Joseph Levitan Receives SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants

The Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) announced recipients of the latest Partnership Engage Grants competition, including a total of $73,782 awarded to three McGill researchers, one of whom is the Department of Integrated Studies in Education's Joseph Levitan. Partnership Engage Grants provide short-term and timely support for partnered research activities between researchers and single partner organizations from the public, private or non-profit sector.  

Co-constructing pedagogical transformation in India 

India faces a growing skills gap, leaving millions of students unprepared for life after schooling and meaningful work. Traditional approaches, such as technical training programs, often confine youth to task-specific or precarious jobs. Transforming learning across a large education system, however, is a complex challenge. 

Joseph Levitan, Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education, is partnering with Udhyam Learning Foundation—a leading Indian non-profit that has collaborated with the State of Uttarakhand—to implement a novel program focused on developing competencies for meaningful lives and work. Central to the program is teacher capacity building, a foundational component of sustainable educational change.    

Using Participatory Action Research, the team will co-create knowledge with teachers, community members, and policymakers to develop sustainable systems that support pedagogical transformation. The findings will shed light on teacher experiences, professional identities, and the practical challenges of implementing innovation-focused education in the Global South. By understanding and addressing these dynamics, the project aims to inform policy and practice in India and provide lessons for other regions seeking to transform teaching and learning.