Sean Lessard

Email

slessard@ualberta.ca

Phone

(780) 492-3665

Address

252 Education Centre - South

11210 - 87 Ave NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2G5

Academic Credentials:
B.Ed., University of Alberta, 2000, Social Studies/Native Studies
M.Ed., University of Alberta, 2010, Educational Psychology (Special Education)
Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2013, Elementary Education

Other Credentials:
Rehabilitation Services/Youth Worker Diploma, Lakeland College, 1994
ITEP (Indian Teacher Education Program, University of Saskatchewan, 1998

Honours:
Dr. Sean Lessard Indigenous Youth Leadership Scholarship, Montreal Lake Cree Nation 2015-Present
Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Student Award, University of Alberta, 2010-2012
Kaplan Graduate Student Award, University of Alberta, 2011-2012
Pat Clifford Award Early Career Research in Education, Canadian Education Association, 2015
CRTED Outstanding Teacher Education Doctoral Dissertation Award, University of Alberta, 2015
Narrative SIG American Educational Research Association Outstanding Publication, AERA, 2016
Distinguished Alumni, Lakeland College, 2018
Narrative SIG American Educational Research Association Early Research Award, AERA, 2019

Dr. Lessard's research includes: Narrative Inquiry, Relational Ethics, Indigenous Education, Indigenous Youth, Indigenous Youth Wellness, Inter-generational Indigenous Youth Leadership, Community Based Education & Re-Design,  Transitional Programming in School, High School Transition, Outreach School and AlterNative Approaches to Education, Land Based Approach to Wellness within Indigenous communities, Indigenous Youth Physical Literacy and Sport, Teacher Education.

Growing Young Movers Research Hub:  www.growingyoungmovers.com and @gymovers

Growing Young Movers in the news: https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/program-gives-scott-collegiate-students-employment-mentorship-opportunity

Moving Well Maskekosihk (Indigenous Youth Community Based Research Space)

Red Worn Runners Pedagogy and Place(s): https://www.edcan.ca/articles/the-red-worn-runners/

Dr. Sean Lessard reflects on how earlier work alongside youth in communities(Red Worn Runners) continues to shape his understandings of curriculum as a process that is fluid, transactional and filled with possibilities.  It is through the narrative experiences alongside the Red Worn Runners that Lessard continues to draw on both philosophically and pragmatically in his research that explores identity and curriculum making both in and outside of school places with Indigenous youth.  These places include communities across Canada where youth and families continue to guide this work and take it up in their own ways.