On November 16 and 17, join faculty, staff, and students for the annual Research on Teaching and Learning Conference.

The two-day event, hosted by the Paul R. McPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching, fosters an evidence-informed approach to teaching.

The theme of this year’s conference, taking place at McMaster’s Innovation Park, is Exploring Teaching and Learning Partnerships in Higher Education. Attendees will take part in paper presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations.

Two of the keynote speakers, Sandeep Raha and Patrick Byrne, share a connection with McMaster University and are both involved in community partnerships and community-engaged education.

Sandeep Raha is a co-founder of the McMaster Children and Youth University and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. Raha’s topic, It takes a community to develop a student program: McMaster Children and Youth University (MCYU) in action, will discuss the development of three key components designed to engage youth and their families with the goal of developing engaged citizens who are curious about exploring post-secondary opportunities. The program growth is credited to partnerships between McMaster-based groups, child advocacy group, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Wentworth Board of education. The community-based approach has resulted in more than a 200% growth of the program over the last three years.

Patrick Byrne, currently on leave from his PhD studies in English and Cultural Studies, is a graduate of McMaster’s Arts and Science program. Byrne’s talk, Students take over city hall: The adventurous partnerships of CityLAB, discusses a three year pilot program, launching in December that will take students out of the classroom to work with staff from the City of Hamilton on impactful city projects. CityLAB is a partnership that includes McMaster University, Mohawk College, Redeemer university College, and the City of Hamilton and is part of a movement that seeks to spark innovation at a municipal level.

The Paul R. McPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching supports teacher development and evaluation, cutting-edge training, and professional development for professors, aspiring professors, and students – both graduate and undergraduate.