Community Articles
General News · 12th June 2023
Jennifer Patrick
School District 72 has hired Dr. Michael D. Datura as the new principal of Cortes Island School, following Brent Wilken’s retirement.
Michael recently completed a PhD in Curriculum Theory and Implementation from Simon Fraser University (SFU) with a focus on place-based education and the First Peoples Principles of Learning; as well as a Masters degree in Imaginative Ecological Education (SFU); a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian Studies from the University of Calgary; and Post Degree Professional Program in Education from the University of Victoria.
In addition to his formal education, Michael brings a broad range of experience in both conventional and alternative education programs, as well as several educational research positions which have allowed him opportunities to guide the principles and curriculum of several innovative educational projects in rural BC.
For example, Michael worked as a field researcher for five years with the SFU Eco Learning Research Group; which was responsible for defining the principles, pedagogy, and curricular competencies of the Maple Ridge Environmental School Project (an innovative place-based elementary school in SD42). He also helped to introduce place-based pedagogy to the teaching staff at Gabriola Elementary School in recent years and worked with Snuneymuxw Elders to develop curricular resources in alignment with Snuneymuxw values as part of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded project called: Land-Based Learning for Reconciliation on Gabriola Island.
In addition to his professional achievements, Michael has a long history with Cortes Island and its community as a volunteer with Power of Hope, a board member of Reel Youth, and, most recently, a co-organizer of the “Geopoetics” symposium at Hollyhock in 2022.
For the last 10 years Michael has combined teaching assignments in various school districts with research assistant and instructor positions at Simon Fraser University and Thompson Rivers University, as well as several guest lecturer appointments in Canada, Chile, Scotland, and Norway. He is the author of a book of educational philosophy (Place, Being, Resonance, 2015), a co-editor of Wild Pedagogies (2018), a co-author on several peer-reviewed articles, and has presented at over 20 conferences nationally and internationally.
“There are a variety of factors pulling me towards the island—personal, professional, and artistic,” says Dr. Datura. “I am excited at the prospect of integrating the Cortes Island Academy into the school; revitalizing positive relations with the Klahoose First Nation; cultivating a welcoming and inclusive environment for staff, students, parents, Elders, and community members; and exploring opportunities to transform the school into a model for community-based learning and reconciliation.”
Michael recently completed a PhD in Curriculum Theory and Implementation from Simon Fraser University (SFU) with a focus on place-based education and the First Peoples Principles of Learning; as well as a Masters degree in Imaginative Ecological Education (SFU); a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian Studies from the University of Calgary; and Post Degree Professional Program in Education from the University of Victoria.
In addition to his formal education, Michael brings a broad range of experience in both conventional and alternative education programs, as well as several educational research positions which have allowed him opportunities to guide the principles and curriculum of several innovative educational projects in rural BC.
For example, Michael worked as a field researcher for five years with the SFU Eco Learning Research Group; which was responsible for defining the principles, pedagogy, and curricular competencies of the Maple Ridge Environmental School Project (an innovative place-based elementary school in SD42). He also helped to introduce place-based pedagogy to the teaching staff at Gabriola Elementary School in recent years and worked with Snuneymuxw Elders to develop curricular resources in alignment with Snuneymuxw values as part of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded project called: Land-Based Learning for Reconciliation on Gabriola Island.
In addition to his professional achievements, Michael has a long history with Cortes Island and its community as a volunteer with Power of Hope, a board member of Reel Youth, and, most recently, a co-organizer of the “Geopoetics” symposium at Hollyhock in 2022.
For the last 10 years Michael has combined teaching assignments in various school districts with research assistant and instructor positions at Simon Fraser University and Thompson Rivers University, as well as several guest lecturer appointments in Canada, Chile, Scotland, and Norway. He is the author of a book of educational philosophy (Place, Being, Resonance, 2015), a co-editor of Wild Pedagogies (2018), a co-author on several peer-reviewed articles, and has presented at over 20 conferences nationally and internationally.
“There are a variety of factors pulling me towards the island—personal, professional, and artistic,” says Dr. Datura. “I am excited at the prospect of integrating the Cortes Island Academy into the school; revitalizing positive relations with the Klahoose First Nation; cultivating a welcoming and inclusive environment for staff, students, parents, Elders, and community members; and exploring opportunities to transform the school into a model for community-based learning and reconciliation.”