Université Laval
IN-1: Innovation 1

Chair in Educational Leadership in science and sustainable Université Laval’s Chair in Educational Leadership is the only of its kind in Canada. The program is designed to attract professors with unique expertise and serve as a strategic driver of prosperity for people at home and abroad. By creating chairs like this, Université Laval is expanding and enriching its chair program with a solid action plan to ensure that the skills taught through its academic programs match those required in the job market. The acquisition of a strong basic education at the undergraduate level, specialized training at the graduate level, and professional development for members of the workforce are some of the most effective ways to improve productivity and, with it, the prosperity of communities. The Chair in Educational Leadership in science and sustainable development was created to develop original educational activities that encourage primary and secondary science teachers and students to broaden their knowledge, interest, and critical thinking skills while learning about science and sustainable development issues. These educational activities will be disseminated free of charge throughout the French-speaking world via two websites created for this purpose. The Chair’s program is divided down into three components. The first involves compiling the top environment and sustainable development titles from the children’s and young adult literature collection of Université Laval’s educational library and posting them online. The second focuses on further development of innovative educational activities to encourage secondary science students to explore sustainable development issues. These educational activities will be posted on the Faculty of Education’s PISTES website (pistes.org). The third component involves the creation of an advanced graduate diploma program (DESS) in environmental education and sustainable development. This is the first program of its kind in North America and will focus on critical pedagogy and interdisciplinary instruction. It is intended for anyone interested education and sustainable development issues and will train students to design and test innovative educational activities and projects on sustainable development for schools and the workplace.