Public Speaker, Host, and Author

Michael Redhead Champagne

Michael Redhead Champagne is working towards a revolution that dismantles harmful systems and builds up new ones based on justice, equity, and love. A community leader from Winnipeg’s North End with family roots in Shamattawa First Nation, Michael is host, helper, published author, on-screen personality and sought after public speaker. Michael happily shares his words, wisdom, and welcoming energy across Canada and around the world.

Michael believes Indigenous knowledge will save the world and this can be seen in his commitment to Ininew concepts such as wahkotowin, mino bimadisiwin & sakihitowin. He is actively working on reclaiming his Ininew language and has started a language nest at the St John’s Public Library. Whether it’s eliminating poverty, ending homelessness or increasing supports for children, youth and families, he is relentless in his pursuit of a more compassionate world. He organizes the annual North End Grad Walk, the North End Historical Society and is a board member for Fearless R2W & the Manitoba Health Coalition.

You can find him speaking out about poverty, politics and reconciliation on podcasts, video projects and in the news. Featured on multiple TEDx Talks, APTN’s Michif Country & First Contact, Michael is also developing a number of storytelling and multimedia projects. He loves family friendly jokes, Tetris, Stevie Wonder music and celebrating the success of others. Michael’s first children’s book, We Need Everyone, from HighWater Press is now available everywhere books are sold.

Pedagogical Consultant

Denis Cousineau

Since 2018, Denis Cousineau has been fully active as a CEFR expert working closely with TFO Media Group to support an important pedagogical shift in FSL classrooms. He taught French Immersion and Core French for 32 years at the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) where he was the DELF Director. He participates in an ongoing project in Ontario regarding the impact of the CEFR on improving student achievement in FSL programs. Since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, he has given over 100 webinars to teachers across the country.

French Programs Coordinator, Mission Public Schools

Shauna Néro

Shauna Néro is the French Programs Coordinator for Mission Public Schools. Previously, she coordinated the Provincial Network for BC Administrators and Teachers of French Programs at Simon Fraser University’s Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs (SFU). With a background in teaching French Language Arts and Social Studies in French Immersion and Core French at the high school level, Shauna also taught methodology courses at SFU for student candidates and has been Vice Principal of a dual-track immersion elementary school. She earned a master’s degree in education from SFU and thereby applies a plurilingual and pluricultural approach in a Universal Design for Learning framework to teach French in order to foster authentic, action-oriented learning experiences to enhance and develop students’ intercultural and linguistic competencies in French.

Provincial FSL Educational Consultant, LEARN

Marc-Albert Paquette

Marc-Albert Paquette is currently a provincial educational consultant in French as a second language (FLS) for LEARN Québec. He also serves on the executive committee of the Association québécoise pour l’enseignement du français langue seconde (AQEFLS). Actively involved in education since the early 2000s, he has served as President of AQEFLS, the Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals (ACPI), and the North American Commission of the International Federation of French Teachers (CAN-FIPF). Marc-Albert is interested in the development of multilingual and pluricultural competence and student engagement in FSL.