Jacinta Goveas

Jacinta Goveas joined Sheridan College in 2007. She teaches in the Social Service Worker and Community Development Worker Programs. Her main areas of teaching focus on social diversity, social justice and change, immigrant and refugee settlement, international development and community development in Canada. From 2010 to 2012, Jacinta was the Program Coordinator of the SSW Program. She also served as Academic Advisor for the SSW and Community Development Worker Programs. Jacinta served on the Local Academic Council (renamed the Program Quality Assurance Committee) for over five years and now serves on the Sheridan Senate, Pathways Senate Standing Committee and FAHCS Policy Committee.

Prior to joining Sheridan College Jacinta worked internationally with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, serving in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, South Africa, Iran, Indonesia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, France, Greece, Romania, Albania and Switzerland. She has presented at a number of conferences internationally and in Canada and has published articles in Forced Migration Review, Across Boundaries and Toronto Star, to name a few. She is on the Editorial Board of Refugee and has been on Boards of Sistering, The Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Jesuits International, and Jesuit centre for Social Faith and Justice. Jacinta has also worked with the City of Toronto and in Refugee Settlement.

Education Background

• Masters, York University, Toronto, Canada. (Thesis: “The impact of Displacement on formation of Diasporic Identity.”)
• Bachelors in Sociology, York University, Toronto, Canada
• Graduate Diploma in Refugee and Migration Studies, York University
• Certificate in Anti-Racist Research and Practise, York University, Toronto.
• Post Graduate Diploma in International Development Studies, Holy Ghost House of Studies, Dublin, Ireland.
• Certificate in Pastoral Counseling, Catholic Seminary, Karachi, Pakistan
• Mental Health training: Neuro-linguistic Process for Trauma Survivors, Counselling, Transactional Analysis, Mindfulness Training
• UNHCR Training Programmes: Refugee Protection: Legal Protection of Refugees and Resettlement; Resettlement process and procedures; Project Planning and Methods of Evaluation; Organisational Change, Career Management Systems, Train the Trainer in People Oriented Planning.
• Other Professional Development: Creative Writing; Facilitation skills, Conflict Resolution and Peace Education; Trainer training of the Moment Project: social analysis for change.

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

• To help students to stretch the boundaries of learning; to get out of their comfort zones and explore the world they live in critically; to support students with specific learning needs and especially international and First Nations students; to add value to the programs and the institution.