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    • ASPIRE
    • Skills Training

    Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
    • ASPIRE
      • Incoming Student Support
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    Skills Training and Professionalization

    Workshops and programs through Aspire provides opportunities for you as a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow to grow your skills and try new things. 

    We know that a degree isn't enough anymore and that developing your knowledge and skills beyond academics is necessary for you to be well-rounded and better prepared for the uncertainty that follows graduation. 

    Attending Aspire workshops will help you:

    • Develop skills to succeed in your graduate program or postdoctoral posting. 
    • Be prepared to start your graduate program, and for life during and after Laurier.
    • Meet peers from outside of your program and build your community. 
    • Connect with co-curricular advisors, faculty and colleagues.

    Earn the Aspire Professional Development Certificate

    Invest in your future and earn the Aspire Certificate, which is designed to complement your academic program by providing opportunities to develop a range of skills and competencies. 

    To earn the certificate, complete five workshops in at least two Aspire pillars.

    Learn more details about the Aspire Professional Development Certificate.

    Aspire logo against patterned background

    Browse All ASPIRE Workshops

    Explore upcoming workshops based on the five Aspire program pillars.

    Wellness Teaching Development Professionalization and Communication Career Research

    Some of the workshops are self-directed on MyLearningSpace. First, register for the workshop by selecting "Self Registration," then select the workshop, and select "Register."

    Wellness

    Take charge of your personal well-being. Our workshops provide you with the skills to manage your time, mental health, and work-life balance. Foster self-awareness and mindfulness in your personal, scholarly, and professional life.

    All sessions are virutal, 1 hour in length and open to all students.

    Various health products

    Teaching Development 

    Our teaching development workshops offer transferrable teaching skills and foundational teaching knowledge that can be used for both the classroom and the workplace. Learn about different pedagogies and hear from experienced staff and colleagues as they reflect on their experiences and share their knowledge.

    All sessions are 90 minutes in length. 

    Self-paced Microsoft Stream recorded workshops:

    • Presenting for Everyone: Delivering Inclusive and Dynamic Presentations 
    Student writing on whiteboard.

    Professionalization and Communication

    In any academic or professional environment, strong communication and leadership skills are critical. Perfect your writing and oral presentation skills with help from specialists in the field. 

    On-going self-paced learning on MyLearningSpace:

    • Planning a Literature Review 
    • Academic Integrity Module 

    Details for each session and registration links can be found on the Graduate Tab of the Writing Service Workshop site.

    From Research to Policy Brief

    Increasingly, academics are using their research to write public policy, engage government audiences, and disseminate their research to the public. This workshop will introduce graduate students to the differences between academic and policy writing by examining what makes an effective policy brief. Students will learn how to translate their research into a compelling Executive Summary that they can share with professionals in the public and private sectors. 

    You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.

    The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. 

    https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/96920727792?pwd=mf2FbkNS0sLakB5KqQwhF03aV1oBam.1

    Wednesday June 4 @ 11am-12pm Register here.

     

    Writing Clearly and Concisely

    Writing clearly and concisely is integral to achieve success in academia and the workplace. In this workshop, we will focus on strategies to help you express your ideas clearly and effectively. Whether you’re working on a major research paper or a business report, these strategies will be helpful for all graduate-level writers.

    You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.

    The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. 

    https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/92482696906?pwd=DKMQMTAkeCpehx700m4MjHHudZGmuT.1

    Friday July 11 @ 11am-12pm Register here.

     

    Scholarship Proposal Writing

    In this 90-minute workshop, you will develop the tools to write effective scholarship proposals. Working from samples of winning graduate student proposals (from OGS, SSHRC, and NSERC grants), we will examine common features of successful research statements, and you will learn how to apply these writing strategies in your own proposal. This workshop is targeted to Master’s and PhD students in all disciplines. The Zoom link for the workshop is included below.

    You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.

    The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. 

    https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/98159986074?pwd=fBjl0NYr0QvjFKI2CM8wKAJsH6PxGo.1

    Thursday August 14 @ 10:30am-12pm Register here.

     

    Scholarship Proposal Writing

    In this 90-minute workshop, you will develop the tools to write effective scholarship proposals. Working from samples of winning graduate student proposals (from OGS, SSHRC, and NSERC grants), we will examine common features of successful research statements, and you will learn how to apply these writing strategies in your own proposal. This workshop is targeted to Master’s and PhD students in all disciplines.

    You can register for the workshop on the Student Success Portal.

    The Zoom link for the workshop is included below. The Zoom link will also be emailed to all registered participants prior to the workshop. 

    https://wilfrid-laurier.zoom.us/j/95506522550?pwd=oVzkePowUfGsWT8JmuNt1LgqOMqgbN.1

    Wednesday August 20 @ 2pm-3:30pm Register here.

     

    Three people having a meeting at a table

    Career

    Move successfully into your next career phase. ASPIRE workshops, run by Career Centre professionals, can help you to market your transferable skills, build your resumé, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, and network and interview with confidence, among many other skills.

    All sessions are virtual on Zoom.

    Career Planning for Graduate Students

    Whether you have clear ideas about your career path or are still wondering what is next for you, this workshop will allow participants to learn how to gather relevant information, insights, and resources to explore opportunities and how to develop a plan to get there. 

    This session will introduce practical strategies and resources to assist you in conducting the necessary self-reflection and research to identify ideal work environments, optimal job satisfiers and realistic goals for pursuing an academic or post-academic career.

    Facilitator:  Lisa Roy

    Wednesday, June 4@1:00 p.m. (remote via Zoom) Register here.

    Zoom Link

    CV Writing for Academic Jobs for Graduate Students 

    Create engaging documents that will get noticed. 

    Interested in a career in academia or research? Participants will learn the unique purpose, format and guidelines for creating an effective Curriculum Vitae (CV), as well as clarify the main distinctions between a resumé and a CV.

    Skills required:  CV Writing

    Facilitator:  Lisa Roy

    Wednesday, June 18@1:00 p.m.  Register here.

    Zoom link

     

    Resumé & Cover Letter Writing for Graduate Students 

     Create engaging documents that will get noticed. Have you updated your resumé lately? What are employers looking for in resumés and cover letters? Do you have to target your resumé? Do you even need a cover letter?

    Skills Acquired: Participants in this workshop will learn tools and strategies to present your relevant qualifications effectively and connect your skills, experiences and abilities to a target job. 

    Facilitator(s):  Lisa Roy

    Wednesday, July 2@1:00 p.m. (online via Zooom) Register here

     

     

     

    Two people smiling. The individual on the left is looking at a notebook and the individual on the right is holding a coffee mug.

    Research

    Research is a huge component of many Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral Fellow programs. Workshops in our research pillar can help you to complete the work that you are doing at Laurier and help prepare you for future research opportunities. Through workshops ranging from how to develop a research question, to managing your data, our research experts will teach you how to translate your technical work for non-specialist audiences.

    Self-paced MyLearningSpace modules:

    • Accessing Statistics Canada Data for Your Research 
    • Citing Insights: Tools to Help You Cite
    • Develop a Research Question 
    • Introduction to Inclusive Research 
    Open textbook
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