Dr. Kristopher Wells
Assistant Professor and Associate Director
780.492.9908
Kristopher Wells is a researcher at the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services, University of Alberta. He is an Associate Editor for the International Journal of LGBT Youth (Taylor & Francis) and he is an Editorial Board Member for New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development (Florida International University). He is also the past Book Review Editor for Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education (University of British Columbia). Kris is a founding Board Member of the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities and longstanding member of the Edmonton Police Service’s Chief’s Community Advisory Council.
Kris’ research, teaching, and service work centres on creating safe, caring, and inclusive schools and communities for sexual minority and gender variant youth. With Dr. Andre P. Grace he is co-founder of Camp fYrefly (www.fYrefly.ualberta.ca), which is Canada’s only national leadership retreat for sexual minority and gender variant youth. Kris has been a consultant to the Canadian Senate, Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Alberta Teachers’ Association, Alberta Government, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Edmonton Police Service, Public Health Agency of Canada, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization. Currently, Kris serves as one of Edmonton Public Schools’ program consultants, where he works with Board trustees, administrators, teachers, students, and parent councils to increase their knowledge of and support for sexual orientation and gender identity educational issues.
Kristopher is a renowned international speaker, researcher, educator, and author who is available to speak to and/or work with your school district, professional association, university, or corporation on a range of diversity, equity, and human rights issues. In recognition of his longstanding community service work and research advocacy, Kris was a recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medallion as bestowed by the Alberta Legislature.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Academic
- Expanding Tolerance: Edmonton's LGBTQ Community and th March Towards Full Citizenship and Social Inclusion (PDF)
- Sexual Minority Youth Research Brief (SIECCAN- Wells, 2009) (PDF)
Marc Hall (Grace & Wells, 2005) (PDF) - Using Freirean Pedagogy of Just IRE to Inform Critical Social Learning (Grace & Wells, 2007) (PDF)
- Gay & Male Bisexual Youth (Grace & Wells, 2009) (PDF)
Professional
- Generation Queer: Sexual Minority Youth and Canadian Schools (PDF)
- Beyond Homophobia: We Need to Make it Better (FEDCAN Blog Posting)
- Understanding Gender Identity in K-12 Schools (PDF)
- Creating Safe, Caring, and Inclusive Schools for LGBTQ Students: A Guide for Counsellors (PDF)
- The Seven Virtues of Queer Friendly Schools (PDF)
- Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta Schools: A Guide for Teachers (PDF)
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Recommended Fiction and Nonfiction Resources for K-12 Schools (PDF)
Government
- Homophobic Bullying Fact Sheet
- Homophobic Bullying Website
- Questions & Answers: Sexual Orientation in Schools
Editorial
