Education has long been one of society’s strongest tools for combatting injustice. At Niagara College, students are proving that an inclusive and welcoming environment begins with learning.
In the fall of 2025, more than 60 students in professor Jamie Oresar’s SOCL1430 class completed learning modules on anti-racism, which are available to all NC students and employees.
The interactive Unpacking and Addressing Anti-Racism modules – adapted from Western University – cover Anti-Asian Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism and Islamophobia. The modules were purchased by NC as part of their commitment to education and awareness.
As part of the Anti-Racism unit in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion course, Oresar invited students to complete two of the four modules for course credit. Some students chose to complete all four to earn certificates for their CV’s.
“Students discussed race as a social construct, looking at various forms of racism and how racism functions at individual, institutional, and societal levels through concrete examples provided in the training modules,” said Oresar.
As part of the assignment, students reflected upon their own identity and its relevance to anti-racism practices in the workplace, interpersonal encounters, and community relationships.
Oresar said that after completing the modules, classroom discussions were more open and thoughtful.
“Several students shared that before this learning, they mostly thought of racism as obvious acts of hate,” said Oresar. “The modules helped them see how racism can also show up through policies, institutions, and everyday messages in ways that aren’t always easy to spot.”
Many students shared that they felt uncomfortable at times – even defensive – but recognized that this was part of the learning process.
Addressing hate ahead of upcoming Days of Significance
Oresar agreed that this learning is particularly important at this moment, both socially and politically.
“Public conversations are becoming more divided and reactive, and students are often surrounded by oversimplified or misleading messages online,” said Oresar. “These modules encourage students to slow down, think more deeply, and move away from “us versus them” ways of seeing the world. As incidents of hate increase and misinformation spreads, many students don’t always have the tools to question what they’re seeing or hearing and I think anti-racism education can help bridge that gap.”
With many relevant days of significance upcoming – International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27), National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia (Jan. 29), Black History Month in February, and Asian Heritage Month in May – this learning comes at an especially important moment.
Oresar says the modules gave students a high-level perspective on these dates of significance, showing patterns of hate and exclusion more than isolated events.
“Students gain a clearer understanding of not just what happened, but how violence like this becomes possible, and how their own choices and actions can help challenge those conditions today.”
In anonymous feedback, students said the modules increased their empathy and awareness, have a practical application in their daily life and for their future careers, and have reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing learning and creating a respectful campus.
Interactive modules free for NC community until Spring 2026
To date, the modules have been completed over 175 times. They will continue to be available until the end of spring 2026 as follows:
- Unpacking and Addressing Antisemitism; Unpacking and Addressing Antisemitism Anti-Asian Racism: April 25
- Unpacking and Addressing Islamophobia; Unpacking and Addressing Anti-Black Racism: May 23.
For more Anti-Racism learning, see the Libraries and Learning Commons dedicated page: nclibraries.niagaracollege.ca/edi
