The Child and Youth Studies program at Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area hosted a Social Justice panel featuring representatives of community support organizations throughout Ontario, speaking to Social Justice issues facing young people.  The well-attended panel event welcomed Amanda Rawn-Alton from Bridgeway Family Homes to give background and answer questions on caring for those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Victoria Freeman of York Wellness to share her expertise on eating disorders, and Omar Lujan from Soli*City to speak to policies around integrating migrants to urban centres. Panelists shared their expertise with Child and Youth Studies students and provided a glimpse into some areas of specialization they may want to explore. 

“It’s important for students to hear from practitioners in the field to be able to refine their knowledge of how they want to contribute with their Child and Youth Studies education,” said Dr. Christine Goodwin-De Faria, Assistant Professor in Child and Youth Studies. 

Learning more about what work in the field looks like helps students to inform their studies, as well. “The passion and expertise the panelists were able to share with our students provides a first-hand look into what their career path might look like, and gives them opportunities to reflect and specialize their knowledge in an area they feel passionate about,” said Professor Goodwin-De Faria. Students who discover a passion for teaching can graduate from the Child and Youth program and enter directly into Trent’s Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program.  Learn more about the Child and Youth Studies program at Trent Durham GTA.