Faculty of Education’s mission, nascent consultancy reflects these beliefs 

“When social justice issues are not addressed, there is a detrimental impact on society,” says Mark Beckles, a 2024 �첥��Ƶ honorary degree recipient and the recently retired vice-president of social impact and innovation for the Royal Bank of Canada. 

“Societies that understand the importance of social inclusion have more optimal economic outcomes. They understand the benefit of providing opportunities for all and the outcome is shared economic prosperity.” 

For Beckles, social justice refers to ensuring opportunities for all by improving conditions that erode social cohesion and prevent economic inclusion. This means addressing myriad social issues such as access to healthcare and education; poverty and inequality; racial equality; and gun violence. 

“When left unattended, these issues have a detrimental impact on society, particularly when those who see themselves inside these issues don’t have a voice or a place at the political tables where these issues are addressed or need to be addressed,” Beckles says. 

“We want to level the playing field; you can see that in prosperous societies, more and more people feel enfranchised and have access, regardless of how they look, worship, love or live.” 

Professor Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education at �첥��Ƶ, says he was struck by the way Beckles brought social inclusion and education together in his October convocation speech, because it reflects the Faculty’s ethos that education opens doors to economic prosperity. As a place that educates the educators of the future, he firmly believes that the two constructs are connected. 

“York and our Faculty add value that changes and inspires lives,” Savage says. “So many of our students are the first in their families to attend university and they discover that education adds economic value.”  

“Strong economies are those where the quality of life for all meets a high standard, and we can see in them the cascading impacts of education,” Savage adds. “In a complex world of ideas, education is central to employment and leads to good health and economic prosperity. The economy needs people who can think critically, come up with ideas, are tenacious and have strong interpersonal skills and values to build success for all.” 

In fact, a new analysis of educational outcomes conducted by Universities United Kingdom makes the connection between education and economic prosperity clear, noting, “Across England, graduates outperform non-graduates by approximately a third ten years after graduation. Even for those working in sectors which are commonly perceived as not needing degree-level training, such as arts and entertainment, the salary premium is clear, standing at 42 per cent. While the earnings percentages may differ, it’s clear to Savage that the benefit holds true for Canadian graduates. 

In addition to educating the next generation of teachers and researchers, the Faculty of Education is “building pathways to take education out into the world in all kinds of ways,” Savage notes. 

The newest is ED Global, the Faculty’s newly launched consultancy dedicated to empowering future generations to uncover new possibilities in the advancement of education. 

“We’ve launched this consultancy in part as a way to contribute to the Faculty’s sustainability in the face of the financial crisis facing post-secondary institutions in Ontario,” Savage says. “Offering data analytics that can be used to analyze educational systems or creation of professional development programs for other jurisdictions is just one example of our services.” 

Savage has begun working with various Canadian trade commissioners whose purview is other parts of the world such as the Middle East and Africa, with aims for the Faculty to bring its expertise to bear elsewhere, improving education – and as a result, social justice – there. 

“We can work diligently with others and use our collective strength and expertise to impact both education and social justice.” 

The Faculty’s Five-Year Strategic Plan lays out guiding principles that echo Savage’s words: 

• Enact practices of equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization; 

• Undertake research that is vital and sustainable; 

• Centre teaching in student experiences and wellbeing; 

• Generate knowledge that embodies social justice; 

• Develop innovative curriculum and programming; and 

• Commit to democratic governance 

Beckles’ experience in the corporate world illustrated that organizations that worked toward social inclusion also succeeded financially. 

“Most organizations with a profit motive intuitively understand that the more people [employees] who feel included, the better their bottom-line results,” Beckles says. “Diverse voices around the table lead to greater opportunities for innovation.” 

However, he makes it clear that working toward social justice requires hard work, work that has already begun at York and the Faculty of Education. 

“When you have systemic privilege, breaking down those systems can be long, arduous work, especially when people and systems have done something the same way for a long time,” Beckles says. “Some of Canada’s systems predate Confederation, so making space for others can be hard. But we must try to do the right thing, no matter how hard the work is.” 

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Community is at the heart of education. What and how students learn directly reflects our communities and the many societal factors that play a role in the individual and collective learning experience.

As a nurturing ground for future educational leaders, the Faculty of Education at �첥��Ƶ recognizes this profound role that the community plays. By creating an inclusive learning environment with expert educators passing along their direct experience working with diverse populations and designing culturally relevant pedagogy, our aspiring educators are equipped with the practical knowledge and cultural sensitivity needed to make a positive impact on their own students, both inside a classroom and in the world beyond.

And for alumni like Korina Thomas-Reynolds, co-founder of Roots to Routes Academy – an independent school offering high school credits specifically designed for minority students – and one of York’s Top 30 Under 30 for 2023, it was her time at York that helped her understand the important role she and her classmates play in addressing the disconnect between schools and the communities they serve.

By mobilizing mutually beneficial community partnerships as vehicles for experiential learning, the Faculty is bridging academic and scholarly work with real action, allowing students to put their education into practice in non-traditional ways as more than educators, but as mentors. For example, through , York students help youth from low-income families or who are newcomers to Canada overcome traditional barriers and support their success as students. Opportunities such as this contribute to our students’ preparation as aspiring educators and put them up close and personal with the world their future students will soon venture into themselves.

Throughout all that we do is also a pervasive and sustained commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. As outlined in the new Five-Year Strategic Plan (2023-2027), the Faculty of Education engages in meaningful research that takes marginalized perspectives into account and is built upon social justice to contribute to the improvement and betterment of the world around us as we evolve our understanding of learning and teaching.

One powerful way this commitment has manifested at the Faculty is through the . Inspired by a beloved teacher who came to Canada from India and re-accredited at �첥��Ƶ to continue her passion, the award is given out annually to first-year students who are new to Canada or the first in their family to attend postsecondary education and who demonstrate financial need. By carrying on Mrs. Ahuja’s incredible legacy and celebrating the many unique stories of our students, the award and its recipients will be drivers for ongoing positive change in education.

To celebrate the Faculty’s 50^th anniversary and the many ways our leaders are supporting the future leaders in education, we have created a new four-part video series showcasing our bold leadership in education which helps create more just communities.

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