Welcome to the Fall 2018 issue of illuminate. It’s been a busy and rewarding time in the Faculty of Education, with an undergraduate program review and renewal underway, the ongoing development of a draft strategic plan, celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), and continued teaching, research, projects and initiatives for the public good.

How can schools effectively support health and wellness for students and teachers alike to provide an optimal learning environment? The Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellow is hoping to help provide answers about how to build healthy school communities for Albertans from kindergarten to post-secondary—then share the model with the rest of the world.

Students from nine different schools across Canada are joining together in a virtual classroom to discuss the meaning of reconciliation—and to learn how to advocate for equity and justice.

The National Youth Dialogue project, based in the Centre for Global Citizenship Education and Research (CGCER) at the University of Alberta, will bring together approximately 700 Grade 9 students from coast to coast to practice a crucial aspect of citizenship they might not learn otherwise.

A unique participatory research project led by a University of Alberta education researcher has enabled teen parents to share the reality of their daily lives and build empathy and support within their communities.

Awareness of how trauma impacts student wellness and learning is growing, with protocols like the Trauma Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI) providing a roadmap for teachers to help create trauma-sensitive classrooms. But a University of Alberta education researcher says such protocols are incomplete without a key element: teachers’ experiences.

Organizers of the first Alberta-wide Camp fYrefly in Kananaskis say the sense of community created among youth from across the province far outweighed the logistical challenge of hosting almost twice the usual number of participants at a single site.

With the end of the semester, the veil of winter has finally lifted. The sun is shining, the grass has changed from brown to green, flowers are in full bloom and birds can be heard singing all over campus. We will be celebrating with our graduates and their families on June 12, and Dr. Raj Pannu, a long-time friend and contributor to our Faculty will be presented with an honorary degree at the afternoon convocation.

The trope of artificial intelligence (AI) systems rising up to make human beings obsolete is a common one in science fiction. But University of Alberta educational psychology professor Jason Harley says its dominance in the public imagination does a disservice to the potential for AI to help human learners succeed in educational contexts—and to ensure access to educational supports for all students.

Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life, the adage goes. Mackenzie Martin might add that if you pack your days with the things you love, you’ll never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Given that Martin was recently awarded one of eleven Rhodes Scholarships in Canada this year, her advice might just carry a little extra weight.

A temporary all-gender change room set up in the University of Alberta’s fitness and recreation facilities for Pride Week 2018 is emblematic of the strides the Pride movement has made and the work that still needs to be done to create welcoming and inclusive spaces for all on campus, according to a Pride Week organizer.