Mock Oral – Renee Ferguson (March 5, 2019)

Tuesday March 5, 11 am-12:30 pm, Room 6-184

Mock Oral: Hidden among the Under-represented: Foster Youth Access and Persistence in Ontario Post-Secondary Education

ALL are invited to attend – feel free to bring your lunch!

Candidate: Renee Ferguson

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Katharine Janzen

Abstract

Through semi-structured interviews with foster youth, child welfare workers, experts, and advocates this study asked what barriers and supports foster youth experience in their journey to and through post-secondary education in Ontario.Viewing the issue of foster youth under-representation, and overall access and persistence, through theories of social reproduction, The Capabilities Framework, cooling-out, and resilience, it posed the question of whether or not FY experience equitable opportunity to attend and succeed in higher education. Ontario college services, supports, and programs which directly or indirectly support this group of learners were also explored.