For Adults
Join this panel discussion with author Crystena Parker-Shandal and guest panelists about their book, Peacebuilding Pedagogies: Racial Justice, Dialogue, and Belonging in the Classroom.
What does it take to build a classroom where every student belongs? Join author and educator Dr. Crystena Parker-Shandal and a panel of Waterloo Region educators for a conversation about racial justice, dialogue, and repair in local schools: what works, what is hard, and what students tell us when we take the time to ask. Marking the launch of Peacebuilding Pedagogies (Routledge, 2026), the evening is open to teachers, parents, students, and anyone curious about how schools can become places of belonging. Books will be available for purchase, and there will be time for audience questions.
About Peacebuilding Pedagogies: Racial Justice, Dialogue, and Belonging in the Classroom
Peacebuilding Pedagogies: Racial Justice, Dialogue, and Belonging in the Classroom (Routledge, 2026) draws on five years of research in Ontario classrooms and circles to ask a deceptively simple question: what does it take for every student to feel they belong at school?
Grounded in the voices of students, teachers, and families, the book shows how dialogue, circle practice, and restorative approaches can shift the culture of a classroom, and what gets in the way when schools treat these approaches as a program rather than a relationship. It offers educators practical, grounded tools for facilitating difficult conversations about race, identity, and conflict, while taking seriously the realities of overloaded teachers and under-resourced schools. Chapters attend closely to the experiences of racialized students and newcomer families, and to the work of building classrooms where disagreement does not have to mean harm. Appendices offer facilitation guides for circle practice, disability and language justice, and AI literacy.
Presented in partnership with Words Worth Books.
Accessibility Accommodations: We strive to make our programs welcoming and accessible for everyone. If you have any accessibility needs, accommodation requests, or questions about participating, please contact us at wplprogramming@wpl.ca and we'll do our best to support you.
Photography Notice: Please note that photographs and videos may be taken at this event and may be broadcast, reproduced, and/or made available in print or online. For individual or small group photos, staff will make attendees aware of their presence and will ask permission before taking photos.
For larger public events, please note that by attending, you are consenting to the use of your appearance, image, and voice in print or digital productions created by the Waterloo Public Library for promotional use only. Please speak to library staff at the event if you’d like to be excluded from any photo/video.
Programmer: Nancy
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Lifelong Learning | Guest Speakers | Author Events |
TAGS: | Adult learning |
Located at the RIM Park Manulife Sportsplex, the Eastside Branch boasts specialized creative spaces, quiet study areas, a nature education space and lots of natural light.
