CNIE Conference Summary Report

Submitted by Melissa Jakubec, TRU
Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC was the site of the 2014 CNIE Conference, themed “Confluences: Spaces, Places and Cultures for Innovative Learning.” Set against the background of the meeting of the Thompson Rivers, the estuary theme flowed throughout the conference sessions. There were approximately 150 people from across Canada in attendance, as well as some international attendees. Highlights included keynotes from Audrey Watters, Nancy White, Brian Lamb and Albert Sangra, as well as many thought-provoking concurrent sessions. The awards banquet saw Denis Mayer of Laurentian University recognized for leadership, with other awards going to Katrin Becker, Henry Gillow-Wiles and Namsook Jahng amongst others.
Those who attended the McQueen Lake “Hoot and Howl” Nature Outing were treated to a fascinating talk by TRU’s own Dean of Science Tom Dickinson. We were fortunate to hear the barred owls and howl to the wolves and coyotes. A sound clip can be found on Brian Lamb’s blog at abject.ca. All in all, it was a great few days in Kamloops and I am grateful to my committee who worked so hard to bring it all together. If you’d like to keep the conversation going, please join our Facebook group – CNIE 2014 – where you can find conference related posts and other interesting tidbits!