How MRU’s Inclusion Week is creating a space for everyone
Karra Smith, Staff Writer
At Mount Royal University (MRU), the Office of Community and Belonging strives to create a space that represents individuals from a range of backgrounds, and one way this is being achieved is through MRU’s annual Inclusion Week.
Held from Jan. 26-30, the week of advocacy is a mix of speeches, presentations and workshops designed to educate and connect people from all walks of life. Some speakers are students or faculty, and others come from outside the MRU community, all sharing their stories and looking to help attendees better understand the meaning of inclusivity.
The theme of Inclusion Week this year was Conversations that Connect, which, to Narissa Jessa, an education and development specialist in the office of community and belonging, means creating important dialogue.
Jessa is one of the lead organisers for the Inclusion Week committee and says bringing the event together is no simple task. One of the things Jessa looks for is providing different considerations, including various diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility efforts.
“It was born in 2024, and it’s sort of gotten bigger and bigger every single year, and it’s turned into something that now a lot of folks in the campus community really look forward to, and we’re excited to be a part of,” says Jessa.
Since its beginning three years ago, Jessa says she hopes to see the number of student speakers grow.
“So if somebody wants to do a presentation, but they’re not really sure, you know, ‘Well, does it make sense?’ or, ‘Would this be something that is applicable?’ My door is always open if folks want to brainstorm ideas or if they have questions,” Jessa says.
For Faith Richards, Inclusion Week 2026 was the first time she had ever spoken about her experience and subsequent recovery as a car collision survivor.
“After my accident when I was 10 years old, I went through a lot, and for the longest time did not feel ready,” says Richards. “I’ve come a long way in my healing journey, and I realised that if my story could help even just one person feel seen or less alone, then it was worth sharing.”
When preparing to talk at Inclusion Week, Richards was nervous because she didn’t have a prepared presentation like some of the other speakers, but she says once she started telling her story, the rest came naturally.
“I just spoke from my heart, and I feel like that authenticity is what stuck with the people,” she says.
Richards says inclusive advocacy is about creating space for every type of challenge someone may be dealing with.
“Inclusion, to me, it’s truly about making space for people and not just for what we see, but for the struggles that people carry quietly,” says Richards. “That you don’t have to pretend that you’re okay.”
As Inclusion Week continues to grow at MRU, both Jessa and Richards emphasise the importance of creating a safe environment for individuals to share their stories.
“Just talking about our trauma and our experiences and in times where we feel alone, all that stuff, it’s really important because you think your story doesn’t matter or you think that no one else is struggling with the same thing, but there are a ton of people, and it’s really important to speak about it,” Richards says.
With a new theme every year, Inclusion Week 2026 was centred around “Conversations that Connect,” pushing
the MRU community to share their experiences and learn from others. Photo courtesy of Inclusion Week
Committee
Jessa hopes people who attend, speak and coordinate this event can not only leave with a better understanding of others’ experiences and apply that knowledge, but also use the week to build new partnerships.
“Those connections, those friendships, those relationships, the more that we develop them, the more that we’re likely to create an inclusive community,” Jessa says.
