TORONTO, June 18, 2015 – The first 17 graduates of the Master of Education Cohort in Urban Aboriginal Education will receive their diplomas today at 3:30pm during York University’s spring convocation ceremonies.

The Master of Education Cohort in Urban Aboriginal Education is a partnership between York U’s Faculty of Education and the Toronto District School Board Aboriginal Education Centre.

It is the vision of York U indigenous scholar Professor Susan Dion who is available to discuss the merits and goals of the program.

The program is open to all educators interested in teaching and learning Aboriginal content and perspectives. It introduces students to the history of colonialism in Canada, the impact of colonialism on education in Ontario schools and the work of Indigenous scholars who are contributing to resurgence and a new emergence in indigenous thought.

These graduates are well positioned to participate in responding to the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action in Aboriginal education.

When:                  Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 3:30pm

Where:                York University, Keele campus at the Convocation Pavilion located at the Aviva Centre (formerly the Rexall Centre), 1 Shoreham Drive, at York University’s Keele campus (#8 on map).

The convocation ceremony will be webcast at the following link, which will become live when it begins: http://www.yorku.ca/mygrad/livewebcast.

York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 25 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 280 leading universities worldwide. York U’s community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 275,000 alumni.

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Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, York University, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097 / sandramc@yorku.ca