A welcome message from our new Director of Education

Hello, LDS community and colleagues! My name is Kirk, and I am excited to join you as Director of Education at LDS. 

I come to this position having had a range of experiences in K-12 and higher and adult education. I have been an educator, researcher and strategist, working with individuals, groups, and learning institutions for over 20 years. 

Most recently, I was an independent consultant, running research projects in the post-secondary and K-12 sectors while providing facilitation services for adults and youth. My connection to learning and disabilities stems from several professional experiences. Most recently, I ran a program evaluation for Fleming College in Ontario. Its Community Integration through Co-operative Education program, designed for individuals with intellectual disabilities, aimed to support these learners to succeed in post-secondary education. In addition to reviewing numerous articles and reports, I ran focus groups and interviews with these individuals and their parents to gather first-hand accounts of their experiences in the program.  

More broadly, I have performed extensive work to address equity issues in education relative to providing second-chance opportunities to learners in secondary and tertiary-level schooling. Some specific examples have included gender mainstreaming, leveraging mobile learning to deliver learning in remote and semi-urban areas, and developing digital literacy skills for elementary school learners.

Much of my work has been informed by life experiences. I have lived in New Delhi, Beijing and Hong Kong, and enjoyed professional and leisure travel through the Caribbean, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. I draw on observations and engagement with education systems to see how to develop, refine and innovate teaching and learning. 

When not talking about education, travel or work, I spend my free time with my family, including my wife and two boys who are 10 and 8. I am an outdoors enthusiast, and I enjoy camping, snowboarding, running and going to the beach. I am originally from Toronto, and we have lived in Vancouver for nearly six years. 

I look forward to getting to know the LDS community, including families, learners, team members, partners and collaborators. 

– Kirk Perris, Director of Education

LDS is a community of dedicated professionals who write collaboratively. We recognize the contribution of unnamed team members for their wisdom and input.