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York Circle @ Home Lecture Series begins with panel on education during the pandemic

Rebecca Pillai Riddell

The 2020-21 York Circle @ Home Lecture Series will begin with a presentation on supporting young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hosted by Rebecca Pillai Riddell, a professor in York University’s Faculty of Health and academic chair of The York Circle, this virtual lecture series will showcase York’s leading faculty members, from policy makers to molecular scientists, to engage in lively panel discussions and Q-and-A sessions on key themes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series will be held over four sessions throughout the year via Zoom.

During these unprecedented times, politicians, parents, health professionals and educators are struggling to determine what is best for students heading back to school this fall, whether that’s virtually or in person.

In a Sept. 26 panel session, titled “At home and in school: Supporting children, youth and the adults who care for them during a pandemic,” York University experts will discuss the economic, social and practical impacts of the pandemic on children, parents and educators in relation to inequities in the current education system.

The presentation will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and will feature three panelists from York’s Faculty of Education.

Assistant Professor Gillian Parekh will explore tensions around education and care for students with disabilities, Assistant Professor Vidya Shah will offer ideas for providing learning engagements focused on relationality, as well as community and critical consciousness, and Professor Stephen Gaetz will speak to the problem of supporting youth experiencing homelessness or who are precariously housed during the pandemic.

Registration is required and can be found here: https://yorku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jSnJhrxGTVCNS-mhEyFoew.

The first 200 people to register for three or more York Circle @ Home virtual sessions will receive a complimentary York University coffee mug, become a member of The York Circle, and be entered for a chance to win one of four $25 gift cards per session, made possible by MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard.

Future events in the series, with panelists and event descriptions to be announced soon, include: