2024-25 Knowledge Forum - Call for Abstracts

The Faculty of Education is excited to announce a call for abstracts for the 2024-25 Knowledge Forum.

Over 30 years have passed since the World Declaration on Education for All called for the world to affirm the “right to education for all.” Despite this, exclusion, stigma, school violence, and inequitable life outcomes persist, particularly for historically marginalized disability groups in education. At the same time, there is ample reason for hope. Strengths-based approaches that centre belonging and affirm the diversity of students, families, and educators are emerging.

In this issue, we invite our Queen’s education community to share their stories, research, and experience teaching and learning related to Inclusive Education, Disability and Belonging, including disability studies in education, inclusive education, social justice education and strengths based and critical approaches in exceptionalities and special education.

Successful contributions will speak to a wide audience and may include traditional academic papers or essays, as well as creative pieces such as personal reflection, poetry, painting, digital story, photography, and even musical compositions or video essays!

Abstracts for papers, essays, and reflections of up to 150 words are due by December 19th, 2024.

Creative submissions (photography, poetry, short fiction etc.) should be submitted in their entirety with a description of up to 50 words describing the piece’s relation to the theme. Please send photos of any physical art (paintings, sculpture, multimedia, etc.)

We welcome abstracts from alumni, graduate students, teachers, administrators, academics, and policymakers – anyone who has a story to share!

Topics may include, but are by no means limited to:

• Inclusion and belonging in schools
• Critical Disability Studies
• Neurodiversity affirming approaches in education
• Strengths-based approaches in education
• Decolonial and Indigenous approaches to disability as gift
• Lived experience of disability and neurodiversity in education
• Family and kin perspectives
• Innovative teacher practice & affirming pedagogies
• Peer mentorship
• Intersectional and social justice perspectives on disability, inclusion, and belonging
• Stories of inclusion and belonging - examples of when it works
• Self-determination and more!

Email the  Knowledge Forum Committee to submit your abstract. Please note your affiliation with the Faculty of Education (alumni, student, instructor, etc.).

Contributors will be notified in January 2024 if their abstract/creative submission has been accepted. Papers/written creative submissions should be 750-1000 words in length (including all references) and will be due  April 30, 2025.