Spotlight Week 2025
March 10 - 14
Explore our graduate programs and engage with leading experts in the field of education.
The University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education is a destination of choice for highly qualified graduate students. We offer blended programs that are responsive, challenging, innovative, and accessible. Our programs are led by academic experts committed to developing new ideas and insights that address local, national, and international challenges, while nurturing new generations of visionary thinkers.
Join us for an exciting week of engaging online sessions designed for educators, leaders, and those interested in expanding their knowledge of current educational trends and practices. Spotlight Week 2025 features expert-led sessions on topics that are shaping the future of education. Each session is designed to provide valuable insights and strategies for creating inclusive, innovative, and supportive learning environments.
2025 Spotlight Sessions
We invite you to participate in these informative sessions, where you will interact with leading experts in the field of education. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or simply passionate about learning, these sessions offer valuable insights to help you shape the future of education.
Monday, March 10 at 6:00pm
Indigenous Education for Teachers: Starting with Story
Dr. Aubrey Hanson & Dr. Erin Spring
Teachers in K-12 settings have the responsibility to engage in Indigenous education work, but often do not feel confident to do so. This program begins there, offering foundational knowledge and introductory approaches to build educator confidence. Learn more
Tuesday, March 11 at 6:00pm
Equity and Excellence: Gifted Education in Schools
Dr. Matthew Makel
Same age does not equal same learning needs. Just as students vary in their shoe size, so too do they vary in their learning needs. Unfortunately, identifying which students have varying learning needs, what those learning needs are, and how to best serve them is not as straightforward as measuring their shoe size. Fortunately, researchers and practitioners have been working for over a century to identify gifted students and meet the needs of all students. Learn more
Wednesday, March 12 at 6:00pm
Generative AI and Educational Innovation
Dr. Nadia Delanoy & Dr. Soroush Sabbaghan
This program is for educators, instructional designers, and educational technologists who want to explore the different ways in which generative AI can live in various educational contexts. It addresses the growing need for professionals who can navigate the intersection of artificial intelligence and education, focusing on human-centered design principles, ethical considerations, and pedagogical practices. Learn more
Thursday, March 13 at 6:00pm
Indigenous Wellness
Dr. Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn
Utilizing Indigenous pedagogies such as storytelling and land-based teachings, this certificate explores key aspects of Indigenous wellness. It honours Indigenous voices and histories to promote strengths-based and trauma-informed understandings of Indigenous survivance, wholistic wellness, and Indigenous counselling in school contexts. Learn more
Friday, March 14 at 6:00pm
Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools: Social Justice in Practice
Dr. Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn
This program designed to meet the needs of teachers and other staff working in school settings who find themselves in informal or formal counselling or career guidance roles within the school setting, and who want to expand their knowledge base in this area. Learn more