and thoughts without predetermined artistic expectations.

Grazia Scoppio and Sara Greco’s launched their book, The Power of Diversity in the Armed Forces and looked at how diversity, equity and military operational readiness can be achieved by recruiting immigrants into a country’s armed forces. This book extends the peripheral of what an inclusive and equitable military education and training environment may entail when its members are culturally diverse, and when such diversity is valued in an organization.

Congress 2023 provided an exceptional platform for educational professionals and practitioners to celebrate and learn from one another’s unique research efforts, ideas, and voices. As a Congress rookie, I was pleased to learn about concepts beyond my current research scope and connect with colleagues surrounding my research interests of equitable educational leadership, inclusive curriculum design, learner cultures, and professional career training.


Nova Heartland
Master of Education Candidate
Vancouver Island University