Inclusion and wellness retreat Spring 2024
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Last June, Dawson’s first ever two-day inclusive design intensive and retreat took place at the beautiful Kio Centre in the Laurentians: 21 teachers from a total of 10 different departments across multiple sectors gathered with 11 professionals from four departments supporting student success to explore ways we can adapt our approaches, interactions, and course design to meet a wide range of student needs.
Some event highlights:
- Keynote: Intro to Universal Design for Learning set the tone through empathy and storytelling (Effie Konstantinopoulos, Associate Director of Student Accessibility and Achievement Centre at McGill, and UDL@Dawson co-founder)
- Simulation activities to briefly emulate what it feels like to have a learning disability first-hand (CRLT teacher Myka Taylor)
- Interactive workshops on implementing inclusive approaches to teaching and systems supporting student success (UDL co-facilitators Caroline and Cathy, with examples from prior UDL fellows) Sustainable Happiness workshop to extend discussion to context of global well-being for all and sustainable development principles (Holly McIntyre, Dawson Sustainability)
In between workshops, participants connected with colleagues through movement and being outdoors with activities such as yoga, hiking, stand-up paddling, not to mention a good, old-fashioned campfire sing-along. Overall, we are grateful for having had the opportunity to learn together through such a unique and enriching experience. If you missed out this time, don’t worry, we are planning editions two and three, in January and June 2025! Stay tuned for details about these and other upcoming events in the next editions of D News.
The event organizers would like to thank Julia Lijeron and Einat Idan from the Office of Academic Development (OAD) for their collaboration in preparation and co-facilitation, to our guest speakers, to the Deans (OAD and AD) and to the Dawson Teachers’ Union for their support.
─Submitted by Cathy Roy
