Amea WIlbur received an Ed.D. from the University of British Columbia in 2015 for an action research study exploring the assumptions and understandings that English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers brought to working with students who had experienced trauma. The instructors in this study taught in a Canadian federally funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program.
In 2025, Dr. Wilbur was honoured with UFV's Faculty Service Excellence Award for her dedication to community building and Indigenizing curriculum. Previously, she received the 2017 AMSSA Award for her work with marginalized populations and innovative programming supporting diversity and integration, as well as the Gordon Selman Award for her contributions to understanding the social and historical foundations of adult education in Canada.
Adult and TESL Education:
Dr. Wilbur centres her work on trauma-informed and asset-based adult education to foster change for individuals and communities She has worked hands-on with diverse populations, ranging from farm workers to live-in caregivers. Throughout her career, she has trained and taught volunteers, undergraduate students, and seasoned instructors.
She has established strong methods for collaborating, developing, and implementing adult education and community-development programs, as well as shaping associated assessment policies. Her background includes managing programs across diverse settings, such as Vancouver Coastal Health’s Access Community through English (for individuals navigating chronic mental health issues) and developing a nationally recognized trauma-informed EAL program at the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society.
As a praxis-oriented educator, Dr. Wilbur connects research, trauma-informed principles, and language learning to facilitate inclusive classrooms for adult learners living with multiple barriers.
Ed.D. University of British Columbia, 2015
Adult Education, TESL Education, Community Development
Editorial & Research Initiatives:
- Co-Researcher with Dr. Brianna Strumm Collaborating on two distinct studies examining trauma-informed practice and care-based pedagogy in higher education: one focusing on the experiences of post-secondary instructors in British Columbia, and the other exploring student perspectives and impacts.
- Co-Editor, Geographies of the Heart: Stories from Newcomers to Canada (Purich Books / UBC Press) alongside Raymonde Tickner and Zahida Rahemtulla, this volume presents first-person accounts from newcomers to Canada to challenge misconceptions around migration, identity, and settlement.
- Co-Researcher, Images of Incoming/Newcoming: An international Photovoice project conducted in collaboration with Queen's University Belfast and the University of the Fraser Valley, exploring themes of belonging, displacement, and exclusion among newcomer and migrant women in rural regions of Northern Ireland and Canada.
Academic & Professional Publications:
- Johnson, N., Strumm, B., & Wilbur, A. (Under revision). Strengthening Trauma-Informed Educators through Relational and Solidarity Networks. In K. Hardner & J. Carello (Eds.), Trauma-Informed Transformations: Integrating Principles Beyond the Classroom.
- Strumm, B., & Wilbur, A.Strumm, B., & Wilbur, A. (In press). Care-full, trauma-informed and relational pedagogy: Experiences of British Columbia educators. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
- Eamer, A., & Wilbur, A. (In press). Promoting Social-Emotional Learning and Trauma-Sensitive Practices with Pre-service Teachers in TESOL. In L. J. Pentón Herrera, C. Gilda Martínez-Alba, & M. Paradowski (Eds.), Teaching for a Better World: Cultivating Social-Emotional Learning in English Language Pedagogy. University of Michigan Press.
- Cowie, T., Damji, T., & Wilbur, A. (2024). The Challenges and Opportunities for Decolonizing TESOL in the Canadian Context: Reflecting on Expressions of Leadership. In D. Rashed & D. Suarez (Eds.), Reimagining Influence in TESOL: Deconstructing Female Leadership Identity. Routledge.
- Alsaleh, M., Amburgey, E., Karim, S., Marif, D., McMillan-Rambharat, C., Rahemtulla, Z., & Wilbur, A.(2022). The power of narrative storytelling: How podcasts as an arts-based practice enhance solidarity and social activism in adult education. Studies in the Education of Adults, 54(2), 161–176. DOI: 10.1080/02660830.2022.2096798
- Damji, T., & Wilbur, A. (2022). Embedding Well-being into Language Teacher Education and Professional Development: Starting the Conversation. In L. J. Pentón Herrera, G. Martínez-Alba, & E. Trinh (Eds.), Teacher Well-Being in ELT. Routledge.
- Stack, M., & Wilbur, A. (2022). Media and government framing of asylum seekers and migrant workers in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Review of Education, 67(6), 895–914.
- Smythe, S., Wilbur, A., & Hunter, E. (2021). Inventive pedagogies, and social solidarity: The work of community-based adult educators during COVID-19 in British Columbia, Canada. International Review of Education, 67, 9–29.
- Harris, K., Helman, A., & Wilbur, A. (2019). The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners: Adult ESOL and Workforce Development. TESOL Press.
