Events & Workshops
Miikana Deepening Our Understanding of Indigenous Rights in Canada
Northern College has collaborated with Randi Ray from Miikana Consulting to develop a series of training sessions designed to deepen staff and faculty members’ understanding of Indigenous rights in Canada.
Training sessions will be offered between September 2025 and April 2026, on select Wednesdays during one of our designated professional development time slots, either 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Details and links are shared via LEID’s website, the College Calendar, and Outlook calendar invites
Faculty, these sessions are designed to promote the integration and application of Indigenous Learning Outcomes (ILOs) within the curriculum and instructional practices.
Previous workshop recordings are available for viewing on NORACTION.
Course Update / Review Cycle for Master Course Writers
Hosted by LEID
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Join us for a short, practical workshop on Northern College’s course update and review cycle, including developing Master Courses (MCUs). Whether you are building, updating, or just curious – this session is for you!
We will cover:
- Changes to setting up textbooks in MCU
- Lesson plans, assessments, and activities with AI in mind.
- Blackboard setup that meets NC standards
- LTIAs, and resource links –
- The NC Course Quality Checklist and how to apply it
- A flexible, descriptive-not-prescriptive checklist to guide your course development
Beyond Awareness: A Call to Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
Hosted by Indigenous Services and Initiatives
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
This powerful and heartfelt session, presented by Vanessa Brousseau, is dedicated to raising awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in Canada. As a family member of a missing loved one, Vanessa speaks from lived experience – sharing personal stories, systemic context, and the ongoing impact this national crisis has on Indigenous families and communities.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the historical and current factors contributing to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP), including colonization, racism, and systemic neglect. Vanessa will also focus on what meaningful action looks like – from allyship and advocacy to community involvement and education. This presentation is not just about awareness – it is about accountability, healing, and inspiring real change.
This workshop covers content to support the inclusion of Indigenous Learning Outcomes (ILOs) in courses and programs.
Vanessa Brousseau is an Inuk truth speaker, author, artist, and national MMIP awareness advocate, widely known through her work as Resilient Inuk. Through powerful storytelling grounded in lived experience, she raises awareness about the ongoing injustices facing Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, with a strong focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, urban Inuk identity, and intergenerational healing.
Creating Effective Course Outlines in COMMS 3
Hosted by Kayode Arowolo and Sylvie Bennett
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Master the art of developing well-structured course outlines using COMMS 3. This workshop focuses on creating outlines that ensure alignment between vocational learning outcomes (VLOs), essential employability skills (EES), course learning outcomes (CLOs), and assessments. This workshop will provide practical guidance on creating course outlines that reflect academic standards and support student success.
SafeTALK (Suicide Alertness for Everyone) Training for Staff on the Timmins Campus
Hosted by Nichole Roy & Shawna Foy
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 pm.
LivingWorks safeTALK is a three-hour in-person training that equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide and better able to connect them with further help. Using a simple yet effective model, LivingWorks safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference.
With over 120,000 people attending each year, it’s the world’s fastest-growing suicide prevention skills training course. In LivingWorks safeTALK you will learn how to reach out to someone thinking about suicide and help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support. Your role as a connector is the main focus of this training, which features:
- Trainer presentations, facilitated discussion, and skills practice
- Videos that illustrate what happens when signs of suicide are overlooked, and how you can contribute to safe outcomes when these signs are heard and addressed
- Opportunities to further explore organizational applications of the training
Northern College's Annual Inspiring Collaboration ’26: Virtual Reality Edition
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Experience learning in a new dimension with virtual reality: mixed and augmented reality (XR).
Explore how immersive technologies are transforming education and redefining the learning experience. Discover ways XR can be integrated into classrooms to enhance the learning environment and student engagement.
Click HERE for more details.
Academic Integrity by Design: Practical Assessment Strategies for Today’s Classroom
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 pm.
Academic integrity challenges are evolving as access to generative AI increases. This interactive session will support faculty in redesigning common assessments to reduce opportunities for misconduct while maintaining academic rigour and meaningful learning.
Using concrete, discipline‑flexible exemplars, participants will explore how to:
- Shift from easy-to-copy formats to scenario‑based and applied assessments
- Embrace AI intentionally where appropriate, or
- Tweak assessment processes or final products to promote originality and authentic student voice
Faculty will leave with practical strategies, examples, and take‑away resources they can immediately apply when preparing for Fall courses.
Blackboard / COMMS / APR / CPR Support Drop-In
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2025
Blackboard: 1:30 p.m.
COMMS: 1:50 p.m.
APR / CPR: 2:10 p.m.
This virtual session is dedicated to providing support to our staff and faculty with their questions and/or concerns about Blackboard, COMMS, Annual Program Reviews, and/or College Program Reviews.
Meaningful Engagement with Indigenous People at Northern College
Hosted by Miikana with Randi Ray
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 pm.
Join us as we explore respectful protocols in the context of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and cultural practices, emphasizing their relevance in educational settings and everyday practice.
This workshop will highlight meaningful ways to support reconciliation within educational spaces and showcase opportunities available to students through the Indigenous Office at Northern. Participants will also be introduced to resources and pathways for ongoing learning, reflection, and engagement with Indigenous perspectives.
This workshop covers content to support the inclusion of Indigenous Learning Outcomes (ILOs) in courses and programs.
Skilled Trades Mental Health Forum
Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH)
Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 pm.
We are excited to host our first-ever CICMH Skilled Trades Mental Health Forum on May 28, 2026! This event provides attendees with the chance to learn more about supporting the mental health of those in skilled trades programming and to connect and discuss with one another about ensuring skilled trades students enter the profession with a toolbelt of strategies for their mental health.
What you can look forward to at this event:
- Hearing from post-secondary institutions across the province about their mental health initiatives
- A Campus Mental Health Works session on burnout
- Learning more about CICMH’s Supporting Skilled Trades Students toolkit
The aim of this forum is to help raise awareness of key mental health issues and possible solutions when it comes to supporting skilled trades students in post-secondary, and reducing stigma around mental health.
This event is open to post-secondary staff, community organizations, and skilled trades students.
Access Information and Videos from Past Events
Contact Us
Do you have an upcoming workshop or event to share with staff and faculty? Do you have an idea for a PD opportunity?
Email us at leid@northern.on.ca.