Workshop series brings SDGs to forefront of teaching and learning
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A series of one-hour workshops at York University will launch in the new year and share ways in which educators can infuse the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SGDs) into teaching and learning.
The series explores how educators might speak to the SDGs through curriculum, teaching practices, course design and assessments. The outcomes are developed to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable development and prepare students with the knowledge, skills and attributes to tackle the world’s greatest challenges.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-in-the-Classroom Curricular Innovation Hub is part of the SDG Teach In, a campaign to put the SDGs at the centre of all stages of education, and across all disciplines. The SDG Teach In, hosted by Students Organizing for Sustainability United Kingdom (SOS-UK), is a student-led education charity focusing on sustainability with a belief that change is urgently needed to tackle the injustices and unsustainability in our world.
The 2023 campaign will run from March 1 to 31, 2023, and encourages educators to pledge to include the SDGs within their teaching, learning and assessment during the campaign and beyond. Educators can pledge to take part now via the SDG Teach in pledge form.
Lassonde team developing new tool for detection of microplastics in water
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Researchers at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University are working to develop innovative methods for the detection of microplastics in bodies of water. Recently, a group of researchers successfully designed and prototyped an affordable and simple device for the detection of microplastics.
Water sources often contain pollutants due to the breakdown of large plastics and commercial product development, some of these pollutants are undetectable to the naked eye. One example of such pollutants are micro-and nano-plastics, which are harmful both to the environment and living organisms, including humans. That’s why researchers at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University are working to develop innovative methods for the detection of microplastics in bodies of water. Although there are some standard laboratory-based methods to detect microplastics, they often have significant drawbacks, including both time and cost, which prevent their use in detailed investigations of aquatic environments.
Recently, a group of researchers from Lassonde Professor Pouya Rezai’s lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering have designed and prototyped an affordable and simple microfluidic device for the on-site detection of microplastics. The team of researchers includes two postdoctoral fellows and former Lassonde PhD candidates Alireza Zabihihesari and Arezoo Khalili and one MSc student Mohammad-Javad Farshchi-Heydari. They fabricated the device with replica molding of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers onto 3D-printed master molds.
The microfluidic device consists of a straight microchannel in which the water sample enters from one end and leaves from the other. Simultaneously, a DC sweep current is applied to two microwires crossing the microchannel. Applying an electrical current to microwires induces an attractive electrophoretic force, which leads to microplastics accumulating on the positive or negative electrode (microwires), thereby changing the electrical resistance.
The proposed microfluidic method for DC electrical microplastic extraction and detection. (A) The experimental setup consisting of the microfluidic sensor, a syringe pump, a DC SourceMeter, and a computer. (B) Close up schematic of the dashed rectangular region of interest in (a) demonstrating microplastics accumulation around the anode during an electrical current sweep. Image courtesy Lassonde School of Engineering
This approach was tested using sparked microplastics in water at different concentrations. In the future, this sensor can be integrated into a hand-held device, enabling on-site detection of microplastics in aquatic environments. Currently, Rezai’s research group is working to expand the application of their sensor for detecting microplastics of different shapes, types and sizes in real samples collected from lakes, seas and oceans with various concentrations of salt.
Their manuscript is now available online and for the past few weeks it has been listed on Social Science Research Network’s (SSRN) Top Ten download list for: Analytical Chemistry eJournal and ChemRN: Fluidics.
York professors explore histories of animals in new book
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Elephants, horses, dolphins and bears have stories to tell about the past. Their lives and actions shape history and influence the lives of people in innumerable ways. How can these histories that animals make be studied and understood?
Jennifer Bonnell
Sean Kheraj
Professors Jennifer Bonnell and Sean Kheraj from York’s Department of History in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies recently published a new open access book exploring the ways that historians study and analyze the histories of animals.
Bringing together 17 original essays by a leading group of international scholars, Traces of the Animal Past: Methodological Challenges in Animal History showcases the innovative methods historians use to unearth and explain how animals fit into our collective histories. Situating the historian within the narrative, bringing transparency to methodological processes, and reflecting on the processes and procedures of current research, this book presents new approaches and new directions for a maturing field of historical inquiry.
“To understand our collective past, historians must engage with the more-than-human world and use new methods and approaches,” said Kheraj.
Traces of the Animal Past is available free online from University of Calgary Press here.
The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and the Department of History at York University will sponsor a book launch on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 12:30 p.m. in Vari Hall, room 2183. All are welcome.
Applications for Glendon’s Research Apprenticeship Program and G21 courses are open
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Glendon Campus will be recruiting more than 30 undergraduate students to partake in the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and the new G21 course during the 2022-23 school year.
With funding from the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) and support from other on-campus partners, the Glendon Research and Innovation Office has created opportunities for students to pursue their diverse interests and passions by providing them with an impressive range of research experiences on campus. These initiatives aim to encourage students to participate in enriching, experiential learning opportunities.
Glendon students have the option to engage in two unique opportunities to conduct hands-on research. Students in RAP work as research assistants on the projects of faculty members, while students participating in the G21 courses pursue their own independent passion project under the supervision of a faculty member. In both areas of interest, Glendon professors serve as invaluable mentors to all participating students.
All students are welcome to submit an application RAP. Glendon’s incoming cohort of first year Top Scholar students, a group of high school students entering Glendon with an average of 90 per cent or higher, are given priority to participate in the first year of the program.
As part of the application process, students will be asked to answer questions based on their research interests and engagement both inside and outside of the classroom. Students will also be asked to indicate their top three choices of faculty members with whom they wish to work in a research assistant capacity. Student researchers in the program are expected to complete five hours of apprentice-related work per week. Each student will be granted a bursary of $1,500 for their work.
Students interested in pursuing an independent research passion project in the G21 courses must ensure that their project aligns with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participation in the G21 is limited to upper-level Glendon students, who will enroll in the course entitled “G21 Passion Project / Projet passion G21” on the Glendon course website page, which is coded 4669 and can be found under the course listings for History, Linguistics, Drama and Creative Arts, Canadian Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, and International Studies.
Students majoring in other programs may enroll in the social science version of the course. As part of the application process for the G21 course, students will be asked to submit a short proposal detailing the independent research project that they wish to pursue, and they will identify a faculty supervisor.
At this year’s Glendon Research Festival, a number of talented students presented their research findings and engaged in a stimulating question period at the end of the session. One student centered their research on SDG 11 by analyzing the critical role of public art in creating sustainable cities and communities, while another student focused their research on SDG 4 through their insightful analysis on the integration of students with down syndrome and dyslexia in an L2 classroom (a setting where their dominant language is not spoken).
In the G21 courses, students will receive a course credit and have access to research funds for their projects.
Both programs equip students with an invaluable skill set to conduct intense research, which includes enhancing their critical thinking, editing, presentation and writing talents. Students are also encouraged to cultivate networking skills through their participation in various research-oriented workshops that are organized throughout the academic year. It is through their engagement in RAP and G21 courses that many Glendon students can explore their research interests and develop a passion for conducting research.
Undergraduate opportunities like the RA program and G21 courses demonstrate the benefits that come from engaging students in research projects beyond traditional, formal classroom settings. The skills and knowledge the students acquire will help them prepare for future academic and work endeavours.
Students building a compost at the experiential learning partner farm, Native Plants in Claremont as part of a previous CEWIL-funded REAL project
CEWIL partners with post-secondary institutions, community members, employers, government and students to champion work-integrated learning. The 4REAL experiential learning opportunity will focus on local climate change solutions through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically regenerative agriculture and gardening, value-added food production, sustainable building construction, renewable energies, electric mobility, Indigenous knowledge and environmental education, including arts-based learning.
This innovative project will enable 224 post-secondary students from across the country to receive a $1,200 scholarship. In addition, it will cover the costs of trainers, safety equipment, transportation and more.
The project lead is Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) Associate Professor Jose Etcheverry, who is also the Co-Chair of Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) and director of the International Renewable Energy Academy (IREA). Project coordination will be led by master’s of environmental studies graduate Dale Colleen Hamilton, and administration by York University master’s of environmental studies student Codrina Ibanescu.
“Our goal with this grant is to provide practical and memorable experiences, and to allow people from all different walks of life to participate in seeing and creating the world that they would like to see,” said Etcheverry.
4REAL is linked to York University’s renewable energy course to offer undergraduate and graduate credits. Participants may also receive a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals certification based on their level of achievement, issued by the International Renewable Energy Academy and the Rural Urban Learning Association.
4REAL will begin July 18 and conclude Sept. 30. The timing of the project is flexible, with options available for all interested students and partners to remain involved as a team for subsequent initiatives. Interested students can sign up through the Eventbrite link.
The Beausoleil First Nations and Six Nations alongside REAL team members who built design elements of the Climate Solutions Park, an ongoing project that began during previous REAL rounds in Penetanguishene, Ontario
The project aims to provide practical training in renewable energies and regenerative agriculture as pivotal climate change solutions. The project offers opportunities to select and train a group of student leaders to undertake SDG-focused projects and work collaboratively with community partners to develop practical deliverables in areas such as: regenerative agriculture, scientifically proven climate change solutions, renewable energies for farm and general use, arts for environmental education, ethical entrepreneurship, and Indigenous reconciliation.
“We must make peace with our own actions if we would like to speed up change for the climate. We all have to come to peace with our own responsibility for our community, and collectively open our consciousness to create something different if we are to contribute to the well-being of future generations and climate solutions. It starts with us. We are all one ecosystem, and we need to manifest our natural abilities for greatness,” said Jacqueline Dwyer, 4REAL community partner and founder of the Toronto Black Farmers and Growers Collective.
This opportunity will ensure students obtain the practical skills needed by diverse employment sectors, represented by 4REAL’s numerous community partners. Students will explore their professional and personal development needs, positioning them for employment in high-demand local sectors such as food production, energy, transportation, housing, and environmental education.
A solar installation training offered with Relay Education in February 2020 as part of a previous REAL project. Each of the three cohorts welcomed more than 50 students
4REAL participation can be entirely online, but with a strong preference for some in-person experiential learning at our various farm and green industry sites in the Guelph, Toronto and Georgian Bay areas. Students will work in groups informed by mentors and collaborating with strategic partners and other local community stakeholders to design and implement practical strategies to tackle selected SDGs; and will curate their experiences for online knowledge mobilization.
“Each student which enters this training has the opportunity to empower themselves towards their greatest potential, and importantly, their own self-actualization. Education, to me, has always been a liberatory practice aimed to awaken and free my mind, and I believe this training offers just that. We must allow seeds of hope and inspiration to plant trees that will water future generations for many years to come. Everyone has a purpose, and it is up to all of us to discover what that is. I’ve learned that when we join together with like-minded individuals, anything becomes possible,” said Ibanescu.
For further details about how to participate in 4REAL, email csp@123mail.org.
Apply now to be an Agent of Change
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The Agents of Change Program is accepting project proposal applications until Sunday, July 3 at 11:59 p.m. It offers students the opportunity to gain beneficial entrepreneurial experience and make impactful changes in their local communities.
The program aims to support innovative student-led community initiatives that uniquely address the social determinants of health (SDH) and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It offers students start-up funding, one-on-one coaching, mentorship, training and networking opportunities.
The Agents of Change Program was established by an alumni donor in 2013, driven by the goal to promote applied learning opportunities and develop students’ transferable skills. A project-based learning approach is adapted by the program to foster student engagement to real-world problems through their personal, community-oriented and health-related initiatives.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to run their projects in a year-long timeline that begins in August 2022 and ends in May 2023. Calumet and Stong Colleges will be reviewing the project proposals.
Eligibility to apply for Agents of Change:
A York University undergraduate/graduate student returning for the academic year of 2022-23;
Good academic standing with York University; and
If applying as a group: – maximum number of group members is five. – majority of the team (over 50 per cent) must be from the Faculty of Health.
The proposed Agents of Change Initiative ideas must address the following:
Project vision: Your vision should be specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and timely (S.M.A.R.T.);
Goals, deliverables, and timeframe: How will you implement your vision in the months to follow? What projects do you aim to complete during your timeframe?;
Target population of the project: Who is the intended demographic for your project? Please justify the need for your initiative with research;
Uniqueness: What makes your project innovative and unique? Ensure your project does not replicate services on campus. If services are duplicated, does your project complement or expand already existing initiatives?;
Adaptability: Does your project demonstrate the flexibility required during this time of COVID-19? How will you work around these limitations (delivering services online)?; and
For the past nine years, the program has achieved noteworthy outcomes and impact through more than 25 student-led initiatives focused on meeting the health-related needs of vulnerable or marginalized community members.
Past Agents of Change initiatives have covered a broad range of categories, including supporting physical and mental health, gender inequity in health leadership and homelessness. The current Agents of Change projects are innovative in addressing SDH and are actively participating in achieving the UN SDGs. Learn about past projects on the Calumet College webpage.
Ontario’s iconic Bruce Peninsula beckons as a living laboratory for EUC students
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Designated as an UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the Bruce Peninsula offers an unprecedented experience in biodiversity for students in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC).
By Elaine Smith
It is two thumbs up for Learning the Bruce [Peninsula], according to students who took the inaugural field course run by the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC).
“It was just amazing,” said Rachel Pellegrino, who is working toward a BA in geography and a concurrent BEd. “I took it for the experience of being in a field course and it’s the best thing I’ve done at York.”
EUC student Rachel Pellegrino uses a clinometer (image by Haley Klassen)
Jacky Duong, a fourth-year student in human geography, called his first field course since the start of the pandemic “an exceptional experience.”
“I’ve lived in Toronto my whole life and rarely leave the 905 [Greater Toronto] area, so experiencing small town Ontario pierced my Toronto-centric bubble and I’m tempted to explore more.”
It’s just the kind of response that Richard Bello, a climatologist, and W. Steven Tufts, a human geographer, both associate professors at EUC, are delighted to hear, because they hoped that the six-day, intensive summer course – partially funded by York’s Academic Innovation Fund and the EUC alumni association – would be both an excellent learning experience and an antidote to the pandemic.
“The course was meant to be a capstone experience that allowed students to apply theory in the field, offering both experiential learning and community engagement,” said Tufts. “We wanted to make it a field experience that didn’t cost students a lot of money, and, for us, it was also an unintended lesson on how to pull off a field course during a pandemic, putting protocols in place to make everyone feel safer.”
The Bruce Peninsula made an excellent laboratory: it is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve containing the largest continuous forest in southern Ontario, as well as beaches, Indigenous communities and small towns. The course, which had 16 students in 2021, featured two streams that took advantage of all these characteristics. The physical geography stream offered hands-on experience working in the forest, determining if climate change is affecting its ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
EUC student Haley Klassen conducts an assessment using a caliper (image by Rachel Pellegrino)
“I introduced the students to different tools, methods and sensors to measure how much carbon there is in the trees, vegetation and soils and whether this eco-system is healthy,” said Bello. “It provided a snapshot of a 115-year-old ecosystem, because the entire area, except for Tobermory, burned to the ground in 1908. Can we forecast what will happen in the future, given the current stresses?”
The students employed a variety of research techniques, some new and some that they had only used in a lab, such as taking tree core samples, correctly gathering soil samples and learning to calculate the deadwood in a specific area. They used their data to evaluate the health of the forest.
“I loved being in the forest and learning the techniques and tools to use there,” Pellegrino said. “I wanted the opportunity to analyze information and see how geography would work in the field.”
The human geography option explored the impact of COVID-19 on the businesses within the community, designing and distributing a survey among stores and restaurants in Sauble Beach, one of the small centres on the Peninsula. They had guest speakers who addressed topics such as the rural issues facing the inhabitants of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, considering topics such as land claims and agriculture. Each then chose an issue facing the county for an independent paper.
“I learned proper survey techniques and what goes into crafting a good questionnaire,” Duong said. “I also improved my communications skills.”
The students and their professors were based at the Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre in Wiarton for the week, living in the dormitory there and eating in the cafeteria. They were busy with lectures and research during the day, but in the evenings, there were campfires where everyone gathered to discuss the day informally and look at the stars – a rarity for some of the students from urban settings. The gatherings built a real sense of community.
“It was wonderful to see in the professors in a different environment and getting to know more people after two years of classes online,” said Pellegrino. “Every night around the fire, I’d get to talk to people from different walks of life and it was awesome.”
Duong agreed, noting, “Six days in a close-knit environment built great ties with people I may have only seen in classes before. Those on the human geography and physical geography sides exchanged experiences every day and got to share our perspectives.”
The immersive aspect of the experience is something Bello finds invaluable.
“In field courses, we can learn together,” he said. “I’m guiding the students, but a number of times, they’ll ask questions that twig new lines of research. When you’re immersed, things occur to you that wouldn’t strike you on a TV screen.
“I was comfortable not trying to structure every moment so the students could do their own learning.”
Students enjoy the famed Grotto (image by Fabiola Torrejon Peredo)
The final day of the course focused on enjoying the unique features of the Bruce: the beach, a rehabilitated quarry and two major tourist spots – a grotto and Bruce National Park. The students created photo journals that included their fieldwork and their fieldtrips, evidence of their fascination with the entire experience.
Tufts says that a field course should be social as well as educational. “They are supposed to be bonding as well as learning,” he said. “We want to build alumni who remember York fondly.”
Bello and Tufts hope to offer the course again soon. It is an experience that Duong and Pellegrino wholeheartedly recommend to their peers.
Kristin Andrews
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Kristin Andrews
York Professor of philosophy Kristin Andrews is featured in the new CBC show Frick, I Love Nature in the episode “Can Animals be Deceptive?” All episodes of the show will be available on CBC Gem on March 25
Call for applications to the Provostial Fellows Program
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La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear colleagues,
The Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic is issuing a call for applications to the Provostial Fellows Program between now and May 4. The call is open to all tenured faculty members who are interested in working directly with the provost and relevant senior leadership on a project or initiative geared towards advancing the University Academic Plan, including York’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Challenge.
Indigenous faculty and those from equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply. The program is intended to give tenured faculty a chance to gain hands-on experience in University leadership. Those who are interested in applying or who have a particular project in mind should consider the following:
projects may relate to any of the six UAP priorities, and also seek to enhance and intersect with the University-wide challenge to elevate contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
proposed projects should also seek to provide an opportunity for personal professional growth and learning, as well as the exploration of leadership at the Faculty or institutional level; and
projects do not need to target a Fellow’s home Faculty.
The University Academic Plan 2020-2025 identifies six academic priorities
Here is a look at what last year’s Provostial Fellows have achieved. Details on the program, how to apply and the relevant timelines can be found here on the Provost & Vice-President Academic site. I encourage all tenured faculty who are interested in advancing academic priorities while working to build a better future and create positive change at York and beyond to apply.
Sincerely,
Lisa Philipps Provost & Vice-President Academic
Appel aux candidatures pour le programme rectoral de bourses
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Chers collègues, chères collègues,
Le Bureau de la rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques lance un appel aux candidatures pour le programme rectoral de bourses à partir d’aujourd’hui et jusqu’au 4 mai. Cet appel est ouvert à tous les membres permanents du corps professoral qui aimeraient travailler directement avec la rectrice et les hauts dirigeants concernés sur un projet ou une initiative visant à faire progresser le Plan académique de l’Université (PAU), y compris le défi des ODD de York.
Les membres du corps professoral autochtones et issus de groupes dignes d’équité sont encouragés à poser leur candidature. Ce programme vise à donner aux professeurs permanents la chance d’acquérir une expérience pratique de leadership à l’Université. Les personnes intéressées par une candidature ou qui ont un projet particulier en tête devraient prendre en compte les points suivants :
Les projets peuvent porter sur l’une des six priorités du PAU et doivent aussi viser à renforcer et à appuyer le pari de l’Université de rehausser ses contributions aux objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies;
Les propositions de projets doivent également être une occasion de croissance, de perfectionnement professionnel et de découverte du leadership facultaire ou universitaire; et
Les projets ne doivent pas nécessairement cibler la faculté d’attache du postulant ou de la postulante :
Le Plan académique universitaire 2020-2025 identifie six priorités académiques
Voici un aperçu de ce qui a été réalisé l’année dernière dans le cadre de ce programme. Vous trouverez plus de détails au sujet du programme, du processus de candidature et des dates limites sur le site Web de la rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques. J’encourage tous les membres permanents du corps professoral qui souhaitent faire avancer des priorités académiques tout en contribuant à la construction d’un avenir meilleur et à la création de changements positifs – à York et au-delà – à y postuler.
Sincères salutations,
Lisa Philipps Rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques
York Capstone Day celebrates innovation and creativity
Funded by the Business in Higher Education Roundtable, the annual showcase welcomes students from any Faculty at York to present their completed capstone projects. Bringing project partners and mentors as well as York community members together, the event celebrates the innovation, creativity, ambition and impact of York students.
Both pre-capstone and capstone students are welcome to share their research-design projects in thematic panels throughout the day and compete for five campus-wide monetary prize awards, including:
Sustainable Development Goals Award The award will be presented to the team whose project demonstrates an exceptional commitment to advancing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in keeping with York University’s SDG Challenge as outlined in the current University Academic Plan. Learn more.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award The award will be presented to the team whose project demonstrates an exceptional commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in alignment with priorities identified by York University. Learn more.
High Impact Award The award will be presented to the team whose project exhibits the greatest potential to demonstrate a long-term, positive impact for stakeholders and society as a whole. Learn more.
BEST Lab Award The prize will be presented to the team whose project demonstrates exceptional innovativeness and inventiveness, impact in addressing an important societal issue, and the viability of the project. Learn more.
Emerging Leaders Award The award will be presented to the team whose project touches on at least one of the main award themes of sustainability; equity, diversity, inclusion; high-impact; or technology. Learn more.
Interdisciplinary student panels with alumni and partners will form the primary events of the day. There will also be a variety of professional development and networking opportunities for students, created in partnership with Career Education and Development, York University Libraries, and Innovation York.
Most of the projects shared at Capstone Day come from the Project Commons, an interdisciplinary lending library of SDG-linked, real-world projects for any York classroom. Professors who check out projects from the Commons receive one-on-one support from experiential education (EE) experts, who help them customize the project(s) for their classroom and its unique learning goals. Participating students are connected with project partners eager to support student learning. To learn more about the Project Commons and how it can help you infuse the SDGs and EE into your classroom, click here to book an appointment.
Capstone Day is a free and open event for all York community members. Participation applications are due Friday, April 1. Event registration will open in April. Visit the YCN webpage for more information.
