LA&PS hosts Community Conversation event with Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) will host a Community Conversation event on Nov. 25 that offers the opportunity to explore issues of academic performance, engagement and participation of Portuguese-Canadian Youth.

The event, “Youth, Higher Education and Community Engagement in the Portuguese Community,” will run from 4:30 to 6pm at the Gallery of the Portuguese Pioneers (960 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto).

The event is open to the public. It will be of particular interest to a considerable group of community leaders and educators in order to create dialogue on task forces, programs and recent directives with respect to the engagement of the Portuguese community. Organizers will also seek the assistance and the input of the community regarding the potential of York University as an agent for change, youth engagement and inclusivity.

Organizers of the event are:

  • Dr. Maria João Dodman, an associate professor of Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies. Fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, she researches literature in both languages written during the Age of Discovery. She also publishes and teaches courses on colonial encounters, contemporary Brazilian and Portuguese literature and culture; the culture of the Azores; and on the Portuguese language, especially as spoken in the Greater Toronto Area, about which she has designed an experiential education course.
  • Dr. Inês Cardoso, a sessional assistant professor of Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies. She has experience both in teaching and in conducting teacher training in Portugal and Brazil. She is a specialist in the philosophy and practice of Portuguese language teaching. Her research centers on students’ relationship with language, especially with writing, and on teacher training, particularly developing and publishing course materials and activities so that language learners can communicate meaningfully in Portuguese. At York University, she teaches Portuguese language courses at all levels.

Sponsors of the event include The Gallery of the Portuguese Pioneers Museum, Working Women Community Center (WWCC), and the Portuguese Canadian Hall of Fame.

Community Conversations @ York University was created to foster the exchange of experiences and ideas, and offers a space for people to discover what they have in common as well as their differences. Community Conversations are public, semi-structured and open to anyone who is interested in the topic. If you wish to suggest a topic, or provide feedback on one of our conversations, contact gce@yorku.ca or visit www.laps.yorku.ca/community.

Register now for this conversation at gce@yorku.ca. Organizers request that those interested in attending arrive 10 minutes early in order to secure a seat.