Welcome New Board Member – Steve Sider

Steve Sider’s commitment to global engagement began as a child growing up in northeastern India, where his parents were involved in mission work. These early experiences led to later studies in undergraduate and graduate programs with a focus on international relations and education. Teaching and research at the post-secondary level have continued to focus on the intersection of internationalization and school leadership. Steve holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration (Brock University, 2000) and a PhD from Western University (2006).

Steve is currently an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University where he teaches courses in global education, school leadership, and special education. He holds multiple Canadian national research grants examining leadership practices of school principals in Canada and other countries. He is the author or co-editor of four books and more than 30 academic articles. He has provided more than 200 workshops for educators across Canada and in six other countries.

Steve travels regularly to Haiti, Ghana, and Egypt where he is involved in school leadership and special education training and research. He is the co-founder of the Educator and Leadership Institute which has supported teacher training for more than 2,000 teachers globally. He is the current president of the Comparative and International Education Society of Canada, the scholarly association representing faculty and graduate students from across Canada who are involved with comparative education.

Steve is the 2019 winner of the Laurier Donald F. Morgenson Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in the category of Excellence in Internationalization. He is the inaugural program coordinator for the Laurier Bachelor of Arts in International Education Studies program, the first of its kind in Canada. He is a Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. He is also the Acting Director of a university-wide research centre focused on interdisciplinary research in education, the Centre for Leading Research in Education. More information about Steve’s research can be found on his research website: https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-education/faculty-profiles/steve-sider/inclusive-school-leadership/index.html

Prior to his work in the Faculty of Education, Steve was a school administrator, special education teacher, and classroom teacher for 15 years.

Steve’s hobbies include hiking on the Bruce Trail, reading, and making (and eating) chocolate chip cookies. He and his wife Karen, who also works at Laurier, are the parents of three adult children. They live in St. Jacobs, Ontario and attend a local non-denominational community church.

Steve is delighted to join Global Scholars Canada since its purposes align with his lived experience. He sees the opportunity to engage with scholars globally through GSC as an exciting opportunity to further extend his commitment to integrating faith and learning.