When extremely cold weather hits Toronto, where do vulnerable people across the city go? Alum Cathy Crowe, a street nurse and advocate who has been tackling homelessness for 30 years, says while the city has taken steps to help bring people out of the cold, more shelters and warming centres are needed - and fast. Read more.

What should parents do if they catch their child under the age of 7 lying? In this week's New York Times, research by professor Kang Lee helps put parents' worries about their children's lies to rest. Lying is not only a normal sign of cognitive development, says Lee, but his research shows you can inspire kids to be more truthful by praising their honesty. Read more.

MEd grad Tracey King is Canada's first Indigenous human resources consultant for a postsecondary institution and a longtime volunteer of the OISE Alumni Association. This Indigenous Education Month, Tracey reflects on her award-winning work to bring more Indigenous peoples into higher education and closes with a heartfelt message to Indigenous graduate students pursuing their degrees. Watch now.

Yesterday, OISE's Indigenous Education Liaison Julie Blair received her Master of Social Work degree from a groundbreaking new program in Indigenous trauma and resiliency. The extraordinary grad earned a previous undergraduate degree in Indigenous studies with a 3.9 GPA, was the first Indigenous student to receive the Brookfield Peter F. Bronfman Gold Scholarship, and helped organize the first powwow at U of T in 20 years in 2017. Blair has not only carved out a personal legacy but left an imprint on the university itself. Read more.

This week, Professor Normand Labrie received an honorary doctorate from the University of Quebec at Rimouski. The renowned linguist was recognized for his contributions to the development of knowledge and the influence of the French language. Read more.

Graduating student Suleyman Demi made Ghana the core of his research at OISE, studying everything from how his home country feeds itself to the role communities and local farming play in the future of food and the environment. Now, he's working to educate families about food security across the country. When Suleyman crosses the stage at Convocation Hall on November 7, he will know he got there by keeping Ghana in his mind - and close to his heart. Read more.

Alum and CBC host Amanda Parris has won the Governor General's Literary Award in Drama for "Other Side of the Game." Her powerful play tells the story of black women fighting against institutions while supporting their loved ones who have been incarcerated. Read more.

Ahead of a new student placement initiative at OISE, teacher candidates joined The Robertson Program on a trip to the Johnny Therriault School in Aroland First Nation to learn about its teaching practices and meet with staff, students and the Aroland community. In spring 2020, the First Nation school will provide four aspiring educators with the opportunity to gain firsthand experience teaching in northern Ontario. Watch now.

Carlos Ruano gives added meaning to the phrase 'from the ground up.' He connects his experiences as a coffee picker in Guatemala to building networks that landed him a senior role at the United Nations' World Food Programme. Today, Carlos is involved in the development of school feeding programs for 11 million school-age children across Pakistan. In a new alumni portrait, Carlos discusses his career in global education policy and how an education doctorate from OISE helped get him there. Read more.

On October 16, over 260 mentors and mentees gathered for the fourth annual OISE Mentorship Program launch. The largest of its kind on campus, the program pairs 500 alumni and grad students each year based on research and field interests. The event was an opportunity for participants to meet for the first time and start their mentorship journey. View photos.

Thanks to the generosity of OISE donors, Krystal was able to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. Now she will motivate countless children to develop their passions and reach their potential. Your support can help ensure that the brightest and best students, no matter their background, have access to a world class education. Learn more.

Healing the human spirit is not just an Indigenous concern - it has consequences for everyone, says alum Diane Longboat. A Traditional Healer and senior project manager at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Longboat uses Indigenous concepts of healing to help with those struggling with mental health challenges and addictions. On November 7, the U of T First Nations House founder will deliver the convocation address to OISE's Class of 2019. Read more.

OISE Alumni Association's Dr. Andrew Boggs has been shortlisted for the UK's Wonkhe Awards for his blog, The value of higher education reaches across the generations. The awards commemorate noteworthy participation in community writing, original ideas and analysis that helps drive forward higher education policy debate. Read Boggs' blog.

The Robertson Program for Inquiry-based Teaching in Mathematics and Science has launched a new initiative to provide teacher candidates in our Master of Arts in Child Study and Education program with experience teaching in a First Nations school. Read more.

Alum Katie Doering shares her experience as principal of the Ronald McDonald House school in Toronto - a place where seriously ill students learn and heal together. "I know I can't change the medical aspect of things. But I can make an impact in that child's life. If their life is two years or two more weeks, it's about making a difference in their day, that day." Read more.

Last week, nine of our outstanding volunteers picked up University of Toronto Arbor Awards for their contributions to OISE. These volunteers dedicate their time and talent to enriching our community. Among the winners is Xin Wang, Director of Treasury Analytics at CIBC and dedicated OISE volunteer, who is responsible for the innovative software program that helps generate 250 high quality mentorship pairings each year for the OISE Mentorship Program. Read more.

In an article for The Globe and Mail, educator, activist and proclaimed 'street nurse', alum Cathy Crowe explores Canada's housing crisis and how the abandoning of a national housing program in 1933 created an emergency of homelessness and lack of affordable housing, leaving 235,000 homeless and 1.7 million people in 'core-housing' need. "The obvious solution is a return to a national housing program. That means universal availability to affordable and accessible housing in the same fashion as we now expect in our beloved medicare," argues Crowe. Read more.

"Our women-only parties aren't about feeling marginalized. They're about creating spaces to strengthen sisterhood." On the International Day of the Girl, alum Rania Mirza writes about the rise of women-only spaces in Muslim communities and why they remain important today. Read more.

25 students, faculty, staff and alumni were celebrated for their achievements recently at the third annual African Scholars Awards ceremony. Created by a group led by OISE doctoral student Henry Ssali, the ceremony aims to encourage a culture of African excellence at U of T. Read more.

Two Oakville car dealerships were surprised to find Facebook and Instagram refused their ads for a tree planting campaign for being about "social issues, elections or politics." In the Toronto Star, Professor Megan Boler comments on how issues of public good play out over social media, and warns privately owned corporate platforms such as Facebook are "becoming the arbiters of public good, law and policy surrounding questions of free speech, political advertising." Read more.

Congratulations to our very own Dean Glen Jones who has received the Council for International Higher Education (CIHE) Award for Significant Research in International Higher Education for his book entitled "Professorial Pathways: Academic Careers in a Global Perspective" (2019). The award recognizes highly significant research outcomes in the field of international higher education with a focus on state-of-the-art knowledge and scholarship. Read more.

Congratulations to Professor Lance McCready who will serve as the 2019-2020 Bissell-Heyd Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study for the United States (CSUS) at the Munk School of Global Affairs. With his fellowship, McCready plans to organize a Queer of Color Analysis in Education Research Institute, with details coming soon.

Congratulations to OISE Alumni Association's own Jason Brennan, Massey Fellow and the new Assistant Dean, Residence Life & Communication at the University of Toronto. Jason will oversee the Residence Life program, front desk services, and communication for Graduate House as a live-in staff member who is trained to support grads with any level of emergency, including mental health support.

Congratulations to our alum and CBC host Amanda Parris who has been selected as a finalist for the Governor Generals' Literary Award, one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious prizes, in the drama category for her gripping play, Other Side of the Game. Read more.

Professor Karen Mundy, an expert in international and comparative education, has been appointed to the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education. Launched on September 26, the initiative aims to re-imagine how knowledge and learning can shape the futures of humanity in a context of increasing complexity, uncertainty and precarity. Read more.

How will Canadian universities change over the next 20 years? Dean Glen Jones shares his thoughts among fellow university leaders on the future of higher education in Canada. "I'm inspired by the increasing global dimension of education. We are always trying to fulfill the huge, wonderful potential of the university and I think this growing global dimension of education will bring us closer to that." Read more in University Affairs.

Professor Charles Pascal comments on new Ontario Financial Accountability Office (FAO) figures on class size that claim if the province had maintained previous class size averages, there would have been 994 more elementary teaching positions and 9,060 more high-school teaching positions in the education system by the 2023-24 academic year. Read more in the Globe and Mail.

Tune in to FreshEd Podcast to rethink technical and vocational education and training with Professor Leesa Wheelahan, our William G. Davis chair in Community College Leadership, who looks at the area from a 'productive capabilities' perspective. Listen here.

Scotland's school attainment gap could take 15 years to be reduced warn an international panel of education experts, including OISE's own Professor Carol Campbell. In a new article, Campbell discusses the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) and their recommendations for closing the poverty-related attainment gap, including creating more pathways for community and parent engagement and using new funding to explore the effects of poverty in Scottish schools. Read more.

This Friday, millions of people around the world are expected to take to the streets to call for action on climate change. OISE has a long and proud history of fostering social responsibility, and many in our community are deeply devoted to addressing climate change, especially through environmental and sustainability education. As such, OISE is encouraging course instructors to offer flexibility to students wishing to participate in the climate strike on Sept. 27. Read more.

For more than four decades, alum Cathy Crowe has balanced work as a street nurse in Ontario with hardline activism that's often positioned her at odds with every level of authority. Her new book, A Knapsack Full of Dreams: Memoirs of a Street Nurse, accounts her adventures and tireless efforts as a street nurse and activist, and ends with an urgent call to action. With homelessness steadily on the rise in Canada, Crowe's book aims to edify the public about its realities. Read more.

Alum Sidrah Ahmad, a researcher of Islamophobic violence against Muslim women in Canada, discusses Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recently surfaced photo that shows him in brownface, donning a turban in 2001. Ahmad explores how race issues like the 2001 photo are engaged on the Canadian campaign trail and why the country must address its 'hidden racisms'. Read more.

Children's lies are deceptively complex, but simple techniques can increase their truth-telling. In a new article, co-author Dr. Angela Evans discusses research developed with Professor Kang Lee on why children's lies are a positive sign of their development. The pair examined young children's lying and found those with greater performance on cognitive tasks like inhibition and memory were more likely to lie. While kids' lies may be a good thing, Evans offers ways to improve their honesty, such as reading books that praise truth-telling. Read more.

With a curriculum and school culture that draws on drama, narrative and social justice, the Prerna Girls' School in Lucknow, India is helping its 1,000 female students defy the odds of their marginalized lives at the intersections of gender, caste and extreme poverty. Professor Kathleen Gallagher's powerful research on drama pedagogy and "radical hope" took her to classrooms around the world, including the Prerna school. In Lucknow, she found drama could interrupt oppressions of caste and gender, and in one Toronto classroom it had the potential to interrupt classroom social relations of race and gender -- allowing young people to 'break out' of limiting social roles and imagine hopeful possibilities. Read more.

Congratulations to PhD candidate Yecid Ortega on being awarded The International Research Foundation's Doctoral Dissertation Grant for his critical ethnographic case study on social justice and peacebuilding curriculum implementation in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Colombia. Read more about his project.

Professor Leesa Wheelahan, OISE's William G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership, comments on a new study that finds graduates of bachelor degree programs at Canadian community colleges initially earn 12 percent more than their university-educated counterparts. However, the university grads quickly begin to catch up in earnings two to five years after graduation. "The study shows the value of community college degrees, and it also shows us where the challenges are and where we need to do more policy work," says Wheelahan. Read more.

Professor Rosalind Hampton is among 52 winners of the prestigious Connaught Award which annually recognizes and supports the development of strong research programs at the University of Toronto. Hampton was awarded for her research project on the institutionalization of Black Studies as an emerging formal area of postsecondary study in Canada. Through her research, Hampton hopes to shed light on the processes, ideas and contexts surrounding the gradual shift to more representation of Black scholars and scholarship in Canadian universities. Read more.

Seven years ago, Jennifer Wemigwans received a call out of the blue from a highly regarded Hopi Timekeeper with an important request: help digitize the traditional calendars of Indigenous communities across South and North America. In collaboration with Timekeepers - Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers who carry teachings from their communities' calendar systems - Wemigwans will help launch an interactive educational website for the public in 2021. Read more.

For decades, reel-to-reel tapes of conversations with some of the leading Canadian politicians of a generation sat in a corner of the OISE Library, all but forgotten. But this summer, librarians at OISE digitized the recordings to give the public easy access to wide-ranging interviews with leaders like John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson. Made in the 70s, the recordings have never been available in their entirety - until now. Read more.

PhD candidate Hiro Hiratsuka has been awarded the 2019-20 Massey College Junior Fellowship -- a residency program for U of T graduate students to work within a prestigious community of fellow students, distinguished academics and professionals. In part, Fellows are selected based on academic merit and professional experience. Hiratsuka, a former curriculum developer and assistant professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, is currently researching what students learn from intercultural experiences in study abroad programs. Read more.

Online courses can offer great learning outcomes. However, rushed adoption or lack of preparation will greatly diminish the impact of online learning on a student's education, says e-learning expert Professor Clare Brett - as Ontario introduces mandatory online courses for high school students beginning next year. Read more.

Congratulations to alum Dr. Angelica Galante, recipient of the Leithwood Award for Outstanding Thesis of the Year at OISE, which recognizes cutting-edge research by doctoral candidates. Dr. Galante's winning thesis, "Plurilingual or monolingual: A mixed methods study investigating plurilingual instruction in an EAP program at a Canadian university," shows that plurilingual instruction -- which invites students to make use of their primary languages and cultures -- is more effective than monolingual instruction in second language education. Read more.

OISE has launched a new Doctor of Education (EdD) program in International Educational Leadership and Policy, which will begin Fall 2020. The online, specialized doctorate is designed for mid-career professionals who work for international organizations, governments, foundations and nongovernmental agencies and are looking to enrich their education and improve their practice. Read more.

Professor Kathleen Gallagher has been named fellow of the Royal Society of Canada -- considered a major achievement for scholars in this country. A professor in the department of curriculum, teaching and learning, Gallagher uses theatre to understand young people's views on life in and out of the classroom. She hopes her fellowship opens up more avenues for cross-disciplinary work. "The idea that I'm going to walk into new intellectual terrain with researchers beyond my U of T network is enormously exciting to me," says Gallagher. "It feels like a new beginning." Read more.

Professor Carol Campbell discusses the implications of the Ontario governments recent cuts to school funding including larger class sizes and 3,475 fewer teachers. "The accumulative effect of these cuts is there are going to be fewer adults in our schools," says Campbell, who worries student engagement, graduation rates and outcomes after graduation may suffer as a result. Read more in Today's Parent.

Canada isn't immune when it comes to mistreating migrants within our borders, says doctoral student and migrant justice organizer Chris Ramsaroop. In a new op-ed for The Globe and Mail, he argues that Canadians need to take a closer look at the impact of our immigration enforcement practices and take steps to protect immigrant communities. Read more.

The OISE community is invited to join Professor Hunt's family for a celebration of a life well-lived at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on Wednesday, September 25. Music from Dr. Hunt's band, The Foolish Things, and some special surprises await your presence. Together, let's celebrate the life of our beloved friend, colleague and teacher. Read more.

Alum Kerry Potts brings her Indigenous culture and arts into teaching at the postsecondary level, which only recently has seen more Indigenous peoples hired in educator roles. Now a full-time faculty member at Humber College, Potts developed a course on Indigenous perspectives on Indigenous music, film and media -- which draws on her work as chair of the non-profit organization Native Women in the Arts. "I felt a shift in the colleges and universities to recruit Indigenous teachers who offer a practical point of view," she said. "Now, there's space for Indigenous people that never happened before." Read more.

For back to school, we asked six OISE graduate students to think back to their first year and offer advice to their first year selves. Find out their tips for making new friends, balancing parenting, overcoming impostor syndrome and more. Watch now.

Public libraries in Canada have not always been for everyone. Today, they must reconcile the colonial history of residential schools and navigate how to best address the needs of marginalized patrons previously neglected by the library -- including Indigenous peoples. OISE librarian Desmond Wong, who acts as a liaison to Indigenous education resources, reflects on the Indigenous peoples-settler relationship in the context of the library. Read more.

Some students may push the limits of propriety as the new dress code rolls out this fall in Toronto. But for Professor Lauren Bialystok, the more important question is: "How do we create a culture in which what people wear is not misinterpreted as license to objectify, sexually harass or shame them -- and rather, just one of many forms of self-expression?" Read more.

Ontario will become the first province to require student teachers to pass a standardized math test before they receive their teaching licence, but new findings suggest these tests don't boost student scores. Professor Mary Reid, an expert on math teacher education, leads a course that teaches student teachers math basics, as well as pedagogy -- a better way to increase confidence in math and improve student achievement, she says. Read more.

Based on research she has seen out of the United States, Professor Mary Reid is not convinced that there is a connection between teachers passing a required math test and student achievement. She also worries that requiring new teachers to pass a math test could dissuade racially diverse people from even entering education, and also worsen the current shortage of French teachers. Read more.

With the Doug Ford government introducing a new Grade 1-8 sex education curriculum in Ontario, professor Lauren Bialystok explores its striking similarity to the modernized but maligned 2015 version, which was repealed for a year, as well as the controversies with sex education over the last five years. Read more.

As students prepare to head back into the classroom, we've compiled a list of resources by OISE experts to ensure that parents and educators are well-equipped for the start of the new school year. Learn how to foster mindfulness in children, create LGBTQ-friendly spaces, support Black student success, and more. Read more.

Over 400 educators from across the Greater Toronto Area came together at OISE on August 21 for the second Count Me In Math Institute to learn about current research in math education and further enhance their teaching skills in math. The one-day conference was organized by OISE in partnership with the University of Toronto's Department of Mathematics and offered K-12 teachers a unique opportunity to learn from some of the top math education researchers and teachers in the province. Read more.

OISE alum and U of T Professor Alex Abramovich, also an independent scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), has been selected from over 800 applicants to be a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. Their experience in health equity, LGBTQ2S youth, homelessness and public health will inform the Government of Canada's Poverty Reduction policy. Read more.

Professor Megan Boler has won the Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge grant for her research project "Affective Media, Social Movements, and Digital Dissent: Emotions and Democratic Participation in the 'Post-Truth' Era". With the grant, Boler and fellow recipients will analyze data sets from social media, online news and surveys of Canadians during the 2019 Federal Election to bring attention to some of the challenges and opportunities in Canada's digital ecosystem. Read more.

A new Google Earth project aims to celebrate Indigenous languages, but Prof. Jennifer Wemigwans, whose research focuses on Indigenous knowledge and new media technologies, says big tech companies can do more. She discusses how we can better use technology to preserve and revitalize Indigenous tongues on CBC Radio: The Current. Listen here.

This fall, alum Dr. Mark Wade will be joining OISE as Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, where Wade completed his MA and PhD in school and clinical child psychology. Wade's research draws from the fields of developmental psychology, genetics, neuroscience, education, and pediatrics to help answer unique questions about how children and adolescents develop, and how risk and resilience play a role in early life. Read more.

Kerry McCuaig has been awarded funding from the Government of Canada for her research in support of improving early learning and childcare service delivery in the Greater Toronto Area. She will be investigating innovative approaches to early learning and childcare currently happening in Canada and exploring how they could be scaled to spread their impact. Read more.

Alum Dionne Brand reflects on the work of fellow U of T honorary degree recipient and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, who was the first black woman to be presented the Nobel Prize in Literature. "When you walked out of a Toni Morrison novel and onto the street you became more certain of your own viability. You knew something," writes Brand. Read more in Globe and Mail.

A study led by OISE Professor Kang Lee and researchers from the Faculty of Medicine found that blood pressure can be measured accurately by taking a quick video selfie. Using a technology co-discovered by Lee and his postdoctoral fellow Paul Zheng called transdermal optical imaging, researchers found they were able to measure three types of blood pressure with 95 to 96 per cent accuracy. The technology offers a wealth of opportunity including the ability to provide health services for those who have limited access to health care, says Lee. Watch now.

In her blog, Professor Bonnie Burstow discusses the dangers of twenty-first century psychiatric eugenics with its roots as a controversial treatment method in the second world war. Burstow, whose research explores survivors of psychiatric trauma, outlines the importance of understanding the history of the eugenics movement and calls on activists and communities today to challenge the industry. Read more.

"Child care services shouldn't be a privilege for those who can access and pay for it. It should be a right for everyone," says Sara Asalya, MEd student and advocate for immigrant and refugee rights. In a new op-ed, Asalya discusses her concerns over the recent cancellation of Ontario's $50 million fund for child care centres, and its impacts on immigrant and refugee communities. Read more in Toronto Star.

This fall, Diane Hill will pursue her master's degree at OISE to learn more about creating a better education system for First Nations peoples. Read more.

Many young newcomers desire to build intercultural friendships with their Canadian-born peers but find it difficult to do so. Professor Antoinette Gagné discusses the barriers involved, why intercultural friendships are beneficial, and how parents and educators can help. Listen on CBC Radio.

A major international survey led by OISE Dean Glen Jones will shine a spotlight on the state of the academic profession, covering topics like job satisfaction, perception of academic work and the balance between teaching and research. Read more.

Ten years on, has Canada's only Africentric school fulfilled its promise to support Black youth? Professor George Dei, an early proponent of the school, says that more resources are needed for the program to reach its full potential.

PhD student Sean Monteith has been named Director of Education for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB). In his former education leadership roles in Ontario, Monteith was known for his focus on improving student achievement and Indigenous education, including by significantly increasing graduation rates among Indigenous and rural/Northern students. Read more.

In a new op-ed, alum Grant Linney raises concerns about the recent cutbacks to outdoor education programs across Ontario. "Outdoor experiential education remains a powerful learning methodology for today's students. It embraces a wide spectrum of safe, teacher-led outdoor experiences," writes Linney, who says the cutbacks mean students could lose out on substantial and lasting benefits like critical thinking skills, improved well-being and an appreciation for the environment. Read more.

David Collict, a recent graduate of the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development has been named Vanier scholar, one of Canada's most prestigious awards for students in doctoral studies. Recently completing his master of arts in counselling and clinical psychology at OISE, David will begin his PhD in the fall to continue his research in mental health and well-being of LGBTQ2 populations and plans to focus his work on queer communities of colour. Read more.

How can a child follow their dreams when their talent is surrounded by taboo and social stigma? Watch Professor Kathleen Gallagher, artistic director Nigel Burgoine and Stratford Festival's Jason Sermonia (who stars in 'Billy Elliot') discuss the challenges kids are facing in today's education systems and how to support the "unique brightness" of each child. Watch on Facebook.

When Canada doesn't collect data on gender identity, it's to the detriment of the community. But alum Dr. Alex Abramovich, assistant professor at U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, says that could be about to change. Dr. Abramovich along with U of T Professor Lori Ross helped develop 23 recommendations that were presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health in June. If enacted, the recommendations would allow the government to collect inclusive data, a significant change the LGBTQ community has been requesting. Read more.

What does it mean to be impacted by colonialism day to day? In a new podcast, Professor Jeffrey Ansloos discusses how the environments in which Indigenous people live impact their mental health, wellbeing and quality of life. When basic needs such as clean drinking water and breathable air cannot be met, communities and youth can't thrive, says Ansloos, whose current research involves mapping data in northern Ontario communities most impacted by suicide to understand the relationship between environmental degradation and youth suicide. Listen here.

A new roundup of great podcasts by Indigenous women mentions The Henceforward, produced by Professor Eve Tuck and born out of a class she teaches at OISE. Featuring many of her students, The Henceforward explores the relationship between Indigenous and Black people in Canada, touching on topics like reparations, gentrification and reconciliation. Read more.

"He accompanies people along their journey to become their better self. That's Glen Sharpe." Meet the EdD graduate, mentor and recent recipient of the Carl Mitchell Award for Community Engagement at U of T. In a new video, Dr. Sharpe shares why he volunteers in his community, on and offline, and how fellow alumni can too. Watch now.

It may be time to re-write Canada's citizenship oath so that it reflects the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action, says PhD student Lucy El-Sherif. "Honouring Indigeneity for immigrants is not just about saying we are all settlers, a term that assumes we are all white and relate to Canada in identical ways. And honouring Indigeneity is not just a land acknowledgement in a ceremony, though that can be a starting point." Read more.

Alum Nizar Ladak, President and CEO of Compute Ontario, has been named one of Canada's Top 25 Immigrants in 2019. From coast to coast, the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards recognize the many important contributions of immigrants like Nizar, who is enabling access to advanced research computing in Ontario for the prosperity of all Canadians. Read more.

June 24-25, OISE welcomed over 175 practitioners, policy-makers and students from across Canada and over 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe to participate in the 2019 Shaping Sustainable Futures for Internationalization in Higher Education (SSFIHE) conference and explore trends, issues and possibilities in the field. "The conference provided an extraordinary opportunity to critically analyze many of the current issues and opportunities associated with internationalization," said Dean Glen Jones. Read more.

A new program for Muslim fathers co-developed by Professor Katreena Scott aims to foster healthy parenting practices and prevent family violence in a way that is specific to the lived experiences of Muslim fathers. "This [program] creates a space and opportunity to talk about pre-migration, migration, and post-migration experiences," said Dr. Scott. "There's material to help fathers reflect on how they develop healthy father-child relationships here in Canada," she added. Read more.

As the end of the school year approaches, kindergarten students are returning home with mountains of notes, paintings and drawings that their teachers have been collecting throughout the year. They aren't just keepsakes though. In Ontario's kindergarten classrooms, teachers use these creations as evidence to gain insight into their student's development and to identify their evolving interests. Doctoral student Mary Elizabeth Picher explores the importance of these forms of "pedagogical documentation". Read more.

One of Canada's most highly regarded sociologists, OISE's very own Dorothy E. Smith, has been named member of the Order of Canada. The appointment, announced by Governor-General Julie Payette on Thursday, is one of country's highest civilian honours. Smith is being recognized for "extending the boundaries of traditional sociology to incorporate a feminist perspective, and for developing institutional ethnography." Read more.

In a new video, Indigenous students Jennifer Sylvester, a single parent pursuing her PhD, and Diane Hill, an incoming masters student, share how they overcame systemic barriers and claimed their academic journey at U of T and OISE. "Historically a lot of our people did not attend university, so our very existence in these spaces is so empowering and so impactful," said Diane. Hear Jennifer and Diane talk about how connecting with the university's Indigenous community helped them find their calling. Watch now.

Alumni Sean Smyth (The Study Academy) and Alexandra Sorin (TDSB) have been selected to join the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions 13th Annual Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Class. The largest in the program's history, 45 educators including Smyth and Sorin will travel on global expeditions for the professional development experience of a lifetime in recognition of their commitment to geographic education. Read more.

The fun fair, and all school fundraising, may carry hidden costs to society, writes alum Sue Winton, whose research examines policies related to fundraising in public schools in Canada, the United States and Australia. In a new article, she explains why school fundraising may come at the expense of creating equitable and inclusive public schools. Read more.

Toxic triclosan and glyphosate are still used in Canada, and most people are not aware of toxic substances that affect us, writes alum Roman Caruk. In a new op-ed, Caruk explains why the Ford government's recent repeal of the Toxins Reduction Act of 2009 could negatively impact the health and safety of Ontarians. Read more in Hamilton Spectator.

The latest QS World University Rankings has ranked the University of Toronto as one of the top post-secondary institutions in the world. The prestigious annual list, published by higher education firm Quacquarelli Symonds, ranked U of T first in Canada and 29th out of more than 1,000 universities worldwide. Among public institutions, meanwhile, U of T ranked 18th globally and third in North America. Read more.

Ahead of Toronto's Pride parade which hits the streets Sunday amid tensions within the community, OISE alum and U of T professor Beverly Bain comments on the relationship between police and Pride, citing the movement's political and community roots. Read more.

A recent change in Ontario's Safe and Supportive Classroom Act is making families with students who use service animals nervous. A new section on service dogs vaguely explains that the education minister may require school boards to comply with new parameters as the minister sees fit. New grad Emily Wright, who has been working with her diabetic alert dog Kailey for six years, says with a lack of clear expectations and processes, the new addition in the law is not the way to go about regulating service animals in schools. Read more.

In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples' Day, we're highlighting a new initiative at OISE, the Anishinaabe Onkwehonwe (AO) Graduate Student Collective, which aims to organize events and provide informal support for Indigenous graduate students as they navigate the academy. Students Jennifer Sylvester and Fernanda Yanchapaxi talk about the new collective and what's to come. Watch now.

New student Diane Hill is dedicated to changing her community through education. This fall, she'll be pursuing her master's degree in social justice education at OISE to learn more about creating a better education system for First Nations peoples. Read more.

June is convocation season when hundreds of new graduates join OISE's alumni network of more than 100,000 professionals, leaders and educators living and working in diverse communities around the world. To help these new graduates along in their journey, OISE alumni give their top career and interview tips plus advice on life after graduation. Read more.

Professor Tara Goldstein, whose research looks at diverse LGBTQ families and their experiences in publicly funded schools across Ontario, outlines some of the challenges LGBTQ families face, what they say is needed and how teachers can help. This Pride Month, read four ways schools can create safer, more welcoming learning environments for our children. Read more.

Masters of Education grad and community activist Tshweu Moleme reflects on his journey in education from Johannesburg to Toronto, invoking Zanana Akande's powerful Convocation address to OISE graduates this June. Read more.