Day 1: April 30th, 2025
9:30 AM - 9:40 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:40 AM - 10:30 AM: Safeguarding Family Leadership
Bruce Uditsky MEd, CEO Emeritus, Inclusion Alberta
Families have provided leadership in establishing inclusive post-secondary education initiatives. In order to safeguard inclusion, initiatives need to support and develop family leadership that will sustain the values-driven work over time. In this session, Bruce Uditsky from Inclusion Alberta will share his story of sustaining family leadership and will help initiatives focus their attention on this critical safeguard.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM: Not for Credit?
Dr. Charles Bingham, Professor SFU
Arden Duncan Bonokoski MSc, Executive Director, STEPS Forward
The audit category has been a key to unlocking a meaningful post-secondary education. However, cultural expectations around education and credentialing can put pressure on initiatives to seek credentialing that pulls students away from the authentic student experience. In this session, we will explore this tension and how important it is for initiatives to focus on meaning across the entire field of potential student experience.
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Who’s Moving Inclusion Forward at CapU?
Ezra Shannon, Community Organizer, STEPS Forward
Engaging faculty and other members of the campus in opportunities to develop their understanding of the principles and practice of inclusion is an important safeguard for initiatives. At CapU, campus allies are developing a community of practice to develop and grow the campus's understanding and commitment to inclusive post-secondary education. In this session, they will share what motivates them to push inclusion forward on campus and what strategies they use to engage their colleagues in conversations about inclusive post-secondary education.
9:40 AM - 10:30 AM: Safeguarding Family Leadership
Bruce Uditsky MEd, CEO Emeritus, Inclusion Alberta
Families have provided leadership in establishing inclusive post-secondary education initiatives. In order to safeguard inclusion, initiatives need to support and develop family leadership that will sustain the values-driven work over time. In this session, Bruce Uditsky from Inclusion Alberta will share his story of sustaining family leadership and will help initiatives focus their attention on this critical safeguard.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM: Not for Credit?
Dr. Charles Bingham, Professor SFU
Arden Duncan Bonokoski MSc, Executive Director, STEPS Forward
The audit category has been a key to unlocking a meaningful post-secondary education. However, cultural expectations around education and credentialing can put pressure on initiatives to seek credentialing that pulls students away from the authentic student experience. In this session, we will explore this tension and how important it is for initiatives to focus on meaning across the entire field of potential student experience.
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Who’s Moving Inclusion Forward at CapU?
Ezra Shannon, Community Organizer, STEPS Forward
Engaging faculty and other members of the campus in opportunities to develop their understanding of the principles and practice of inclusion is an important safeguard for initiatives. At CapU, campus allies are developing a community of practice to develop and grow the campus's understanding and commitment to inclusive post-secondary education. In this session, they will share what motivates them to push inclusion forward on campus and what strategies they use to engage their colleagues in conversations about inclusive post-secondary education.
Day 2: May 1st, 2025
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Systems Jam – Exploring the Sticky Parts of Safeguarding Inclusion as We Work Within Systems
Katie Forman, Coordinator, Acadia University
Dr. Mary Sweatman, Associate Professor & Director, Acadia University
Ever had a conversation with someone who “just gets inclusion”? It’s a great feeling. But we’ve all had the opposite experience too. Join a facilitated conversation exploring the nuances of advocating for inclusion in the many systems that Inclusive Post-Secondary Education works within. Share what you find works when discussing Inclusive Post-Secondary Education with colleagues, administrators, families, and students. Hear from others on their strategies and stumbling blocks and contribute together to a stronger approach to safeguarding inclusion within the many systems associated with Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM: Safeguarding the Authentic Student Experience: Challenging Segregated Spaces in Post-Secondary Education
Charmaine McIntyre, Executive Director, Community Initiatives, Inclusion Alberta
Inclusive post-secondary education encompasses more than academics; it fosters a vibrant, robust, and authentic student experience that includes all aspects of student life. However, segregated recreation programs and artificial friendship groups persist in post-secondary environments. They are sometimes integrated within faculties such as education, physical education, and disability studies, in addition to student life initiatives. This session encourages an open dialogue about the risks these spaces pose to genuine inclusion and our responsibility to raise consciousness among community partners and allies. How can we navigate these intersecting relationships while upholding the integrity of the student experience?
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Collaborative Reflection as a Generative and Safeguarding Practice
Lauren Matthews, Director of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education, STEPS Forward
One important safeguarding practice is developing the skill of facilitators to bring others into the work of co-creating inclusive campuses so that initiative staff are not the only ones doing the work of inclusion. This session will be a discussion with facilitators and coordinators that explores examples of how bringing others into critical reflection, rather than taking on the responsibility for inclusion alone, has safeguarded inclusive practices and created new and unexpected opportunities for students.
1:00 PM - 1:10 PM: Closing Remarks & Reflections
Katie Forman, Coordinator, Acadia University
Dr. Mary Sweatman, Associate Professor & Director, Acadia University
Ever had a conversation with someone who “just gets inclusion”? It’s a great feeling. But we’ve all had the opposite experience too. Join a facilitated conversation exploring the nuances of advocating for inclusion in the many systems that Inclusive Post-Secondary Education works within. Share what you find works when discussing Inclusive Post-Secondary Education with colleagues, administrators, families, and students. Hear from others on their strategies and stumbling blocks and contribute together to a stronger approach to safeguarding inclusion within the many systems associated with Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM: Safeguarding the Authentic Student Experience: Challenging Segregated Spaces in Post-Secondary Education
Charmaine McIntyre, Executive Director, Community Initiatives, Inclusion Alberta
Inclusive post-secondary education encompasses more than academics; it fosters a vibrant, robust, and authentic student experience that includes all aspects of student life. However, segregated recreation programs and artificial friendship groups persist in post-secondary environments. They are sometimes integrated within faculties such as education, physical education, and disability studies, in addition to student life initiatives. This session encourages an open dialogue about the risks these spaces pose to genuine inclusion and our responsibility to raise consciousness among community partners and allies. How can we navigate these intersecting relationships while upholding the integrity of the student experience?
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Collaborative Reflection as a Generative and Safeguarding Practice
Lauren Matthews, Director of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education, STEPS Forward
One important safeguarding practice is developing the skill of facilitators to bring others into the work of co-creating inclusive campuses so that initiative staff are not the only ones doing the work of inclusion. This session will be a discussion with facilitators and coordinators that explores examples of how bringing others into critical reflection, rather than taking on the responsibility for inclusion alone, has safeguarded inclusive practices and created new and unexpected opportunities for students.
1:00 PM - 1:10 PM: Closing Remarks & Reflections
