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Ontario Tech Faculty of Education Associate Professor Dr. Wendy Barber recently partnered with 2011 Bachelor of Education graduate Shannon Galea to make an international connection through the Canadian Olympic Committee and the power of sport, physical education and digital technology.

Dr. Barber was invited by Dr. Caroline Stockman of the United Kingdom’s University of Winchester (UW)) to speak about Canadian Perspectives on Physical Education Teacher Education. Galea, currently a Game Plan Specialist with the Canadian Olympic Committee, added an international flavour to the presentation by joining Dr. Barber’s talk virtually, live from Canadian Olympic Committee’s Toronto headquarters. Galea is an Ontario Certified Teacher who has also worked for the Durham District School Board.

The Faculty of Education prides itself on the quality of its graduates, and the diverse and creative career paths they pursue. During her years a proud Ridgeback athlete, Galea competed in rowing and squash, and was named the OUA Athlete of the Year in 2011, attending the Women of Influence seminar featuring tennis star Venus Williams. In the same year she achieved all-academic status at Ontario Tech. She followed her Ontario Tech degree with a master’s degree in Olympic Studies from the German Sport University in Cologne.

Dr. Barber’s and Galea’s engaging and dynamic presentation has spawned great potential for future partnership and work with both the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

The research team has expanded to include Dr. Bill Walters of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia; Carolyn Temertzoglou of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Ian Brown, Clinical Psychologist of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. The researchers are examining best practices in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) across Canada, and will present findings at the PHE Canada National Research Council in May 2020.

Future research directions for the team include measuring the Resilience and Grit of teacher candidates, undergraduate and graduate students in efforts to support student success, physical fitness, and mental health and well-being, while supporting their efforts to achieve their full human potential.

The researchers aim to understand how sport, physical education, health and wellness can increase the long-term success of students as they enter their careers, as well as expand the diverse contributions they can make to sustainable, inclusive initiatives for global health promotion.