A conference typically reserved for Brock’s Concurrent Teacher Education students is opening its virtual doors to the wider student body.

All Brock students, particularly those interested in exploring the field of and a career in education, are invited to attend the Brock Conference on Education 2021 on Saturday, March 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The annual conference of the Concurrent Education Student Association (CESA) is being held online in response to COVID-19 restrictions.

Tickets are $10 and available on Eventbrite until Friday, Feb. 12.

The event’s theme, Preparing the Teachers of Tomorrow, reflects students’ efforts to take ownership of their professional development and learn about relevant topics as future educators.   

“We chose this conference theme because we believe that in order to become the best educators, we need to take our own professional development seriously,” said Cassidy Collicutt, a fourth-year Concurrent Teacher Education student and one of the conference co-ordinators.

The event organizers hope that attendees will gain knowledge that can be used during their time at Brock as well as in their future classrooms.

“It’s one thing to just take our program courses, but to actively seek out opportunities to learn about diversity in education, mental health, online learning and Indigenous education is essential in becoming the best educators we can be to best serve our future students,” said Collicutt.

The online format has allowed CESA to include speakers who would normally not be able to participate because of their location, including teachers who will share their experience and expertise with Brock students.