Dr. Jo-ann Archibald is the keynote speaker at ConnectED 2026 

UFV Teaching and Learning is hosting  ConnectED 2026 on April 29 — a full day dedicated to building connections, engaging in transformative teaching and learning experiences, and creating opportunities for transforming education, one conversation, idea, and action at a time. 

Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, Q’um Q’um Xiiem, is UFV’s fourth Chancellor, and this year’s esteemed ConnectED Keynote Speaker. Jo-ann, who is also a member of the Order of Canada, will discuss themes of Indigenization, changemaker education, and regenerative sustainability through the lens of Indigenous Storywork. 

Jo-ann is a passionate advocate for Indigenous Storywork as a way of teaching and learning. 

She says she learned from Stó꞉lō, Coast Salish, and other Indigenous Elders and cultural knowledge holders about the power and beauty of Indigenous traditional and lived-experience stories to educate the heart, mind, body, and spirit. 

“It is a timeless, holistic way of knowing, being, and doing,” Jo-ann says. “As it relates to pedagogy, Indigenous Storywork can be engaging, challenging, and satisfying.” 

Jo-ann says Indigenous Storywork is rooted in the principles of respect, responsibility, reverence, reciprocity, interrelatedness, holism, and synergy. 

Her remarkable contributions at both K–12 and post-secondary levels are a powerful reminder that thriving learning communities are grounded in stories, reciprocal relationships, and a shared commitment to lift every learner to their fullest potential. 

Jo-ann’s teachings call for a pedagogy rooted in resilience, restoration, reconnection, and reconciliation within post-secondary education. Her talk will address questions such as: 

• What visions of teaching and learning does Indigenous Storywork inspire in higher education? 

• How do they intersect with Changemaker Education and Regenerative Sustainability? 

• How can Indigenization serve as a lens through which UFV faculty and students embrace changemaking and sustainability? 

• What role can Storywork and community connections play in fostering resilience and reconciliation at UFV and beyond? 

“In a time when the world urgently needs hope and inspiration, ConnectED 2026 offers a space to explore these questions together,” says Awneet Sivia, Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning. “Join us for Dr. Archibald’s keynote, collaborative sessions, and a day of learning that will broaden our collective vision for excellence in teaching and learning.” 

Anyone wishing to attend ConnectED can register HERE.