EDUCATION_______________________________________________________________
 
YORK UNIVERSITY                                                                                  Toronto, ON
Master of Leadership and Community Engagement                          February 2021
  • Areas of study: Social justice, anti-oppressive research, community engagement, leadership, and policy
  • Research:  Towards Equitable Access of Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills: an analysis of neoliberal policies on access for racialized and Indigenous learners.
 
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA                                               Vancouver, BC
Certificate of Intercultural Studies                                                             2014
  • Areas of study: cultural intelligence, cross-cultural communication skills and diversity and inclusion knowledge base
 
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY                                                     Antigonish, NS
Diploma of Adult Education                                                                        2012
  • Areas of study: design and delivery of quality experiential learning
 
QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY                                                                             Kingston, ON
Bachelor of Education                                                                                  1994
  • Areas of study:  Art and English Senior Division
  • Additional Basic Qualification:  English as a Second Language
 
YORK UNIVERSITY                                                                                  Toronto, ON
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours)                                                                 1993
  • Areas of Study: Fine Arts (Major) and English (Minor)
 
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE___________________________________________________
 
INDIGENOUS LITERACY IN OTTAWA                                              Ottawa, ON  2019
  • One-year funding totaling $85,000 to research the need for Indigenous-led adult literacy in the Ottawa area  
  • Conducted anti-oppressive qualitative research that included individual interviews, focus groups and statistical analysis.
  • Research report was submitted to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
 
ONTARIO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUND                             Ottawa, ON  2019
Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades - Career Access to the Trades
  • Six-month funded project totaling $150,000 to design, deliver and research the effectiveness of a contextualized essential skills program in the trades for unemployed, low-literacy adults.
  • Partners included the Ontario Centre for Workforce Development, Ryerson University (researchers), the Local Employment Planning Committee, Employment Ontario Employment Services and Literacy and Basic Skills programs in Renfrew and Lanark Counties.
  • https://ocwi-coie.ca/project/essential-skills-for-ontarios-trades/
 
 Growing Talent for the Landscape and Horticulture Industry – Ready, Set, Grow
  • Six-month funded project totaling $149,000 to research how a hybrid training program collaboratively developed by training providers, employment services, and employers providing both in-class experiential learning and on-site job testing, will improve the ability of the landscape and horticulture industry to attract, recruit, and retain a skilled and committed workforce.
  • Partners included Ontario Centre for Workforce Development, Ryerson University (researchers), Landscape Ontario, Local Employment Planning Committee, Employment Ontario Employment Services and Literacy and Basic Skills programs in Ottawa.
  • https://ocwi-coie.ca/project/growing-talent-for-the-landscape-and-horticulture-industry/
 
Growing into Retail and Customer Service
  • Six-month funded project totaling $145, 263 to research how a collaborative, industry-driven approach to talent identification, skills training, and employment will help job seekers define and achieve their career success while increasing retail employers’ confidence and capacity to hire from a broad pool of candidates.
  • Partners included Ontario Centre for Workforce Development, Ryerson University (researchers), the Ottawa Employment Hub, Employment Ontario Employment Services and Literacy and Basic Skills programs in Ottawa.
  • https://ocwi-coie.ca/project/growing-into-retail-and-customer-service/