Our conference brings together parents, students, educators, researchers, school boards, and ministry staff to connect with and learn from each other. This year, we explored the role of public education in creating a better world.
Thank you for coming to Making Connections 2018
Thank you to everyone who came out to our conference on November 10, and to the speakers and dedicated volunteers who helped make the day a success.
Special thanks to our conference sponsors:
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Keynote speaker
Maggie MacDonnell, winner of the 2017 Global Teacher Prize
Maggie MacDonnell is an inspiration for everyone who cares about education. Maggie teaches in the fly-in Inuit community of Salluit, and in 2017, was chosen from over 20,000 nominees as the winner of the $1,000,000 Global Teacher Prize. She has been recognized for her work by the Governor General and the Albert Einstein Foundation, and was recently named one of BBC’s top 100 Women. She is passionate about creating education programs that create opportunities for social mobility, empower youth, and cultivate healthy communities.
Panel discussion
Changing the way we think about equity
The public education system is one of the best places to address social inequity and improve social mobility. Can we change students’ trajectories by shifting our focus from old definitions of equity to new thinking based on students’ rights to an education that includes all of the components vital for long-term success?

Why public education?
We asked students, educators, parents, and researchers to answer the question "Why public education?"
Here is what they had to say.
It's all about making connections...
Here’s what participants had to say about Making Connections 2018:
“Outstanding! This was one of the best years ever! It was an amazing learning and networking opportunity – with an ear-to-the-ground on current issues and realities in education. There’s an authenticity and sincere approach to wanting to make a positive difference to public education. Well-organized, planned, and executed! It is one of my favourite conferences. ”
“The keynote speaker and plenary panel were wonderful. I appreciated the welcoming atmosphere and open, urgent dialog.”
“I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to network. It enabled individuals from varying areas in education to come together. Individuals were provided with a platform to share ideas and voice opinions on matters that currently need to be addressed.”