Horizons: Crisis and Social Transformation in Community-Engaged Research

Horizons is an in-person conference (with virtual engagement options) and community gathering space for knowledge generation, mobilization, and collective imagination.

We are all living through one of the most disruptive and transformative eras in living memory, and in this context, Horizons offers a space to explore the history and future of community-engaged research (CER). At the broadest level, community-engaged research (CER) is a form of praxis, an exercise in knowledge generation and epistemic justice that weaves theory and academic knowledge with the world through collaboration with communities in ways that aim to understand, analyze, reimagine and change the conditions governing our lives.

Hosted by SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative, Horizons engages knowledge creators both inside and outside of the academy to imagine future pathways to more equitable and just societies.

It is clear that we are still living through a time of great flux and uncertainty given the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context and out of an abundance of caution, while we continue to plan for an in-person conference, we have held off confirming the format for Horizons until the end of February 2022, in line with public health guidelines.

Our hope is that we will gather together at SFU Woodwards, a community arts venue and home to SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, in downtown Vancouver, Canada between May 26-29 2022. The event will be organized using the conference app, Whova, to facilitate communication and participation. This platform allows you to build your own schedule of events, chat with other conference participants, and easily attend online events or watch live streams.

Toward this end, we are opening registration now, and have adjusted our registration fees to accommodate the ongoing uncertainty about the format for the event. Whether in-person or online, we have received a remarkable series of submissions, and in the coming days and weeks we will be releasing a regular schedule of updates focused on the program schedule, featured presenters, and keynote events. All accepted presenters and registered attendees will receive these updates and we invite you to share them with others to help draw attention to this gathering.

As this event will be held in-person, we ask that you please stay up to date with COVID-19 considerations and travel restrictions.

For information from the Government of Canada, please see here.

For information from the Province of British Columbia, please see here.

Please note as well that specific information for Simon Fraser University, is also available.

Fostering safety and mutual respect will also be a top priority throughout the Horizons conference. This means by participating in this event, our expectation is that you agree to uphold the following community guidelines.

• We are gathering in a spirit of mutual support and respect for each other. We acknowledge the diverse learning journeys we are all on.
• We are listening to learn. We accept and expect non-closure.
• We are leaving our assumptions at the door in order to facilitate a non-judgmental space for dialogue.
• We don’t assume pronouns, gender, or other identifiers based on someone's name or appearance.
• There is zero tolerance for those promoting violence on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or ability. Anyone inciting harm towards other participants will be removed at the discretion of our technical team and moderator.

We will strive to make this event as accessible as possible, however, we may not be able to accommodate all access needs. If you have any questions or accessibility requests, please contact Alicia Massie ([email protected]), Conference Coordinator.

Letter of support

• If you are travelling internationally for Horizons, we can provide a travel support letter or formal invitation. To request a travel support letter, please email us by April 1, 2022.
• Please be sure to regularly review the Government of Canada and British Columbia travel restrictions and requirements, as they may change unexpectedly.

ASL & Language Interpretation

• ASL interpretation will be offered by request. To request ASL, please email us by March 1, 2022.

Funding support

• We have earmarked funds to support graduate student travel and community member/scholar participation in the Horizons conference.
• While these funds are limited, we aim to support as many individuals as possible.
• Please submit a response via this form for each individual who will require support to participate in Horizons and we will follow up to address each submission.

Childcare

• Children are welcome at the conference. We are unable to provide licensed childcare at the conference, however, if you would like support getting connected to local networks of private, independent childcare providers in the city, please email us at Alicia Massie ([email protected]). Note that the Horizons Organizing Committee can connect individuals with potential childcare contacts for the duration of the conference, but we cannot guarantee that conference guests will connect with a local childcare provider that meets their family’s needs. We have not vetted childcare providers, we are unsure of their capacity for taking on short-term contracts, and we do not have ongoing relationships with them. The extent of our liability and insurance covers SFU conference spaces only, not outside spaces such as childcare, accommodations, tourist attractions, restaurants, etc. For more information, or if you have questions, please email Alicia Massie ([email protected]), Conference Coordinator.

Food and beverages

• Water, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic cold beverages, and snacks will be available throughout the day at Horizons. Lunch will be served each day on site. Guests will be responsible for sourcing their own breakfast and dinner.

• Meat, vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, and celiac-safe options food options will be available. If you have other dietary needs or preferences, please be sure to include this information in your registration.

Venue

• The conference will be held at SFU Woodward’s campus. The building is accessible at street level on the Hastings side or via a ramp on the Cordova Street Courtyard side (across from JJ Bean Coffee). There are 2 ramp entry points, one is located against the building, near the entrance to the Woodward’s Westbank Atrium (which houses London Drugs and Nesters) and one is located against the building, beside the alley. Both the Hastings doors and the Cordova Courtyard doors can be operated by accessibility buttons located beside the doorways.

• There are wheelchair-accessible stalls in the public washrooms and elevator access to all venues. If you have any specific accessibility questions regarding the building, please contact your event organizer.

• Bathrooms in the venue are gender-neutral.

• For parking and public transit info, please see here.

• We strive for this event to be a scent-free space and kindly request that attendees refrain from using scented products such as perfume, cologne, and fragrant personal care products.

Host or Publisher SFU - Community-Engaged Research Initiative