A part of 4.1 Lightning Talk session

Janelle Joseph, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education

This session highlights initial findings from a leadership program that invites students who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) women at U of T to a movement experience centered around their physical and mental wellness. The program offers learning with and through the body, filling a gap in leadership programs that are overly sedentary and movement programs that are devoid of discussion about leadership skills –even as they are inherent or metaphorical to the movements being performed. Since leaders are invited to ‘bring their whole selves’ to school/work, it is fitting that movement and embodiment are examined as part of the racialized woman’s experience. This program has implications for the future of creating caring communities in post-secondary education as it demonstrates the importance of students gaining mentorship beyond the undergraduate professor-student, or graduate research supervisory relationship. BIPOC women, who are underrepresented among both students and education leaders in many disciplines, particularly sciences, can benefit from learning to lead with their bodies, deepening their understanding of leadership by integrating it with movement, and pausing to reflect on what it means to be an embodied leader. Instructors can benefit from considering new ways to integrate the body in their teaching.