Fireside chat to highlight reconciliation in child and youth work

On June 23rd, faculty in Mount Saint Vincent University’s Child & Youth Study Department, and the Halifax Public Libraries, will host a fireside conversation and Q&A to raise awareness of reconciliation efforts in child and youth education, research, and practice.

When: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Road

All are welcome. Advance registration is not required.

The conversation will spotlight reconciliation in action. Community members exploring their own reconciliation journeys – or working in child and youth education and practice – will find plenty to inspire their work.

Featured speakers will include Yasmin Abdul Majid, Dr. Catherine Baillie Abidi, Dr. Krista Collier-Jarvis, Taylor Hansen, Cheyenne Hardy, Julie Pellerine, Emily Smith, and Melissa White   – diverse women of Indigenous, immigrant and settler backgrounds who are working in a range of child and youth focused roles. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Shane Theunissen of MSVU’s Child & Youth Study Department.

This event also marks the launch of a new Open Educational Resource that is a collection of contributions by these individuals, titled Reimagining the Spaces We Occupy: Diverse Women’s Stories of Colonial Resistance in Child and Youth Practice and Research. Open Educational Resources help remove barriers to learning by providing free online and accessible learning materials. The project was led by Taylor Hansen (Lecturer) and Dr. Shane Theunissen (Associate Professor) in Child and Youth Study at MSVU.

Media interested in attending the panel or interviewing project leads in advance are asked to contact Gillian.Batten@msvu.ca.