Our Mission
The Robert Quartermain Centre for SOGI-Inclusive Excellence in Education aims to advance all intersectional aspects of SOGI-inclusive education by creating an environment where research, practice, and policy converge to build a society based on educational principles that celebrate and support 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals while combating heteronormative stereotypes that harm everyone.
We are committed to elevating SOGI-inclusive education through transformational educational practices across British Columbia and beyond.
Our Objectives
The Centre’s mission is to champion the rights, health, and educational experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals through innovative approaches to research integration in professional teaching practices, inclusive policy-making, and comprehensive professional development through pre- and in-service teacher education.
We recognize that harms from cis- and heteronormative policies and practices are felt by everyone, and thus it engages a broadly inclusive mission that empowers educators and all school-based professionals to support gender-based expression without prejudice or fear. The Centre aims to:
- Strengthen SOGI-inclusive educational priorities across urban and rural BC.
- Serve as a global model for SOGI-inclusive practices in teacher education.
- Cultivate a supportive network and conducive environment for complex yet crucial conversations on SOGI topics among educators and administrators.
- Enhance the visibility and accessibility of SOGI-inclusive professional resources for teacher candidates and practicing teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Our Initiatives
SOGI UBC initiatives include:
- Professional development and mentorship programs to support UBC BEd Teacher Candidates
- International Transformative Education Speaker Series (TESS)
- Integration of SOGI-inclusive education within key, required courses in the BEd Program
- Delivery of SOGI-inclusion workshops and seminars within the Faculty of Education
- Development of a freely available, online resources to support SOGI-inclusion as professional competency
- Outreach to other faculties and institutions to share SOGI-inclusive education content and practices
Our Team
Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm
(they/them)
Director of the Robert Quartermain Centre for SOGI‐Inclusive Excellence in Education
Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, in the Faculty of Education at UBC. Prior to joining UBC, Dr. Sinclair-Palm was an Associate Professor in Childhood and Youth Studies at Carleton University’s Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies. Their research is deeply interdisciplinary, exploring how young people develop new identities and envision futures while navigating the structural inequalities embedded in societal narratives about childhood and youth.
Dr. Sinclair-Palm is also leading three SSHRC-funded research initiatives: Drawing Queer and Trans Family, From Surviving to Thriving: Trans Youths’ Lives Across National Borders, and Triggering Education: Relational Readings of Trigger Warnings in the Canadian Post-Secondary Classroom.
Naheed Jadavji
(she/her/hers)
Administrative Coordinator of The Robert Quartermain Centre for SOGI‐Inclusive Excellence in Education
Naheed Jadavji is passionate about uplifting and empowering communities most impacted by injustice. As a relationship builder with extensive experience in major stakeholder management, Naheed believes in the power of people and communities to create lasting social change.
Naheed has been living in Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for over a decade. She is an Indian first generation immigrant from Tanzania and is grateful to be back at her alma mater to support 2SLGBTQAI+ students and teachers to be more successful and thrive at the university.