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Educational Technology & Learning Design doctoral student in the Faculty of Education

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I grew up on a houseboat in the Netherlands, where I could see sheep grazing in front of my home while the skyscrapers of Amsterdam loomed in the distance. Living on the water meant feeling the seasons and weather, which made me aware from a young age how interconnected everything is. I was also lucky to experience nature through sailing and exploring the outdoors, which enforced that feeling of interconnectedness. I always felt deeply connected to the natural world, but I also noticed that many of my peers did not, and I never knew why. When I was eleven, my hometown experienced one of the first Dutch natural disasters attributed to climate change—a dike failure in 2003 caused by extreme heat, which, along with a lot of encouragement by my father, started my interest in understanding climate change. This eventually led me to study Geography and Environmental Studies, seeking to understand how people relate to nature, animals, and the environment. Through a volunteering project for the Edinburgh City Council, I started my journey into Education. This eventually took me to an MSc in Science Education & Communication, and teaching, where I saw firsthand how school curricula often fail to align with children’s lived experiences. I had already traveled extensively, and experienced many different ways of living, which had highlighted the importance of families in shaping children’s interests. I already knew I wanted to contribute to environmental and climate change solutions at the individual level, by helping people connect with nature in meaningful ways. Over time, I realized that environmental education often struggles to make a lasting impact on children’s lives, and I wanted to understand why. My PhD is not only an academic pursuit but also a personal journey to uncover why I maintained my deep connection to nature while so many teenagers lose it—and what we can do to change that.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

Two of the books that significantly shaped my teaching practices were written by professors from SFU, which first introduced me to the university. I had also spent a year as an exchange student in Ontario and had fallen in love with Canada. When I discovered my current program, it felt like a great fit, as I think it sits at the intersection of Education, and Geography.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

Many people recognize the importance of spending time in nature, not just for personal well-being but also for fostering a sense of responsibility toward the environment. However, research shows that children's connection to nature tends to decline during adolescence, and we don't fully understand why. My research explores how families play a role in shaping and sustaining a child’s relationship with nature. I have been working with young environmentalists – teenagers – who remain deeply connected to nature and are driven to engage in environmental action.—especially those teenagers who remain deeply connected despite this common decline. By working with them and their families, I am learning what influences a lasting bond with nature, how family interactions contribute to it, and how these insights can inform education. Ultimately, my goal is to identify ways we can better support lifelong environmental engagement through family and intergenerational learning.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Young environmentalists, Intergenerational Learning, Relational Ontology

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

My goal is to continue in academia, and the RA, TA, and SI positions I’ve been lucky enough to get, have provided invaluable experience in both research and teaching. Working in both the Faculty of Education and the Geography Department has allowed me to stay engaged with both fields, build interdisciplinary expertise, and gain valuable perspectives from different academic traditions. Additionally, my experience as a finalist in the 3MT competition in 2024—especially the video that was produced and published—has helped me communicate my research more effectively to prospective participants and organizations. This has been instrumental in advancing the research phase of my PhD and strengthening my ability to bridge academic work with public engagement, while also allowing me to use my Science Communication background.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

I was awarded the Education Dean's Entrance Scholarship for three years. This funding played a crucial role in my decision to accept the PhD offer, as both my husband and I were leaving behind full-time jobs. Without this support, the financial uncertainty of pursuing a PhD might have been too great.

If you could dedicate your research to anyone (past, present and/or future), who would that be and why?

Both my father and grandmother passed away during my PhD, and as someone researching family learning, I can only appreciate and thank them—along with my mother—for the role they played in shaping my interests and deep connection to nature. Their lessons are woven into my journey and continue to drive my research. I would also dedicate this work to the many friends, both human and more-than-human, who have profoundly shaped who I am and what this research is becoming.

Contact Emmeline:eeh3@sfu.ca

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