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This action research inquiry, undertaken in partnership with the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC), was guided by the question: How might the ISABC’s Team Leadership Program support the leadership development and thriving of emerging and middle leaders throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic? Data were collected with a survey and two focus groups involving 52 participants from 16 independent schools. Arts-based approaches included photo elicitation and found poetry. Key findings indicated the pandemic has magnified the human side of educational leadership and thriving as being a middle leader requires communication, relationship building, and the prioritization of followers’ needs. Recommendations addressed strategies to (a) develop self-awareness, coaching, and interpersonal skills amongst emerging leaders; (b) capitalize on existing leadership networks to foster a stronger sense of belonging within the ISABC; and (c) offer leadership-focused professional development and resources accessible to the broader ISABC community. Keywords: arts-based research, found poetry, K–12, independent schools, leadership development, middle leaders, photo elicitation, thriving at work

This case study explores the conditions and motives that led to the formation of a local Chapter of environmental educators and documents the successes and challenges that occurred during the Chapter’s first year as the Salish Sea Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (SSEEPSA). The thesis also explores the challenges experienced by the writer as a public-school environmental educator and highlights the learning and identity-forming experiences that occurred while she worked in collaboration with teachers who shared similar interests and passions. Details of the events that SSEEPSA organized offer best practices to implement when establishing a professional network or Chapter of a Provincial Specialist Association (PSA). In a year that was marked with additional isolation and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the thesis highlights the importance to teachers of professional communities in which to share their passions and knowledge and collaborate on projects and practices that extend beyond their classrooms.

This case study will critically examine lessons learned during COVID-19 to inform how we advance change towards socially sustainable public spaces. Through the lens of equity, access to public space for vulnerable populations during COVID-19 in Victoria, British Columbia, is explored. A stakeholder analysis is presented to illuminate the nature of stakeholder engagement within the City of Victoria, followed by a review of the intersectoral response that led to the activation of ERCs and the mobilization of hotel rooms to accommodate people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Furthermore, this case study will discuss how participatory processes, such as equity-centred design, placemaking, and equity mapping, can facilitate community and citizen engagement. This case highlights the emergence of leisure-related innovations as catalysts for social change—an increasingly important area of leisure research. In addition, this case study outlines the urgent need for research related to the intersection of COVID-19, equity, public space, and leisure. For broader audiences, such as local governments, not-for profit organizations, and leisure service providers, the value of this case study is underscored by the relevance of co-creation in the context of inclusive land-use planning, policy, and design. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25231/Broderick.pdf?sequence=3

The draft guidebook is a comprehensive summary of the steps to consider while successfully launching and using digital engagement. The research on this topic indicates that investing in digital engagement technology for municipal planning is becoming a priority for many public and private organizations. The declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020, had a ripple effect across the globe as many economies came to a screeching halt, suspending all-in person meetings until the foreseeable future. The restrictions on in-person meetings inadvertently made the usage of digital engagement tools exceedingly crucial for local governments. It is essential to highlight that the major project from which the guidebook is informed was conducted from a research program based in Canada. Consequently, some examples and references of the guidebook’s framework will be grounded in the local context. Major project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vancouver Island University. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/24396/DigitalEngagementGuidebook.pdf?sequence=3

This qualitative study explores and documents the lived experiences of women who are leading social movement organizations in Canada. It gives context to their work within the established sectors and broader movements they are a part of, while highlighting the barriers and opportunities they are currently facing in their work. Their experiences also shed light on the unique barriers that have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the unique opportunities made visible because of the current political climate in Canada and beyond.

Land as Life is a community-led and created undergraduate course in the Faculty of Xwulmuxw/Indigenous Studies at Vancouver Island University that has been running for 18 years. Every year it is planned and created by local Indigenous Knowledge-Keepers with the course instructor. The class is structured around teaching and learning in community-engaged settings, off campus from local Elders and community members from local nations, such as the Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, Quw’utsun and Penelakut territories. A research Project Team was formulated to explore the impacts of the course to share with the university community about how Indigenous land-based pedagogy traditionally stems from the land and how the Indigenous community members (Elders/Knowledge Keepers) exemplify how land-based and community-centred education benefits both the student-participants and the community at large. The specific contributions of this project demonstrate the benefits of an integrated course delivery, one that is informed by Indigenous pedagogies and due to COVID-19 had to be virtual. The analysis of the data, included in the film, provides the Vancouver Island University community understanding of the transformative student impacts resulting from the course, even in a virtual ‘crisis teaching’ format.

Building equitable, accessible and affordable campuses through Co-operatives. Webinars discussing co-operatives, what they are and how they could make for more equitable and accessible campus communities. Co-op webinar 2. This video is part of the second webinar in the webinar series on "COVID-19 Response: Building Higher Learning Resilience in the Face of Epidemics: Co-operatives and Campuses." Webinar occurred on March 17th, 2021.

Building equitable, accessible and affordable campuses through Co-operatives. Webinars discussing co-operatives, what they are and how they could make for more equitable and accessible campus communities. Co-op webinar 1. This video is part of the first webinar in the webinar series on "COVID-19 Response: Building Higher Learning Resilience in the Face of Epidemics". Webinar occurred on February 24th, 2021.

Building equitable, accessible and affordable campuses through Co-operatives. Webinars discussing co-operatives, what they are and how they could make for more equitable and accessible campus communities. Co-op webinar 2. This video is part of the second webinar in the webinar series on "COVID-19 Response: Building Higher Learning Resilience in the Face of Epidemics: Co-operatives and Campuses". Webinar occurred on March 17th, 2021.

For decades, the Canadian news media industry has been eroded by a myriad of factors including media conglomeration, the changing digital landscape, and declining advertising revenue—a situation which has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research examines six community news organizations across the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia who are using new journalism practices and revenue models to serve their communities as a response to the ongoing crisis narrative currently surrounding the Canadian media industry. Through an action research appreciative inquiry methodology, this research focuses on what is working well for these organizations to create new regionally based knowledge regarding the keys to their current success, to future sustainability, and to potential replicability. In addition, the data is analyzed through Carlson’s metajournalistic discourse framework to uncover in what ways these journalists are challenging or changing the discourse surrounding local news production in their communities and in the wider industry. It concludes there are several foundational blocks other community news publishers can build upon to help create healthy and diverse media ecosystems, and while readers are showing support for these news organizations, the wider industry could be doing more to legitimize their organizations and metajournalisitc discourses.