Keynote Speakers
ADYC 2024
Dream Learn Grow: The Bridge to Success
Petra Owusu
Thursday May 9, 2024
Petra Owusu, a 4th-year doctoral candidate at Western University, is fueled by a passion for serving and advocating for the mental health of Black youth. Aspiring to become a School & Clinical Child Psychologist specializing in hospitals and outpatient care, Petra provides crucial support to high-risk families and Black youth. With a decade-long association with the conference, Petra has transitioned from being a student leader and conference coordinator to a workshop facilitator. This year, she is honoured to step into the role of the keynote speaker. Beyond academia, Petra engages in mentoring, enjoys hot yoga, and loves nature walks. She looks forward to sharing her journey and empowering each attendee to fearlessly pursue their dreams at the conference.
Dr. Vidal Chavannes
Friday May 10, 2024
Vidal A. Chavannes, Ed.D, M.A.Ed., B.A., B.Ed, is currently the Director of Strategy, Research & Organizational Performance with Durham Regional Police Service. In this regard, Dr. Chavannes manages the teams responsible for: strategic planning, quality assurance, crime analytics, research and equity & inclusion. Vidal holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Calgary, with a specialization in Higher Education Leadership. He has worked in a full-time and consulting capacity with a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations, all within the training and education ecosystem. Through these engagements, he has written curriculum, developed articulation agreements, managed faculty and staff and charted the strategic direction of a variety of organizations across North America and internationally.
Dr. Chavannes completed a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship with the University of Toronto, where he worked on a national research study focused on Black student university access. He is also an Associate Member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Vidal is founder and chair of an organization called THE Brotherhood – an organization that recently completed a project, in partnership with the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Ontario, to bring a library of books by and about Black and Indigenous communities, to individuals who are currently incarcerated in each of Ontario’s correctional facilities. He is also the previous Chair of an organization called Malvern’s Men: Making a Difference.
When he is not working, Dr. Chavannes likes to spend time with his three brilliant children: Desiray, Candice and Johnny and his beautiful wife Celina.
Welcome to our 2024 Facilitators who will be presenting workshops
- Michael Akpata
- Adam Harris
- Dr. Richard Douglass Chin
- Kaye Johnson