Al Lauzon

Education

• BA (Guelph)
• MSc (Guelph)
• EdD (Toronto)

Bio Summary

Al Lauzon is a retired professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in Capacity Development and Extension. Al has degrees in psychology, extension education, adult education and community development. 

Al’s primary research interest is focused on rural change and development, adult education and community development, and the foundations of capacity development and extension. He is also interested in foundational issues related to epistemology, including the intersection and interactions between differing knowledge systems.

He was involved in a number of research projects, including the roles colleges play in supporting rural small and medium enterprise innovation, the role of afterschool programs and their impact upon rural youth and their communities, and the development of rural social enterprises. He is currently exploring the potential of establishing a rural and regional network for Ontario that would facilitate the exchange of knowledge and information among various rural stakeholders in the province; this is being done in partnership with the Rural Ontario Institute. He also continues to write on foundational issues ranging from issues related to technology, education, spirituality and sustainability. He is currently a member of the board of directors of The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Rural and Community Development and serves as a reviewer for a number of diverse journals related to education, community development and social change. 

Recent Publication

Cross, H. and Lauzon, A.C. (2015).  “Fostering rural Youth Wellbeing through Afterschool Programs: The Case of Fusion Youth and Technology Centre, Ingersoll, Ontario." Journal of Rural and Community Development, 10(1), 128-157.

In-press book chapters

Lauzon, A.C. (2015). “From Logos to Eros and Back Again: An Exploration of the Foundations of Informal Learning and Tacit Knowledge” In Measuring and Analyzing Informal Learning in a Digital Age.

Lauzon, A.C. (2015). “The Rural Learning Challenge: Meeting the Health Needs of Rural Residents Through ICTs.” In The Handbook of Research On Advancing Health Education Through Technology.

Lauzon, A.C.; Cross, H.; Christie, S.; Khan, B. and Khan, B. (2015). “Youth Learning in Afterschool Programs: Exploring Learning Outcomes for Rural Youth.”  In The Handbook of Research on Learning Outcomes and Opportunities in the Digital Age.

Recent Research Grant:

Diversifying Rural Economies Through Social Enterprise: The Role of Rural Municipalities as Intermediaries. OMAFRA Agricultural and Rural Policy Program