Création d'un monde joyeux et queer avec des enfants, des jeunes, des familles et des travailleurs scolaires 2slgbtqia
Grâce à une enquête visuelle participative, la Chaire de recherche du Canada Le JOYLab, financé par le gouvernement, travaille avec les communautés 2SLGBTQIA+ (enfants, jeunes, travailleurs scolaires et familles) et avec un public plus large pour cocréer de l’art et résister face à l’instabilité croissante, notamment la montée de la rhétorique et des politiques éducatives anti-queer et anti-trans partout au Canada. Le JOYLab cherche à faire progresser les méthodes de recherche accessibles avec les participants 2SLGBTQIA+ pour s’engager dans la recherche à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur des écoles pour œuvrer au changement social. En offrant une approche de justice sociale et axée sur le genre et la sexualité à la construction de communautés et à la création de médias, le JOYLab engage les communautés 2SLGBTQIA+ dans des processus de construction d’un monde queer joyeux pour résister ensemble à un avenir incertain.
Notre équipe
Le JOYLab est dirigé par le Dr Casey Burkholder (Chaire de recherche du Canada de niveau II en justice sociale dans les études sur la jeunesse et l'enfant).
Dr. Casey Burkholder
Dr. Casey Burkholder (she/her) is a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Social Justice in Youth and Child Studies and an Associate Professor at Concordia University. Casey’s research centers justice and equity. Part of this work mobilizes research funding from external bodies and invests these funds in her community through the redistribution of resources. In choosing a research path at the intersection of resistance and activism, gender, sexuality, DIY media-making, art production, queer joy, and participatory archiving, Casey engages in research for social change through participatory visual approaches to local issues with 2SLGBTQ+ youth, adults, elders and teachers. She is the primary investigator of SSHRC-funded projects, including: Pride/Swell+, SexualityNB, and her Canada Research Chair funded project, the JOYLab.
current members
Adela Czyzewska
Adela Czyzewska (she/her) is a second-year PhD student in Educational Studies at Concordia, University in Montreal. Previously, she worked as a high school English teacher in Calgary, Alberta. She holds an MA in Education & Society with a concentration in Women & Gender from McGill University, where her thesis examined the effects of parental rights legislation on 2SLGBTQ+ and allied youth and educators in Alberta's publicly-funded Catholic schools. Her current works investigate how online misogyny surfaces in classrooms in Alberta and Quebec schools. In her spare time, Adela loves to travel, cook, read historical fiction and hike with her dog, Mazzy.
Alix de Supervielle-Rageau
Alix de Supervielle-Rageau (she/her) is majoring in psychology and child studies. She enjoys all types of crafting, plants, and her cat Cilantro. Lately she has been sewing a lot of little felt ornaments and crocheting too. She is a research assistant at the JOYLab working on a project on queer and joyful worldmaking with queer and trans families in Quebec.
Ashley Strange
Ashley Strange (she/her) is beginning her Masters in Child Studies at Concordia. Ashley comes with a background of 15 years of working with youth in many roles, but most recently as a school counsellor. Throughout her professional journey in schools Ashley has taught the sexuality and relationships curriculum in both Ontario and Quebec and adores engaging with youth around this content. In her research Ashley hopes to explore teacher education for facilitating this curriculum. She is a mother to a delightful (almost) 2 year old daughter, and in her free time enjoys getting messy in the kitchen, garden and with clay.
Ayan Karshe
Ayan Karshe (she/they) is committed to the maximizing of joy as a practice and praxis in the interests of continuous disrupting conventional systems. They are a community practitioner, author, mediator, and educator. Their research centres on Black feminist thought, collective action as pedagogy and anti-coloniality.
Caroline Aubin
Caroline Aubin (she/her) is a Master’s student in Child Studies at Concordia University. She holds a Bachelor in Psychology. Her research interests focus on creating more inclusive environments that support children and individuals with special needs and learning difficulties. Caroline previously worked as a shadow teacher, supporting a child with ADHD in the classroom by helping with focus, social interactions, and day-to-day learning. She also worked as a behavioural therapist with a child experiencing developmental delays and has experience tutoring children and providing homework support. Outside of her academic and professional work, Caroline enjoys reading, watching hockey and going to the cinema.
Cassandra Monette
Cassandra Monette (she/her) is an adventure loving, care giving individual who adores getting involved in all things creative. She has a passion for creative and collaborative learning and is dedicated to working alongside youth to bring their creative ideas to life. Her experience in participatory action research and arts-based methods for knowledge mobilization has led her to pursue a PhD in Education at Concordia. She is interested in ways to support critical dialogue between youth and adults to garner a genuine understanding of how we experience care, connection, and relationship in schools and our systems of care.
Eluza Maria Gomes
Eluza Maria Gomes (she/her) is a PhD student at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) undergoing a doctoral internship at the JOYLab. Her research interests focus on the roles of women in education, from an intersectional and decolonial feminist perspective. Her research focuses on the educational artistic practices used by quilombola women. It is part of an approach that questions the educational model and promotes openness to plurality of knowledge. As a researcher, she is committed to collaborating respectfully with people from quilombola communities, with the aim of highlighting the richness of their knowledge. Since 2017, Eluza Maria has been conducting educational activities with refugee children and youth as part of the Byenvini project. She was awarded the Federation of Social Sciences and Humanities, the 2022 Congress Graduate Merit Awards recognize exceptional graduate students. In 2024, she was awarded the Collectif interdisciplinaire pour la recherche et le développement sur l’éducation et la formation tout au long de la vie (CIRDEF). Eluza holds a bachelor's degree in Portuguese/English, a graduate degree in Portuguese, and a graduate degree in adult education and formation. She is also a writer and research assistant at CIRDEF and the Laboratoire d’art et de recherches décoloniaux (LABARD).
Katie Hamill
Katie Hamill (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist and doctoral candidate based in Fredericton. Her visual art practice places a contemporary lens on traditionally feminine craft - weaving, rug hooking, crochet, zine making and home cooking - often examining gender identity and expression. Katie’s doctoral research explores how social media can intervene when school based sexuality education fails to meet the needs and desires of queer and trans youth. She works as the Knowledge Dissemination Officer and a researcher at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research. When she isn’t creating art, you can find Katie working behind the scenes at FLOURISH Festival, Shivering Songs, and the Cap or hanging out with her delightfully unpleasant cat, Penny.
Marbella Carlos
Marbella Carlos (she/her) is an artist, art therapist, and Ph.D. student in the INDI program at Concordia University who works at the intersections of identity, art, and healing. She holds an MA in Creative Arts Therapies and her MA research (funded by SSHRC-GSM, SSHRC Storytellers Finalist), introduced a critical framework for evaluating the therapeutic experiences of BIPOC art therapy clients. As an artist, Marbella’s work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and in her artistic practice, she appears as her alter-ego, Joy Rider, blending glamour, power, storytelling, and sensuality to explore themes of identity, queerness, and of course, joy.
Marianne Griffen
Marianne Griffen (she/her) is a Master’s student in Child Studies at Concordia University, having recently completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Religions and Cultures. Through continuing her studies she wants to explore how we can build more accepting spaces for children, and inclusive curriculums that combat the proliferation of intolerance and harmful biases. Marianne feels most fulfilled when spending time in nature at Camp Kinkora, practicing photography, or working on her latest sewing or embroidery project.
Megan Hill
Megan Hill (she/they) is a PhD candidate in Education at Concordia University. Her doctoral research is about intergenerational knowledge exchange between elders and children within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community using arts-based and storytelling methods. She recently completed her master’s at Trent University, where she wrote an SSHRC-supported thesis titled Queer Crip Generativity. Megan is an active member of the JOY Lab and co-author of the forthcoming book Queer Joy and Failure in Gender and Sexuality Education. In her spare time, Megan (sometimes) works at a queer youth summer camp developing accessible and joyful programming.
Melissa Cohen
Melissa Cohen (she/her) is a master’s student in Child Studies, passionate about inclusivity and creating a classroom environment where everyone can thrive and be unapologetically themselves. She strives to research the intersection of neurodiversity and queerness in curriculum and pedagogy. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, writing, reading, listening to music and watching sports!
Merel Noorlander
Merel Noorlander (they/them) is a Dutch artist, designer, curator, educator, and first-year PhD student in the INDI Program at Concordia University. Their research focuses on Selfmade Queer SexTech; Materials & Community-based Media Design, bringing together queer making, pleasure activism, (alternative) media, and community-controlled technologies. They are co-director of SAM Social Art Museum, collaborate with the SexTech Lab at The New School, and are an alum of SexTech School and Bryony Cole’s Future of Sex Accelerator Program. Currently, Merel is a Research Assistant with Casey Burkholder on SexTech and sexuality education in Canada. Through making, storytelling, performances, video, and multisensory installations, Merel explores intimacy, body politics, and collective empowerment; turning everyday objects into pleasure tools that wiggle, glow, and flog. Currently thinking about designing joyfully imaginative packers. Queer & do you make/hack pleasure toys? Let’s collaborate!
Nirujah Muthukumaru
Nirujah Muthukumaru (she/her) is a master’s student in Child Studies, who is passionate about supporting the wellbeing of minoritized communities and children. She is particularly drawn to connecting physical and mental health to promote more holistic care. When she is not studying, you can find her dancing or swimming and enjoying her free time.
Tori Dudys
Tori Dudys (she/her) is a PhD student in Education at Concordia University. Her research focuses on desire-based sexuality education frameworks and reimagining STBBI education in classroom settings. In collaboration with in-service educators, she will be exploring stigma-informed approaches to classroom STBBI education that lead with curiosity, compassion, and care. Her doctoral research extends from her M.A. project, for which she analyzed sexuality education TikTok accounts to determine how they framed discussions about STBBIs. A self-proclaimed word-nerd, Tori spends most of her free time writing for different mediums and hanging out with her cat, Boomer.
PAST MEMBERS
Alisha Viau (she/her) is an undergraduate student in the Early Childhood and Elementary Education Program at Concordia University. She graduated from Vanier College's Early Childhood Education Program. She enjoys music, art, sewing, dancing, and collecting trinkets.
Angela Ponio (she/they) is a Master's student in the Educational Technology Program at Concordia University. She is passionate about leveraging technology to create inclusive and accessible learning environments for neurodiverse learners and marginalized communities. With a background in Psychology and Health Studies from Queen's University, Angela has contributed to impactful research in the Queen's Sexual Health Research Lab, developing expertise in data analysis, research methodologies, and academic writing. Angela is thrilled to join the research team for the project Pride/Swell+ Petit Research under the supervision of Dr. Casey Burkholder.
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Atousa Saghafi (she/her) is finishing her Bachelor in Child Studies at Concordia University. She holds a previous Bachelor in Psychology, and is particularly drawn to exploring the mental health of neurodivergent children from diverse backgrounds, with the goal of contributing to more inclusive and supportive practices. Her academic journey has fueled her passion for bridging these fields, which continues to shape her research interests. In her free time, she enjoys dancing salsa, bachata, and Kurdish, as well as listening to psychological and political podcasts while doing chores. She also loves outings, especially when they are paired with deep conversations.
Emma Corosky (she/her) is a Master's student in Educational Studies at Concordia University. Her research interests involve exploring how systems and institutions function to either support or suppress agency, well-being, and flourishing in the contexts of education and health.
Hazel Robinson (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Concordia, majoring in Child Studies and Human Environment. She enjoys embroidery, knitting, and spending time outside.
Loaneen Palmer‑Carroll (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Studies at the University of New Brunswick, where she investigates how art production can surface the voices and experiences of students often labeled “disruptive” in rural Jamaican secondary schools. With over two decades of experience as an educator and curriculum specialist—most recently serving as an Education Officer in Jamaica’s Ministry of Education—Loaneen blends her deep knowledge of art pedagogy with participatory research methods. Her current study, “Exploring Disruption through Art Production: Participatory Visual Research with ‘Disruptive’ Secondary Students in Rural Jamaica,” adopts a desire‑based approach (Tuck, 2009) that centers students’ creative expressions and lived experiences. By collaborating with students to build a visual archive—and ultimately produce a “Community Manifesto”—her work aims to shift conversations and practices away from punitive discipline toward equitable, student‑centered policies, fostering inclusivity, respect, and genuine student‑driven change.
Natalia Vallejo (she/her) is a master’s student in Child Studies with a double degree in journalism and philosophy from the University of Navarra. Her interests include media literacy, storytelling, and how young people engage with information, political identity, and moral development. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys dancing, live music, and spending time with animals.
VALEURS DE LABORATOIRE
Nous sommes guidés par les valeurs et les croyances suivantes. Cette liste a été inspirée par les laboratoires et projets suivants : The Action IN the Making Lab , The Feminist Media Studio , The Childhood Place Pedagogy Lab et le Civic Lab for Environmental Action Research .
Soins
Nous pratiquons une pédagogie queer et féminine du soin. Nous apportons notre être entier au JOYLab, y compris parfois le désordre et le personnel, nos corps et nos identités, nos amours et nos familles. Nous prenons soin les uns des autres, de l'espace et de notre travail, peu importe la façon dont nous nous présentons !
Communauté
Notre travail communautaire au JOYLab se déroule sur des terres volées. Nous reconnaissons et problématisons le colonialisme et la suprématie blanche dans les espaces queer et universitaires. Nous sommes responsables et travaillons à servir l'ensemble de la communauté queer.
Abolition
Nous apprenons et cherchons à mettre en pratique l'abolition dans notre laboratoire, et croyons en un avenir sans suprématie blanche, sans maintien de l'ordre et sans prison. Nous n'y parvenons pas toujours, mais nous ne nous laisserons pas abandonner les uns les autres. Nous accordons la priorité à la réparation, à la communication et à la résolution des conflits.
Joie queer
Nous croyons que l’homosexualité est un don et une joie. Nous rejetons les représentations de l’homosexualité comme risquées, brisées et déprimantes. Nous travaillons et créons à travers une approche basée sur le désir plutôt qu’une approche déficitaire. Nous résistons ensemble à la violence, à la transphobie et à la queerphobie. La joie queer est l’avenir !
Consentement
Nous reconnaissons l’histoire violente de la recherche dans les espaces communautaires, en particulier auprès des personnes noires, autochtones et de couleur. Dans notre travail, le consentement est toujours en cours et co-construit. Les participants à la recherche sont des collaborateurs qui ont des droits. Tout ce que nous faisons est volontaire.
Se connecter malgré les différences
Nous cherchons à créer des liens à travers les différentes étapes de la vie, au sein de la communauté queer et entre les disciplines. Nos expériences et nos origines différentes nous apportent de l'abondance. Nous resterons ouverts et curieux face à la différence plutôt que de porter des jugements, car nous partageons et nous nous présentons les uns aux autres.
Nos partenaires
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