Master's students earn William Waters Urban Education scholarships
October 31, 2011
SPECIAL TO OISE
Congratulations to our 2011-2012 William Waters Scholarship in Urban Education recipients: Julia Hainer-Violand, Jozef Konyari, Ambeika Sukhram, and Melanie Willson. All four students are currently pursuing Master’s programs at OISE focused on issues of social justice and school success for students living in underserved urban communities.
Julia Hainer-Violand taught for five years at a bilingual school in Washington, DC before deciding to pursue studies in culturally responsive curriculum writing. “My personal background of being a second generation immigrant makes me put the needs of second language learners and immigrants first. Many urban schools have daily influxes of immigrant populations. This is where I want to be and where I can see the work of culturally relevant curriculum aid in preventing the number of immigrant students who are pushed out of the system due to cultural and linguistic differences.” The scholarship allows Julia to explore Toronto’ s alternative schools that hold social justice at the heart of their mission. In future, she hopes to create a similar space in Washington DC or elsewhere. “My options are open to the world."
Jozef Konyari is grateful for the opportunity The William Waters Scholarship has given him to return to school full-time and pursue his academic and activist-based goals. “Focusing on urban education is important due to the various inequities that currently exist within various schools and communities throughout the city. If we, as educators, collectively, consistently and effectively address these existing inequities our students will feel safer, more engaged and empowered as local and global citizens.” The experience so far has certainly lived up to his expectations: “So far, my experience here at OISE, and in the city at large, has been active, stimulating and full of various opportunities.”
Ambeika Sukhram is a teacher with the Toronto District School Board and winner of the OSSTF District 12 Status of Women, Outstanding New Teacher award (2008). During her four years teaching, she developed many questions regarding equity and education and so decided to pursue an M.Ed at OISE. “When I immigrated from Guyana in 1989, my teachers played a key role in my adjustment to Canada. As a teacher with the Toronto District School Board, I now have a key role to play in the adjustment process of other newcomers,” she says. Ambeika is honoured to receive a scholarship that credits the work of teachers in urban schools and is looking forward to implementing her OISE experiences at the classroom level.
Melanie Willson feels privileged to receive a scholarship that allows her to focus on her studies full-time and get the most out of each reading, class discussion and lecture. “My courses have far exceeded my expectations, and have challenged me to critically reflect on everything from global economics to local education policies to my own personal practice. My professors are passionate about their research and teaching and have incredible insights to share.” Melanie is exploring the potential for meaningful forms of antiracist media education. As an anti-poverty activist and teacher at an urban school in Toronto, she is committed to advocating for more equitable practices and policies both inside and outside the classroom.
The William Waters Scholarships in Urban Education were established in 2008 by U of T Professor Emeritus Dr. William R. Waters to promote excellence in teaching in the urban classroom. The scholarships are awarded to experienced teachers entering a full-time Master’s program with an interest in issues of social justice and school success for students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The scholarship recipients are invited to join the Centre for Urban Schooling and are participants in activities related to research, professional development, advocacy and teacher education over the course of the year.
For more information about the William Waters Scholarships in Education, see William R. Waters, a donor story.
For more on the scholarship application process, see the scholarship brochure.