Alison Molina-Girón

Dr. Alison Molina-Girón serves as Associate Professor in Education Core Studies within the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. A Honduran-born immigrant and former university professor in her home country, she brings unique cross-cultural perspectives to her research on citizenship education and youth engagement. Her work examines how schools prepare diverse youth for democratic participation, with current focus on digital citizenship.

Her academic journey began in Honduras where she earned foundational qualifications before pursuing graduate studies in Canada. She holds a PhD from the University of Ottawa, supported by an SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, and was previously a Fulbright Scholar.

Dr. Molina-Girón's research program centers on citizenship and multicultural education, youth engagement, diversity and civic identity, and social justice. She employs ethnographic methods to investigate how citizenship instruction responds to diverse student backgrounds, bridging her Honduran educational experience with Canadian contexts. Current projects explore digital citizenship and the civic engagement of majority/minority Canadian youth through an SSHRC-funded study.

Her publication record shows consistent evolution from Honduran inclusive education studies (1995-2003) toward critical citizenship education research in Canada (2005-present). Recent work examines intersections of digital technology, political participation, and diversity, maintaining her signature focus on socially just pedagogical approaches that embrace democratic politics.

Her notable recognitions include:

• Fulbright Scholarship (1997-1999)
• SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2005-2007)

As Principal Investigator on multiple grants including an SSHRC project on digital citizenship ($57,251) and a University of Regina seed grant, she maintains an active research program. Her supervision emphasizes ethnographic rigor and critical approaches to citizenship education, with opportunities for graduate students to contribute to contemporary research on youth civic engagement. While no formal lab exists, her research group provides hands-on experience in qualitative methods and direct contribution to policy-relevant scholarship on Canadian democracy.