Building community at the Inclusion and Wellness Retreat

The fourth edition of Dawson’s Inclusion and Wellness Retreat took place on June 9 and 10 at the picturesque Far Hills Inn in the Laurentian mountains. Twenty-one people from a variety of departments gathered to explore ways we can design our teaching approaches, interactions, and courses to meet a wide range of student needs.

Feedback from participants included these comments:

• “I really enjoyed every aspect of the retreat!  Not only did I learn a lot, I also enjoyed getting to know others and participating in the wellness activities. It was amazing to be able to swim, hike, do yoga, paint, sing at a campfire and all at a professional development event!”

• “This was a great retreat from all aspects.  I learned a lot and walked away with something I can use in my classroom starting in the fall 2026 semester!”

• “It was all really good.  I liked the structure, clarity of instructions given, and the fact that I walked away thinking of how to improve my work.”
• “All the information was well presented and useful. I also had the most amazing exchange with other colleagues about what they do in their programs.”

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) activities and workshops were facilitated by Cathy Roy (Physiotherapy Technology), Caroline Haddad (Physical Education) and Julia Lijerón (Office of Academic Development), who were the organizers of the event.  Guest speakers included Tannia Ditchburn from the Office of Academic Development (OAD) who led an activity on clarity and transparency in assignment instructions, and Heather Martin who facilitated an action planning workshop as a makerspace design activity.

In between workshops, participants connected with colleagues through movement and being outdoors with activities such as yoga, swimming, a campfire sing-along and nature walks.  Karina Palacios from Physical Education led an Art Journaling workshop that was appreciated by all who attended!

If you missed this retreat, don’t worry, another is planned for spring 2027!  Stay tuned for details about this and other upcoming UDL events in future editions of D News.

The event organizers would like to thank the Dean of Academic Development, the Academic Dean, the Communications Office, and the Dawson Teachers’ Union for their support.