Join us for a special gathering for educators, instructional designers, and curriculum developers from across Vancouver Island. The one-day, in-person workshop led by author, Jo Chrona is a partnership with BCcampus, Royal Roads University, and Deloitte.

As we respond to the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we continue to engage in challenging conversations about inequity and systemic racism in education. This event provides a platform to have some challenging conversations around Jo Chrona’s book, Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education. Together, we’ll explore how to incorporate Indigenous pedagogy into learning design, supporting a stronger education system rooted in cultural understanding.

In a combination of presentation and small group work and discussions, we will explore:

• The intersections between Indigenous education and anti-racism in our systems,
• How Indigenous-informed pedagogies can help create stronger education experiences for all,
• What it can mean for each of us to move from fear, to learning, to growth,
• How we can understand the roles of fear and bias in our work, and
• How we can build on relationships and use our spheres of influence to create meaningful change.

Please note this is an in-person event, and it will not be streamed. While participants are not required to read Wayi Wah! in advance, we encourage familiarizing yourself with its content.

Registrants can sign up for an optional walk starting at 2:30. Cowichan Elder Kenneth Elliott will take participants on an interpretive walk of Charlie’s Trail, graciously sharing his deep ancestral knowledge of forest flora passed down to him by his grandmother. He calls the walk “looking at the forest through my grandma’s eyes,” and through that lens, everything in the forest is either food, medicine, or a tool, and nothing is taken for granted or without gratitude. Participants should wear appropriate clothing and footwear. It is described as a moderate walk, especially when wet. The interpretive walk will be between 60 and 90 minutes in length.

Registration coming soon!

Please register using your B.C. post-secondary email. This is a regional workshop with a focus on Vancouver Island, but members of the greater B.C. post-secondary community are welcome to attend. As this is a free event with limited capacity, please contact us in advance if you can no longer attend the event so we can make the spot available to others.

About the Facilitator:

Jo Chrona is a speaker, education consultant, Indigenous education advocate, and the author of Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education (2022). Jo is Ganhada of Waap K’oom, a member of the Kitsumkalum First Nation, a Ts’msyen community in British Columbia, and has European ancestry. She lives on Salt Spring Island, on the traditional territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ (Tsawout) and Quw’utsun.

Jo’s professional experience includes over 25 years teaching in both the K-12 and post-secondary systems in B.C., working as a policy analyst and curriculum manager for the First Nations Education Steering Committee, an advisor to B.C.’s Ministry of Education, and a faculty associate in Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) teacher education program. Jo has also been involved in curriculum development and resource writing, professional learning through inquiry networks, and Indigenous education. She participated in various aspects of educational transformation in B.C.’s K-12 system and the development of Indigenous education policies, and managed and contributed to the development of authentic Indigenous teacher resource guides. She is exploring the connections between Indigenous-informed pedagogies and authentic assessment.

Jo has a Bachelor of Arts from SFU, a diploma in education from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and a Master of Educational Technology from UBC. Jo is passionate about helping create systemic change in education systems to create truly inclusive, high-quality, strength-based education experiences for all learners. She consults and provides professional learning sessions focusing on the intersections of Indigenous education and anti-racism.

Sponsors:

This event is brought to you in partnership by BCcampus, Royal Roads University, and Deloitte.