Goal 4: Quality Education
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Indigenous knowledge database brings stories into classrooms
A new University of Calgary online database led by the Werklund School of Education will help teachers build the foundational knowledge and competencies they require for integrating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into K-12 classrooms. The project team worked closely with Indigenous community members to ensure the content included in the database accurately reflects Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.
Research
Community-led research examines ways to increase engagement with Indigenous students in schools
This research project studies the application of holistic Indigenous well-being frameworks in education. Working with the Peace Wapiti and Fort Vermillion school divisions, the goal is to enrich the Indigenous student experience, enabling them to better see their culture and values reflected in their education. This involves building partnerships with Indigenous students, teachers, Elders, community members and the schools’ Indigenous education co-ordinators.
Autism Spectrum Education, Research and Training Group (ASERT)
ASERT, based out of the Werklund School of Education, consists of researchers, clinicians and professionals interested in understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and improving the lives of individuals with ASD, including barriers that may exist in education.
Teaching, learning and student experience
Experiential learning in sustainability
Campus as a Learning Lab is an innovative initiative with a focus on experiential learning and fostering a campus culture rooted in sustainability. Through the program, UCalgary staff, students and faculty members can use the campus as a lab to test and model innovative sustainability practices, leveraging its research, academic and operations functions. In the 2020-21 year, nearly 500 students participated in the program.
Certificate in Sustainability Studies
The Certificate in Sustainability Studies explores foundational principles to complex social, ecological and sustainable design problems through research and experiential learning. Using systems models, design thinking, and quantitative and qualitative methods, students learn how to work in teams to find solutions to complex sustainability problems at local, regional and global scales. They do so while working with sustainability practitioners and leaders from a variety of external organizations, sustainability and equity consulting firms, researchers, institutions, not-for-profits and practitioners.
Campus and community impact
Campus
UCalgary provides access to more than 1,400 different awards, scholarships and bursaries to meet the financial needs of students. Enrolment Services also hosts “Financial Fridays” sessions each week where students can learn about funding their education and have their questions answered.
National
A new research project aims to explore the experience of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPIC) students and empower them in their STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) pursuits. The project’s goals include contributing to policies and structures that support diverse students in STEM, and creating a community of researchers and policy-makers that will work toward equitability at all points on the STEM pathway. The study will also shed light on why this community remains underrepresented in both STEM learning and the workforce.
International
A new research project through Universities Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Scholarships program looks to produce transformational social workers and social scientists by supporting a new generation of scholars in tackling national and global challenges. The program will provide funding to more than 200 Canadian and West African researchers and advanced scholars. The project will emphasize: education and innovations systems, climate resilience and sustainable food systems, and ethics in development research.
