Participating in the Advocacy and Leadership project are Teija Mari Markkanen, Riina Vahertimo, Hanna Jarlstig, Mirja Elina Manninen and Paivi Lakso, all of Kemi-Tornio University in Finland.

Brock Education professors Sheila Bennett and Tiffany Gallagher are bringing the world of inclusive practices for people with disabilities a little closer together.

Their project, “Advocacy and Leadership: Enhancing educational and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities,” is an international exchange involving more than 70 students and faculty, from seven partner institutions in England, Belgium, Finland and Canada.

The project receives funding through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and its highly competitive Canada-European Union Program for Cooperation in Higher Education, Training and Youth.

“Students who participate come from a broad range of disciplines – they share a wide range of skills, expertise and ideas,” says Gallagher. “The goal of this experience is for these students to become leaders in their own communities with respect to advocating on behalf of people with disabilities.”

James McInnis, an MEd candidate, was one of five graduate students from Brock who took part in a six-week internship in Bedford, England. The students worked in educational and community settings with children and youth with disabilities. McInnis was placed at a local school where the headmaster is recognized as being a leader in inclusive education.

“The placement was an ideal fit for my thesis research that is focused on the pivotal roles that principals play in inclusionary settings,” says McInnis. “Overall, I feel the experience allowed me to grow as a researcher, graduate student and educator.”

Päivi Kielo Lakso is an undergraduate business student from Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences, in Finland, about 100 kilometres from the Arctic Circle. She arrived in Niagara with four other students at the end of October to begin six-week placements throughout the region, including the Ontario Brain Injury Association and Niagara Child and Youth Services.

“I’m taking a business point of view and looking at the role of managers and leaders who supervise a team of people including a person with a disability,” she says. “I want to observe everyone in their roles and also see the spirit of the workplace.”

For more information about the project, visit brocku.ca/~webdev/advocacyandleadership/index.php