Upcoming Events
United Way Trivia Contest
- October 29, 2025
- 12:10 – 1:00 PM
- White Buffalo Lodge (EDT 314) [In Person]
Teams must consist of 3 to 5 members. Each team is encouraged to include a mix of faculty, staff and students. Registration is open until noon on Friday, October 24, and can be completed in the Dean's office with Jennifer or Debi. Registration is $20 per team, and while it's non-refundable, all fees go to United Way!
When Time Feels Out of Joint: An Informal Discussion on Hauntology
- October 29, 2025
- 4:30 PM [In Person]
- Education Tower, Room 202
Ghosts aren’t just for Halloween. In education, we’re often haunted by the past—ideas, practices, and histories that linger and shape our present. Hauntology, a concept developed by philosopher Jacques Derrida and carried forward by thinkers like Mark Fisher and Avery Gordon, helps us name and think about these spectral presences. Join us for an open, casual conversation about hauntology. No prior expertise required! We’ll explore how hauntology might connect to education, identity, memory, and the ways histories live on in our work.
No Tricks, Just Treats!
- October 30, 2025
- 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Stop by for Halloween candy and a friendly chat with your GPESA team, in our office, EDT 202A! No registration required.
Cultural Crafts Halloween Event
- October 31, 2025
- 3:00 – 5:00 PM
- In Person (Werklund School of Education)
Explore how different cultures celebrate their holidays! Bring your family and friends for painting, pumpkin decorating, and cultural storytelling, led by a Graduate Student Artist, Maryam, and organized by our VP Student Life, Kristal.
GPESA Research Voices Podcast
Join GPESA president 2024-2026 Fabielle Rocha Cruz for a podcast series where graduate students share their journeys and research inspirations. Reach out to us if you'd like to be part of GPESA research voices.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: A Conversation with Dr. M. Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn | October 20, 2025
Dr. Lacerda-Vandenborn, EDI Director at the Werklund School of Education, joined us for a thoughtful conversation about how EDI impacted graduate student experiences. Her research drew from decolonial and community-engaged approaches in Brazil, Canada, and New Zealand, addressing self-determination in mental health, youth justice, and education. It was a valuable opportunity to learn and connect!
Making Your Degree Work for You | October 10, 2025
Completing a graduate degree is a huge milestone, but what comes next can feel uncertain. In this session, graduate students heard from Dr. Philipp Reichert about how graduate education shapes diverse career journeys. The discussion focued on how skills from research, teaching, and leadership transfer into career paths inside and beyond academia.
Paulo Freire Week | September 19-25, 2025
This week featured guest lectures from Dr. Shirley Steinberg and Dr. Elisa Vandenborn, a reading and discussion group, a printmaking workshop, and a community dinner at Mina's Brazilian Steakhouse. Thank you to all our supporters and participants!
Dear colleagues,
As Paulo Freire Week comes to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you who joined us in the lectures, activities, and workshops over these five days. Your presence and engagement gave life to the event, and as a Brazilian scholar and current President of GPESA, this experience was profoundly moving for me. It allowed me to share a part of my own history through Freire’s legacy, while also witnessing how his ideas continue to inspire us all.
I wish to recognize the brilliant team who helped transform what began as a lighthearted conversation in the GPESA office into a full week of learning and dialogue. From the GPESA team, Kristal (VP Student Life) and Lily (Treasurer) supported planning, organization, and the Quality Money application, while Shahneela (Communication) and Sajedeh (VP Academic) ensured the event reached our community. Our volunteers, Alex and Nur, brought light and knowledge to our spaces, making every moment richer. We also had the help of ESA, especially Tracy (President) and Manar (VP), and we were able to welcome undergrads. And, of course, a big shout-out to GSA for granting us the Quality Money we asked to fund this initiative!
What touched me most was seeing so many familiar faces—classmates, colleagues, friends—alongside the joy of meeting new people whose kindness and generosity remind me to believe in a better tomorrow. That is, to me, Freire’s legacy in action: the hope we cultivate together through dialogue, community, and shared struggle.
Thank you so much for making this week a place of sharing and hoping. May we all become agents of radical love. 💚💛
With gratitude and hope,
Fabielle Rocha Cruz
President, GPESA 2024-2026
Graduate Programs in Education Students' Association
