Mohawk College and CACUSS Partner to Host Virtual Event Supporting Post-Secondary Student-Caregivers
Funded by SSHRC, the national summit will highlight emerging research, lived experiences, and strategies to foster inclusive campus environments across Canada
Balancing academic pursuits with caregiving responsibilities presents significant and unique challenges for post-secondary students across Canada. To address these systemic barriers, IDEAWORKS at Mohawk College and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) are partnering to present the virtual Students with Family Responsibilities Summit 2026, taking place December 2 and December 3, 2026.
Hosted by IDEAWORKS at Mohawk College and the Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives (CERI) in partnership with the CACUSS Student-Caregiver Community of Practice, the two-day summit brings together higher education professionals, researchers, administrators, and student-caregivers to share evidence-informed practices and explore actionable solutions.
This initiative is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through its Community College Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF). The funding supports Mohawk College’s ongoing Learning 2Gether project, an initiative designed to develop, evaluate, and test multi-generational tandem learning models aimed at improving educational access and persistence for student-caregivers.
“Student-caregivers navigate a complex balancing act between caregiving duties for children or family members and their academic programs,” said Andrea Johnson, General Manager for the Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives. “Through this SSHRC-funded initiative, our goal is to build a collaborative platform where institutions can share best practices and create genuinely caregiver-friendly campus cultures across Canada”.
Summit Highlights & Programming:
- Day 1 (Panel & Networking): An opening panel presenting findings from the Learning 2Gether research project, followed by an open exchange and networking session for attendees.
- Day 2 (Concurrent Presentation Sessions): Interactive presentations covering flexible learning models, institutional policy development, retention strategies, and cross-sector community partnerships.
Event Summary:
- Dates and times:
- December 2, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
- December 3, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST
- Platform: Virtual
Registration is complimentary, as the 2026 Family Responsibilities Summit 2026 is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Interested in speaking at the Summit?
We welcome proposals covering key themes such as student-caregiver retention and well-being, caregiver-friendly policies, flexible learning models, and institutional-community partnerships.