Faq
Where is the event hosted?
Walk Alongside will take place at the beautiful Remai Modern in Saskatoon, SK. There will be breakout spaces at the Alt hotel as well, and in-community experiences will be held at various venues in the area.
When is the event?
Walk Alongside International will take place from Thursday, May 11th to Saturday, May 13th. Days 1 and 2 will run from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, followed by a late afternoon social on Thursday and a showcase of parent engagement resources developed in SK on Friday (a forthcoming book, a podcast series, and a video series). The third day, Saturday, will run from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm to offer out-of-town attendees time to make their journeys home.
Can I register for part of the event?
While we understand that some participants may have scheduling conflicts, the event is designed to be attended in its entirety. If you’d like to chat with us about your specific situation or scheduling constraints, please feel free to reach us.
Is there a virtual offering?
This is an in-person event only. The think tank style is interactive and meant to be experienced in person and in real time. If you require unique accommodations or would like to inquire about something specific, please feel invited to reach out. In the future, we hope to offer versions of the event virtually.
Will sessions be recorded?
While some materials from the event will be made available to attendees, we will not be recording sessions. The event is intended for in-person engagement. Materials provided will support your continued thinking, learning, and action planning.
Which meals will be included?
Included with your registration, you will have coffee/tea and fresh fruit available to you each morning, lunch on all three days, and appetizers at the evening socials on Thursday and Friday. We will send out a survey to collect information about dietary restrictions prior to the event.
Why a think tank?
Intentionally designed by Dr. Debbie Pushor and a team of graduate students, we have chosen to host a think tank rather than a more typical conference. Why a think tank? A think tank is a form of collective intelligence. It is an event where a group of people come together and engage in deep discussion about a specific topic that is of importance to the social good. A think tank is an opportunity to explore current knowledge, research, insights, and ideas, in order to imagine and enact new possibilities.
Focused on the topic of parent engagement, this think tank will bring together parents, educators, and educational leaders with the goal of imagining and enacting a shift to familycentric schools. While 50 years of research evidence attest to the fact that the engagement of parents in teaching and learning enhances students’ attainment of educational outcomes, academically, socially, and emotionally, a systematic approach to engaging parents has not yet been implemented in our school systems. Walk Alongside International participants will be immersed in think tank discussions aimed at re-imagining the school landscape in ways that position parents and families as holders and contributors of knowledge of children, teaching, and learning.
Why an international think tank?
The field of parent and family engagement is exploding around the world. There are so many sites where great approaches and practices are being tried and proving to have high impact for children, families, and educators. Using an outside/inside approach, we have researched and selected influential speakers who will bring cutting-edge thinking and ideas to us in Saskatchewan as seeds of inspiration. At the same time, local educators and parents will share their rich and progressive practices, creating the collective intelligence that will move systematic parent engagement forward for all of us.
Why a team approach?
Ideas that participants generate in the think tank sessions will be moved into practice through action planning in facilitated team planning sessions with others from your school, division, or organization. Team planning discussions will focus on the question, “So what? Now what?”
One member of each team will complete registration for the whole group. Space is limited, with a capacity of about 240 registrants, so we encourage you to assemble your group and register as soon as possible.
Why community experiences?
We are so hopeful that the teams who register for Walk Alongside International will consist of parents, family, and community members, as well as educators, staff, and leaders, whenever that fits the team’s context. We believe strongly in learning with and from parents, families, and community members rather than in learning about them. We embrace the adage, “Nothing about us without us.” Further, we believe that change arises as a result of new knowledge and learning that touches our hearts as well as our minds. To that end, a key element of our program is an offering of community experiences in our core and downtown neighborhoods that will provide you with the opportunity to learn from the voices and stories of a range of diverse members of our Saskatoon community.
What does each day offer?
Drawing on the framework of the Family Engagement Playbook, produced by the Global Family Research Project and written by one of our international speakers, Dr. Margaret Caspe, our Day 1 theme is Change Mindsets, our Day 2 theme is Build Relationships, and our Day 3 theme is Transform Organizations.
Programming on Day 1 & 2, Thursday, May 11th and Friday, May 12th, will take place from 8:30 am to 4 pm, followed by a late afternoon social/celebration of parent engagement accomplishments until 6 pm. On Day 3, Saturday, May 13th, programming will begin at 8:30 am and conclude at 2:30 pm, so everyone has enough time to travel home.
As well as presenting ideas to us through keynote sessions, most of our invited international speakers will be with us for the full three days, engaging with us in think tanks, team planning, community experiences, and socials. We will have many opportunities to converse and learn with them.
Is this a for-profit event?
No. This is a non-profit event. This event is organized and hosted by Walk Alongside Parent Engagement Collaborative Inc. This organization is a not-for-profit registered in Saskatchewan and governed by a local board of directors. In the simplest terms, the mission of the organization is enhancing education for students, parents, educational leaders, and educators through events, campaigns, projects, and outreach focused on parent engagement.
Who is Debbie Pushor?
Dr. Debbie Pushor is an internationally renowned educator, academic, researcher, and thought leader in the field of parent engagement. A tenured full professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Debbie has been immersed in research on parent engagement for over 20 years. She has worked with leaders, educators, and parents across Canada, the United States, and Australia and has presented her research at academic conferences around the globe.
With over 40 years of experience in the field of education, Debbie has held positions as a teacher, consultant, principal, senior administrator, and professor. Debbie has received many awards for her teaching, for graduate student mentorship, and for her research - at local, national, and international levels.
Dr. Debbie Pushor is often cited as the leading parent engagement expert and advocate in Canada. Debbie sits on the board of Walk Alongside Parent Engagement Collaborative Inc. and is one of the event organizers.
Can I register alone, without a group?
Every participant must be part of a team of two or more. Though, if your team members need to register independently, you can send us an email indicating who belongs to your team, and we will help your team members register independently while still forming a team. If you have any questions about the registration of the team structure, don’t hesitate to reach out.
What if I want to register a team, but I don’t have 100% confirmation of the names of my team members?
No problem. You can register the number of team members you plan to have on your team and use placeholder names or simply enter your information for each participant. Once you have confirmation of your team members, email us their details so we can update your team’s information. We suggest registering your whole team ASAP so you can reserve your spots.
Can I add team members after I’ve already registered?
Yes. If there is more than one person joining your team, they can register like normal (or you can on their behalf) and simply indicate that they will be joining your team. If you are just adding one team member, send us an email and we will help you register a single participant.
Are The Venues Accessible?
You can find information about accessibility at the Remai Mordern here. The Alt Hotel has accessible rooms available. If you would like to book accessible accommodation, let us know and we can support you or you can reach out to the Alt directly, be sure to note you are attending the event. As for our in-community experiences, there are three options, each with different accessibility considerations. We will be sure you have all the information you need when selecting your lunch experience and we will make any necessary adjustments to support you, should accommodations be needed. This will all be covered in our pre-event survey that will be sent out to registered participants. Though, if you have any questions or concerns and would like to start the conversation sooner, please feel invited to reach out.