ConnectED

ConnectED

Each year, ConnectED brings together educators, students, and community members to exchange ideas, build relationships, and explore new possibilities for teaching and learning. Rooted in collaboration and curiosity, the event creates space for meaningful conversations and shared learning. Watch the video below to discover what ConnectED is all about.

ConnectED 2026

Teach, Learn, Transform —
Indigenous Storywork in a World of Changemaking at UFV

UFV Teaching & Learning was thrilled to host ConnectED 2026 on April 29, bringing together faculty, staff, students, and community members for a full day dedicated to building connections, engaging in transformative teaching and learning experiences, and creating opportunities to transform education—one conversation, idea, and action at a time.

The conference wove together three powerful themes: Indigenization, Changemaker Education, and Regenerative Sustainability. Participants explored ideas inspired by contemporary scholars such as Jennifer Grenn, Shannon Leddy, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Richard Wagamese, whose work calls for pedagogies rooted in resilience, restoration, reconnection, and reconciliation within post-secondary education.

We were honoured to welcome Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, Q’um Q’um Xiiem—UFV Chancellor and Officer of the Order of Canada—as our keynote speaker. Drawing on her extensive contributions to education at both K–12 and post-secondary levels, Dr. Archibald reminded attendees that thriving learning communities are grounded in stories, reciprocal relationships, and a shared commitment to helping every learner reach their fullest potential.

Through her Storywork framework, Dr. Archibald brought teaching and learning to life through seven guiding principles: respect, responsibility, reverence, reciprocity, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy. Her keynote invited participants to reflect on important questions, including:

• What visions of teaching and learning do they inspire?
• How do they intersect with Changemaker Education and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
• How can Indigenization serve as the lens through which UFV faculty and students embrace changemaking and sustainability?
• What role can Storywork and community connections play in fostering resilience and reconciliation at UFV?

In a time when the world urgently needs hope and inspiration, ConnectED 2026 provided a meaningful space to explore these questions together. Through Dr. Archibald’s keynote, collaborative sessions, and rich conversations throughout the day, participants broadened their collective vision for excellence in teaching and learning and strengthened their commitment to creating positive change within and beyond the university.