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Alicia Cuzner, BEd, Master of Education: World Indigenous Studies (WISE) student at Queen’s University, has been taking action to decolonize education since her undergraduate degree.
Now a flourishing teacher and course developer at Ontario Virtual School, Alicia dedicates herself to solving educational challenges. As a course developer, volunteer educator in classrooms, and developer of the podcast series A Brighter Future: Powered by OVS, she emphasizes her focus on making change in students’ lives: “Success is obtainable as long as you provide the needs for the individual. Let's stop talking about what the problems are – We know what the problems are. How do we solve it?”
During her time in the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (ITEP) at Queen’s, Alicia and her ITEP classmates took initiative to solve the problem of Education students’ ignorance of the history of residential schools.
“This was 2013. So in 2013, there was no Orange Shirt Day,” Alicia explains. “There was no Reconciliation Day at that time. And it wasn’t taught in high schools.” Determined to empower educators to make a positive impact on future generations, Alicia and her ITEP classmates built an awareness campaign.
“There were only five of us,” Alicia shares about the ITEP program she took part in. “So we just set up at Student Street with a collapsible table and a big sign that said, ‘Ask us about the residential school system.’ And then we would tell students about it. There would be various responses. One being ‘you’re lying, that can’t be true.’ Because they're in shock, of course, in denial. How could that be true? Then you provide them with the evidence and government documents that state it to be true, right? And then they're like, ‘whoa.’”
Alicia and her ITEP classmates educated Queen’s students until they were able to repeat and explain what they had learned. Afterwards, they had each student sign an orange feather. By the end of a two-week period, they had collected over 200 feathers.
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“We taped them to a long string and we strung it down the hall,” Alicia recollects. “Just to show that all these people have just gained so much knowledge in such a short amount of time, in such an easy way.”
After graduating from her BEd, Alicia has continued to seek knowledge from countless sources throughout her career. For six years, she worked as a classroom teacher in an alternative school; at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alicia began online teaching for OVS. After eight years of teaching, Alicia decided to take the leap into her master’s and apply for the WISE program – a program rich with academic and experiential learning opportunities.
“Because human experiences are valuable,” Alicia stresses. “Surround yourself with as many cultures as possible. Surround yourself with as many age groups as possible. Volunteer at a seniors’ community and a kindergarten class, you know? It's the best way, I think, to learn and understand how everything connects to each other.”
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Cultural immersion and connection with other students who are immersed in Indigenous communities are Alicia’s favourite parts of the WISE program. “We have students studying in the Arctic, students studying in northern communities, students studying in urban communities. You get to hear everyone’s wild stories, which then contribute to their opinions. Someone will be putting weight on a particular subject and then you realize, oh, that directly impacts you right now. It’s very interesting having everyone’s immediate experiences being related to you.”
About the Author
Juliette Silveira is a final year Education student at Queen’s University. In 2024, she completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree at Queen’s University with a Minor in Dramatic Arts and a Major in English Language & Literature. In July 2025, she will complete her Bachelor of Education degree through the Concurrent Education program. Juliette has spent her time at Queen’s learning to become an Intermediate/Senior Drama and English teacher, and she has focused on Indigenous teacher education through the ITEP program. Passionate about cultivating students’ creativity and critical thinking, Juliette is eager to bring her experience as an actress, musical theatre teacher, creative writer, and literary analyst into her classroom.