Jill Esmonde is a badass.  In every sense of the word.  She is bold, brave, intelligent, real, kind, caring, and she doesn’t take shit from anyone.  And gosh do we ever love and admire her for that (and so many other things!).  Jill joins us for a discussion about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Georgian College and beyond, how there are no "sidelines" when it comes to racism and discrimination, and what we as faculty and people can do to act, and to be a part of positive change.  Jill tackles our discussion, and her work, and life with a passion that sparks, motivates, inspires, and challenges.  She creates space for pause and reflection, she leans into discomfort and painful conversations, and has the guts to say the things that others won't.  We hope that you'll take a ride with us, and with the incredible Jill Esmonde, and that her words will spark action, change perspectives, and force us to consider our role in making the world a place that's safe, welcoming, and fair for all.

We had the chance to sit down and chat with Adam Zubczyk (zoob-chick), and after our time together we are completely certain that he could do a much better job hosting this podcast than we do. No joke, the guy is a complete pro.  Adam is passionate about what he does, about the people he works with, about the students he supports, and about the future of the trades and Georgian's place within it.  In this episode, Adam shares with us how he and his colleagues have adjusted and innovated to accommodate their students in the electrical techniques and apprenticeship programs in this new world, shares his thoughts about why the electrical program is so popular, and introduces us to the phrase "earn while you learn" which is just as cool as it sounds.  We hope you'll take a little time to listen to our chat with the guy who might be stealing our jobs someday soon - the super professional, friendly, well-spoken, and fun Adam Zubczyk.

Josh Barath is a self-proclaimed "talker", so needless to say, he fit in REAL well with us, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and learning about all of the amazing things that he and his team are working on here at Georgian.  The (gulp, ew.) pivot (ugh) to remote learning presented challenges for Josh, as an integral part of his program area is co-op placement.  But what many of us saw as a challenge, or barrier to historical (read - comfortable) practice, Josh saw as an opportunity to innovate, adapt, and update.  The new foundation for learning that he and his team have developed, and continue to build upon is nothing short of awesome.  Like, really really awesome. And not only does it help his students meet the same learning outcomes they met in traditional co-ops, it also gives them a peek behind the curtain (of the "real world" that lies ahead in their field), and an opportunity for networking and connection with the professionals and companies who will be employing these students in the future.  Josh, and his commitment to growth, passion for student success, and bravery in the face of challenge are what post-secondary teaching is (and darn well should be) all about.  We hope that you enjoy our enlightening and fun chat with Josh!

A wise person once said "No [person] ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and [they] not the same [person]."  We've danced around this idea for a while, and finally took the time to think a little more deeply on the idea of the "new normal".  I think most of us would agree that there is no going "back" to normal (we think at this point, it's more likely that you'd accompany Marty McFly back to the future), so it's time to start considering the exciting possibilities and opportunities that await us in the "new normal" and the future of post-secondary education here at Georgian.

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with the knowledgeable, passionate, and innovative Alyssa Hall.  Alyssa shares a passion for golf with Kelly, a passion for hiking, boating, and outdoor adventures with Kim, and shares her thoughts on authentic assessment in the teaching and learning process with our audience.  Alyssa is doing some great things in her classes, like really great.  She's mastered lesson planning, course design, and assessment and so much more, and is now placing great focus on authentic assessment which is not only authentic to students and their experiences, but also focuses on mirroring what life, work, and tasks will look like for our students beyond the realm of Georgian.  We had a blast chatting with Alyssa, and really believe that there are some fabulous takeways and application ideas for other Georgian faculty to apply in their classes. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode, Laura Koza and Tracy Mitchell-Ashley take us on a journey of understanding what it means to be an Ashoka Changemaking Campus (the only one in Canada!), what Ashoka Changemakers do on campus and beyond, and how others in the Georgian community can integrate Changemaking strategies and themes into teaching and learning at Georgian College. These two are a powerhouse of knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm, and fun and we had a blast chatting with them.

We had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Emma about her history and culture, what drives and motivates her, her passion for and calling to social equity and justice, and her role as Indigenization Specialist here at Georgian, and were completely in awe of how she communicates and "is" in the space around her.  Emma shares stories, knowledge, and invitations to share, connect, and learn, and does it all with a giant smile, a warm heart, a strong voice, and a laugh as contagious as Kelly's.