PATRICK ROBERTSON, BA, BEd, MA
Areas of Expertise: K-12 (Elementary), Curriculum & Policy, Professional Development, Teacher Education, Sustainability, Climate Change, Project Management, Network Building
Deeply involved in sustainability education and environmental learning for the last 20 years, Patrick is a teacher, teacher educator and educational consultant working collaboratively with a wide range of partners in B.C. and across Canada. An award-winning educator and speaker, he builds partnerships, works to influence curriculum policy, and has broad and sustained experience in education and project management with a variety of local, regional and provincial clients and partners. Patrick was a member of the K-12 Science Curriculum Revision Committee and is working closely with the BC Ministry of Education on climate and sustainability-related curriculum initiatives. Following 10 years in an Elementary classroom, Patrick now teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, where he co-leads the Education for Sustainability teacher education cohort. He is also a director or advisor of various community organizations focused on sustainability, climate, social justice, nature connection, youth literacy and the environment, including the National Roundtable for Environment and Sustainability in Teacher Education, and the BC Classrooms to Communities Education Network.
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COLIN MAYER, BSc, BEd, MA
Areas of Expertise: K-12 (Secondary), Curriculum & Policy, Youth Leadership, Professional Development, Science and Environmental Education, Project Management
Passionate about nature, education and their interconnected worlds, Colin’s work focuses on integrating environmental and experiential education concepts within science-related programs and curricula. Colin completed his BEd at SFU in 2011 through the pilot Sustainability Education Environment & Diversity (SEEDSs) module and his M.A. in Science Education at UBC in 2016. A Syncollab associate since 2011, Colin brings strong research, development and facilitation skills to our firm, and has been lead associate on a wide variety of notable projects including: Science World’s Education Assets Audit, Metro Vancouver’s Sustainability Education Community Compendium, Beaty Biodiversity Museum’s Inquiry into Evolution program, Dalhousie University’s Ocean Schools project, and secondary-level audience engagement for the FortisBC Awareness and Engagement Project. He now works as a Vice Principal at Kalamalka Secondary in Vernon B.C. (on the unceded territory of the Syilx Peoples), where he dedicates significant attention to supporting Indigenous and place-based learning initiatives.
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Dr. CARLOS ORMOND, BA, MEd, PhD
Areas of Expertise: Post-Secondary, Indigenous and Cultural Relations, Sustainability, Research, Cross-Sectoral Partnerships
Carlos has been working in the fields of education, science and social science for close to two decades. With theoretical backgrounds and field experience in ecology, curriculum development, and community-based work, the focus of Carlos’ research and teaching has led him to collaborate with K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions, and Indigenous and intercultural communities. Carlos joined the Syncollab team in 2013, and provides a range of connections to post-secondary and teacher education, as well as a wealth of experience in research, program development and evaluation to our firm’s work.
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ANGELA LEE B.A., B.Ed.
Areas of Expertise: K-12 (Elementary), Communications, Youth Leadership, Design & Development
Angela is an experienced community engagement consultant and educator with over ten years of experience in community programming. She has worked collaboratively with stakeholders and organizations across the Lower Mainland, using inquiry-based approaches and community consultation to create positive change. With a B.Ed. in English Secondary Education from UBC and a background in communications, Angela’s portfolio of work has focused on cultivating youth leadership and encouraging sustainable practices and solutions through experiential learning. Her expertise includes developing and delivering youth programs for informal learning environments, designing curricula that integrate sustainability education and social-emotional learning (SEL), coordinating educational conferences and workshops, and curating educational content for online communities.
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KAREN SELBY B.Sc., MSLS
Areas of Expertise: Youth Leadership, Post-Secondary, Sustainability, Wellbeing, Professional Development
Karen is passionate about working with others to improve our relationships with the environment and with each other. She grew up playing in the oceans of South Africa and the forests of Vancouver Island and still finds great joy in playing outside. With over 17 years of experience, she is a skilled facilitator with a knack for bringing together diverse stakeholders in complex systems to tackle wicked problems. Most recently, she co-led the creation of the UBC Wellbeing Strategic Framework, the first of its kind in North America to include measurable long-term targets. She has designed and delivered numerous sustainability leadership programs, including Metro Vancouver Youth4Action, the DASH BC Healthy Living Youth Council, Clean Air Champion’s High School Climate Challenge, and Translink’s TravelSmart Program. She specializes in empowering community members through experiential workshops, leadership clinics, symposia, and yoga. Karen believes her life’s purpose is to facilitate a culture shift that encourages us to deeply connect with place. She strives to nurture hope in a time of latent environmental despair through storytelling and collective action. Karen holds a Master’s of Science in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability.
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JARRID JENKINS BFA, B.Ed., M.A.
Areas of Expertise: K-12, Community-Based Education (Parks, Museums, Science Centres), Professional Development, Research, Design & Development
Jarrid has been exploring teaching and learning from a variety of perspectives for over 25 years. His education and employment opportunities within formal and informal places of learning have developed into a passion for effective engagement strategies and their ability to create conversation. Jarrid’s varied work experiences include key roles in museums, provincial parks and other community education contexts. In the region, he has led the Watershed Education Program for Metro Vancouver, community engagement initiatives with Science World, and public programs for the Stanley Park Ecology Society. Jarrid brings a diverse skill set to our work including research, facilitation, engagement design, and strategic development, as well as a deep concern about how we all make our way into the future. Jarrid is a team player and a long-time collaborator on Syncollab projects working with many of our current associates.
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TERESA ROWLEY B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
Areas of Expertise: K-12 (Secondary), Teacher Education, Curriculum & Policy, Youth Leadership, Outdoor Learning, Sustainability, Design & Development
Deeply passionate about sustainability, Teresa has been a professional educator for over twenty years. She holds a Masters degree in Environmental Education and Communication, and has taught with North Vancouver School District’s Outdoor School at Cheakamus Centre, Vancouver School Board’s TREK Program, and the Education for Sustainability cohort at the University of British Columbia’s Teacher Education Program. As a teacher mentor, Teresa seeks to support, inform and inspire teachers and their learners to develop deeper knowledge, understanding, and competencies related to education for sustainability in our schools and communities. Her strengths include curriculum design and inquiry, place-based, outdoor, experiential, Indigenous, and community-connected approaches to teaching and learning.