Critically Engaged Language & Literacy Workshops

The Critically Engaged Language and Literacy Workshops (CELLWs) are an innovative, research-based program developed by the Transliteracies Lab to address the pressing needs of newcomer and multilingual students in increasingly diverse schools. We use a unique "workshop-as-research" methodology that combines critical literacy theory with arts-based activities—like filmmaking, collage, mapping, digital storytelling, and rock painting—to create spaces where students can safely explore, express, and affirm their identities. Our workshops are not just about learning; they are about transforming educational spaces to be more equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the realities of a multicultural society. 

Since 2021, the CELLWs have evolved through multiple phases, each building on the last to deepen our understanding and expand our reach:

• Phase 1 (2021): Listening & Learning. Through focus groups with rural Alberta high school students, we identified key challenges: cultural isolation, academic pressure, and a need for schools to better recognize diverse linguistic and religious identities. 
• Phases 2-4 (2023-2024): Action & Expression. We designed and implemented a series of workshops where students used creative methods to explore themes of migration, belonging, and resilience. Activities included creating identity texts, walking narratives, city mapping, and fingerprint poems, empowering students to share their stories and challenge systemic barriers. 
• Phase 5 (2024): Going Global. The CELLWs model was successfully adapted and implemented in Curitiba, Brazil, with immigrant students learning Portuguese. This demonstrated the universal applicability of our approach in supporting plurilingual identities across different cultural contexts. 
• Phase 6 (2025): Empowering Educators. We have begun working with teachers in Ottawa, using CELLWs methodologies to help them critically reflect on their practices and build more linguistically inclusive classrooms. 

The CELLWs have proven to be a powerful tool for change: 

• For Students: They build confidence, foster a sense of belonging, and provide tools to articulate experiences with racism, linguistic discrimination, and cultural negotiation. 
• For Schools: They provide actionable insights and recommendations for creating more inclusive policies and pedagogies that value multilingualism as an asset. 
• For Communities: They strengthen the multicultural fabric by bridging understanding between newcomer youth and their wider communities. 
• For Research: They pioneer a disruptive, arts-based research methodology that centers participant voice and generates rich, multimodal data on identity and literacy. 

The CELLWs initiative continues to grow and evolve. Our work has laid a strong foundation for future projects aimed at scaling this impactful model. 

Stay tuned for major announcements that will allow us to expand the reach and deepen the impact of the Critically Engaged Language and Literacy Workshops. This new phase will mark a significant step forward in our mission to create more just and inclusive educational systems.