Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Conference

Crystena  is currently an Associate Professor in Social Development Studies at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo, Canada. As a restorative justice practitioner and researcher, she focuses on how dialogic pedagogies facilitate inclusive spaces where all students can participate and have their voices heard. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development and a Master’s of Teaching from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She is the author of Restorative justice in the classroom: Liberating students’ voices through relational pedagogy (2022), Peacebuilding, Citizenship, and Identity: Empowering Conflict and Dialogue in Multicultural Classrooms (2016) and co-editor of Finding Refuge in Canada: Narratives of Dislocation (2021). www.drparkershandal.com

Lavorn Hunt describes herself as curious, intentional, discerning and eager to learn. Lavorn holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree and is currently completing a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Waterloo. Lavorn worked in higher education for over 10 years and is currently doing her practicum at the Toronto District School Board where she is working with students in elementary schools.

Sandeep Manku (MT, OCT), is a public teacher with the Waterloo Region District School Board in Ontario, Canada. She graduated with a Master of Teaching degree in Primary and Junior Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto in 2019, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Development Studies and Psychology from Renison University College at the University of Waterloo. Sandeep conducts research in peacebuilding education alongside Dr. Parker-Shandal.  She has delivered professional development workshops and training to teachers, administrators, educational consultants on creating a restorative culture and implementing restorative practices within educational spaces. As a trained mediator, former Youth Worker, and practicing teacher, she brings both tried and new knowledge of restorative practices to her own classroom, continuously re-evaluating what it means to build a culture of care in education.

After an extensive career as a K-8 educator, Dorothy Vaandering now researches the implementation & sustainability of restorative justice in education. She works  to connect theory & practice in her current role as researcher & teacher-educator. Most recently she is gripped by the realities of colonization past & present, and she is working to understand reconciliation as a settler-Canadian through RJE. Dorothy is the author & co-author of a variety of academic & professional publications including The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education. She is the Director of Relationships First: Restorative Justice in Education Newfoundland and Labrador and professor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.