As a nursing student at the University of Alberta, Josh Bergman said access to financial support made a big difference to him at a critical time and a lasting impression post-graduation.

“I came from modest circumstances, I was the first one in my family to get a post-secondary education,” Bergman (‘05 BScN) said. “At one point, I had to pay for a spring course but I had no money, and my faculty was able to help access some money to get me through that time. And I remember thinking if I had the opportunity I’d like to give back to the U of A in some way in that regard.”

Even though Alberta’s Teacher Quality Standards place an emphasis on including Indigenous histories and knowledges, many teachers continue to be unsure of how to present such material, or of the role of settler colonialism in nation-building, according to a PhD candidate in Educational Policy Studies.

An education professor at the University of Alberta noticed there was a lack of resources about media literacy aimed at young people. So, with the help of their partner who happens to be an illustrator, they made their own in hopes that readers would learn something about misinformation, emotion regulation—and dinosaurs.

At long last spring has arrived with its promise of growth and renewal. And, after rigorous consultation, so too has the Faculty’s strategic plan, “Education for the Public Good,” the goals and objectives of which will shape and guide our work over the next five years.

How do you find out the complex challenges and needs of a diverse ethno-cultural group resettling in a new country after fleeing war and violence at home?

Carla Singer admits that, as a student new to the University of Alberta, she’s still finding her way around campus. But as a Cree speaker and traditional knowledge holder, Singer has been blazing new trails by becoming the first student in the Faculty of Education at the U of A to take some of her exams for required courses orally and in her first language.

Congratulations to the following faculty members and students who have achieved distinction and have recently been acknowledged for their impactful work, both within and beyond the academic community.

Trudy Cardinal has fond memories of the ways in which traditional and cultural knowledge were shared when she was growing up in northern Alberta. That’s why the professor of elementary education wants this generation of young Indigenous women to have a similar opportunity.

“When I was young and we gathered around the aunties, we were always doing something but the thing wasn’t where the teachings laid, it was in the living together, the being together, the eating together,” Cardinal said.

The Faculty of Education has a proud tradition not only of producing great educators, but great educational research. Here are some recent stories you may have missed about UAlberta education researchers and the important work they do to improve teaching and learning in Alberta, in Canada and around the world.

How do you engage and motivate your students?

This issue of illuminate looks at the ways the meaning and importance importance of engagement in education and research. We asked some of our alumni how they engage and motivate students.