George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Thousands of scholars have converged at George Brown College's St. James and Waterfront campuses for the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (May 30 – June 6). Among the critical conversations, knowledge-sharing, and networking are daily Career Corner sessions focused on professional development.
The 90-minute Career Corners, facilitated by industry professionals, explore a wide range of topics related to career growth and development within the post-secondary education sector and beyond. They are held daily at varying times at 51 Dockside Dr., room 527 (inside the Library Learning Commons).
Career Corner workshops are open to all registered conference attendees and members of the public with a valid community pass.
Well-being in the Classroom: What Does Liberation Have to Do with It?
What brings joy to the classroom, and how do you know if students are joyful?
These questions were the focus of the Congress 2025 Career Corner session Well-being in the Classroom: What Does Liberation Have to Do with It?, a workshop facilitated by members of the Black Futures Do Tank at George Brown College — a governing advisory body committed to taking action to improve Black inclusion on campus. Attendees worked together to create strategies they can include in curricula and teaching approaches to encourage belonging, thriving and joy in class.
Faculty members Natalie Wood, Marty Lampkin, and Carla Moore, Black Futures Co-ordinator Susie Mensah, and Student and Community Leader Naeisha Marques provided context around factors that inhibit joy in the classroom drawing on the work of author, activist and educator bell hooks and research on the effects of anti-Black racism on educational outcomes.
Lampkin led a conversation about cultures of domination in the classroom, including white supremacy cultural values that limit students and have negative impacts on health and well-being. The participants broke into small groups to explore how to action the antidotes in their classrooms. Participants also broke into groups to discuss liberatory curricula that consider students' minds, bodies, and spirits.
The 90-minute workshop ended with a joy tree created from participants' feedback on how students express joy in the classroom.
Related:
Congress 2025: Career Corner – Ubuntu in Practice
