Learning Opportunities

NEW: Beyond the Blanket
Delivery Method: Interactive workshop
Timeframe: Dates and times to be announced

Facilitated in partnership with StFX Indigenous Student Affairs and Coady's Circle of Abundance, this interactive workshop builds on the Blanket Exercise by exploring Mi’kmaw Treaty Education. Participants will learn from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Elders, educators, and community organizations about our roles and responsibilities as Treaty people and how to actively engage in allyship. (Dates and times to be announced)

Blanket Exercise
The blanket exercise is an interactive educational program that teaches the history of indigenous peoples in Canada. This program was created in response to the 1996 report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and is used as a teaching tool across Canada. Following the Blanket Exercise participants will engage in a non-traditional talking circle, sharing their experiences and critical reflections.  2 hours. In person delivery. Inquires can be made to @email

Anti-Black Racism - Participants will examine concepts of second-class citizenship, environmental racism and explore the historic and current challenges and celebrations of African Nova Scotians (Africville, Viola Desmond, street checks) 1.5 (+) hours. In person or virtual delivery. Inquires can be made to @email 

NEW: X-cited about Equity
Delivery Method: 1.5-hour in-person workshop
Timeframe: Winter 2025

Co-facilitated by peer and professional student services staff, this 1.5-hour in-person workshop provides an in-depth exploration of anti-oppressive practices. While this workshop is primarily student-directed, faculty and staff are encouraged to book sessions for their classes or co-curricular groups to engage students in meaningful discussions about systems of oppression, equity groups, and intersectionality. 

Widening participation: addressing systemic barriers in research - Participants will engage in conversation about decolonizing the academic research environment, and identify both structural barriers and inclusive decision-making structures. Topics such as mentoring and support networks, how to gather and use race-based data and how to respectfully engage external partners and communities will also be covered. 1.5 (+) hours In person or virtual delivery. Inquires can be made to @email 

EDI in the hiring process - Created to support hiring committees to successfully hire and onboard new faculty, this module provides participants with the skills and tools to conduct a successful and equitable hire for their team. This training module can be requested by contacting the manager of human rights and equity (@email) 1 hour. In person or Virtual delivery. Inquires can be made to mfogarty@stfx.ca 

Identifying and Challenging Anti-Semitism
Delivery Method: Workshop
Timeframe: Winter 2025

Offered in partnership with external providers, this workshop equips participants with the skills to identify and address antisemitism.

Delivery Method: Workshops and panels
Timeframe: Various dates (e.g., September 23, 2024, March 2025)

Talking About Israel-Palestine: With Light, Not Heat 
September 23, 2023
6:30pm
McKenna Leadership Centre

Join Dr. Jamie Levin in conversation with authors Raja Khouri and Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson as they discuss themes from their book The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other. They argue that a wall exists between Jewish and Palestinian communities in the Diaspora; distrust, enmity, and hate are common currencies. These manifest at university campuses, schools and school boards, at political events, on social media, and in academic circles. For Jews, Israel must exist; for Palestinians, the historic injustice being committed since 1948 must be reversed. Are these incommensurate? Is there room for compromise? Join us as Raja and Jeffrey begin the process of dismantling the metaphorical wall between them.

One on one Conversation with Raja and Jeff, Authors of The Wall Between (limited to students)
September 24m 2023
10:00am
Steve Hudson Boardroom, Mulroney, 4^th floor

Raja and Jeffrey argue that a wall exists between Jewish and Palestinian communities in the Diaspora. For Jews, Israel must exist; for Palestinians, the historic injustice being committed since 1948 must be reversed. Neither wants to know why the Other cannot budge on these issues. The wall is up. Perhaps no where more than on university campuses. Students are invited to join us in conversation.

Panel Discussion on Civil Discourse (March 2025): Featuring Dr. Randy Boyagoda, U of T’s Provostial Adviser on Civil Discourse, and Dr. Shannon Dea, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Regina

Anti-Islamophobia 101
Delivery Method: Virtual workshop
Timeframe: Dates and times to be announced

Presented by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, this virtual workshop addresses the realities of Islamophobia within Canadian society, particularly its impact on Black, Indigenous, queer, and disabled Muslims. The session aims to empower participants to become active allies in countering Islamophobia. 

EDI in Hiring 
Delivery Method: Training sessions
Timeframe: Available now

This session provides training on equitable hiring practices and explore the foundations of unconscious biases and stereotyping. Participants will learn how successfully conduct an equitable hiring process

Learning to understand: 2SLGBTQIA+ Terms and Concepts - this module will provide foundational terms and concepts used to understand gender and sexual diversity, and privilege and oppression within and outside of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 1.5 (+) hours. In person or Virtual delivery. 

Contextualizing 2SLGBTQIA+ privilege and oppression – designed to examine the structural roots of oppression, this module delves into the history of discrimination and oppression faced by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the current manifestations of cisheteronormativity and cisheterosexism in our community and the racist origins of the gender binary 1.5 (+) hours. In person or Virtual delivery. 

Tools to engage in anti-oppression work – Participants will unpack “allyship” by engaging in bias breaking activities and discover the skills required to identify and interrupt cisheteronormativity. 1.5 (+) hours. In person or Virtual delivery.

Sexual Violence in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community – Participants will develop an understanding of how systematic oppression and intersecting identities compound to create unique and different barriers to accessing disclosure, reporting and support services. (30 minute asynchronous presentation). 

Inquires can be made to @email

Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence - this session discusses some of the consequences sexual violence can have on survivors, as well as the barriers survivors face when disclosing their experience. participants will learn practical skills to respond to disclosures with compassion. 1 hour. In person or Virtual delivery.   

Sexual Violence in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community – Participants will develop an understanding of how systematic oppression and intersecting identities compound to create unique and different barriers to accessing disclosure, reporting and support services. (30 minute asynchronous presentation). 

Inquires can be made to @email

Mental Health First Aid: Adults who Interact with Youth - Co-facilitated by the Director of Health, Counselling and Accessible Learning and Psychologist from the Health and Counselling Centre, MHFA Adults who Interact with Youth is intended for an adult audience whose primary focus is youth (aged 14-25). In addition to the four most common disorders discussed in MHFA BASIC (mood disorders, anxiety and trauma-related disorders, substance-related disorders, and psychotic disorders), this course includes instruction about eating disorders and deliberate self-injury. Participants who take this course are well prepared to interact confidently about mental health with the young people in their lives, including at schools, extra-curricular activities, social services, family, friends, and communities. 2 day, in person training.

Inquires can be made to @email 

Policy 101 - Co-facilitated by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Advocate and the Manager, Human Rights and Equity, this module will help participants understand two critical policies that apply to all members of the campus community:  the Harassment and Discrimination Policy and the Sexual Violence Policy. 45 minutes. In person or virtual delivery.

Inquires can be made to @email or hblackbu@stfx.ca