2026 OISE Graduate Student Research Conference
Generative Hope:Â Possibilities in Education Research
We find ourselves in a time of distress, disorder and disorientation. What can we do as scholars to right the tilts? This year’s conference theme is inspired by a sustainability ethos championed and embodied by some of the best advocates of hope: bell hooks, Paolo Freire, Rebecca Solnit and Jane Goodall, to name a few. Their pedagogies and theories of hope describe active engagement, not passive feeling. Our aim for the conference is to create a dynamic space where OISE graduate students can explore the intersectional and interdisciplinary nature of their various specializations as they contribute to the broader practice of hope, including collective radical hope. The collective radical hope we wish for all participants and attendees to embody is one that is holistic—encompassing critical explorations of our environmental sustainability, democracy, participation and community. These expressions of hope will include formats ranging from panel discussions, roundtables, online poster presentations and workshops.
Call for Submissions now open!
We welcome all OISE students, research or professional stream, to submit a proposal and/or participate in the artwork contest for the 2026 OISE Graduate Student Research Conference (GSRC).
Important Dates:
Proposal & artwork contest submission deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
Notification of successful proposals & artwork contest winners: Monday, February 9, 2026.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the co-chairs at <oise.gsrc@utoronto.ca>.