Centre for Community Engagement and Social Change

About us

The Centre for Community Engagement and Social Change brings together dedicated researchers at the Queen’s Faculty of Education and community partners to support positive transformation in teaching, research, and everyday lives. We collaborate with communities and schools through partnerships, research, and advocacy to address real-life challenges.

By partnering with education leaders, teachers, students, and families we create innovative solutions, training, and resources for the most pressing challenges in education. Collectively, we share a commitment to develop and nurture inclusive and respectful partnerships that generate research, resources, and programming which positively impact people and communities.

The Centre embraces the Carnegie Foundation’s definition of community engagement.

History

Launched in 2024, the Centre supports research collaborations and projects in arts for transformative education, equity, assessment and evaluation, decolonizing education, digital storytelling, refugee-led literacy initiatives, decolonization, disability and autism, technology, climate change, and food security.

Contact us

Are you a community member, researcher, or student who wants to get involved with the Centre? Do you have an identified research need we can help with? Do you want to get involved with one of our collaborative, community-centered research groups (CERCs)? We will have lots of opportunities as we continue to grow. Please email to get in touch and learn more about how to be involved as a community partner or research collaborator.

Email us

Community-Engaged Research Clusters (CERCs)

Seven initial community-engaged research clusters were funded in 2024. These CERCS undertake research and build resources hand-in-hand with community.

Arts for Social Change

Leveraging arts learning to support sustainable development, health and well-being, and global citizenship.

Collaborative Evaluation for Social Change

Expanding research and knowledge for equitable assessment and evaluation in education systems by developing integrated approaches for equity, diversity, and inclusion practices.

Decolonizing and Indigenous Research

Centering Indigenous theoretical perspectives primarily from the Anishinaabe Nation and Haudenosaunee Confederacy and decolonial education based on acceptance, inclusion, and radical decolonial love.

Disability, Advocacy, and the Arts

Cultivating an affirming approach to disability - “Nothing without us” - our research advances inclusion and social justice in education by elevating the experiences and knowledge of diverse disabled students and disability communities. We tap the power of community-based research, disability arts and storytelling to foster positive social change in educational research and practice and increase arts and educational access.

Early Years & Multiliteracies

Dedicated to engaging in collaborative approaches with community members, we use the term “multiliteracies” to consider the complexities of language and literacy learning in today’s global society. We are committed to translating and mobilizing our ongoing research in accessible ways to ensure anyone interested in learning more about the impact of early experiences, literacy and language development, and their impacts on lifelong learning have access to this information.

Transformative Technologies for Social Good

Leveraging technology to address current issues related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and considering ethical problems with technology and using technology to help solve the world's problems.

Centre Directors

Dr. Patricia Douglas

Director

Research profile

Dr. Michelle Searle

Associate Director