This video was produced by YouthREX.

HERE’S HOW THE CREATORS DESCRIBE THIS VIDEO:

This Teach-In featured Dr. Sean Lessard, award-winning educator and former youth worker, teacher, and counselor, whose work focuses on innovative educational programs and Indigenous youth empowerment.

Sean reflected on his work alongside Indigenous youth and shared an approach grounded in a Pedagogy of the Heart — an educational philosophy centered on empathy, critical reflection, and a commitment to social justice — as well as a form of radical advocacy that centres and amplifies the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous youth.

In this engaging and inspiring session, participants learned how Sean works to break down barriers, foster imagination, and cultivate genuine and meaningful connections through impactful experiences, relational ethics, and the co-construction of knowledge.

Dr. Sean Lessard is Woodland Cree from Montreal Lake Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan. He is a Professor at the University of Alberta, specializing in Indigenous Education, and works alongside Indigenous youth and families through advocacy, research, and writing, both inside and outside of educational spaces. Sean has worked across North America with youth and is especially known for his design of graduation coach models, transition and career planning, and “school at any place and at any time” approaches. More recently, he has focused on youth from his home community, working alongside them to design a land-based and wellness hub for healing. Through his speaking engagements, Sean has purchased over 1,000 pairs of shoes for elders and youth, and over 300 bikes—so that each child might have an opportunity “to bike to places within their imaginations.”