Contractor Canada Summer Jobs: Education Policy Researcher

As an Education Policy Researcher focused on Student Mental Health, you will investigate how high school systems across Canada support, or fail to support, student mental well-being. This role does not involve direct mental health service delivery.

You will conduct research on provincial education policies, school board guidelines, and leading practices to better understand how mental health is integrated into the everyday life of Canadian high schools.

Your research will inform a policy report and toolkit intended to guide school boards, educators, and student organizations in implementing more equitable and effective mental health supports.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

1. Conduct comparative research on how provinces and school boards approach student mental health, including curriculum integration, staffing, and wellness policies.
2. Review existing school-based mental health frameworks, models of school-community partnerships, and crisis intervention protocols.
3. Document disparities in student access to mental health resources across provinces, urban vs. rural contexts, and equity-deserving groups.
4. Develop a typology of common school-based mental health issues and assess how policy frameworks address, or fail to address, them.
5. Produce a written report outlining policy gaps, promising practices, and concrete recommendations for reform.
6. Create supplemental resources such as policy briefing notes, implementation toolkits, or communication materials for stakeholder use.
7. Coordinate and lead focus groups with students, educators, and mental health practitioners to inform the research.

Mandatory Qualifications:

• Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of employment.
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred.
• Have a valid Social Insurance Number and be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Ideal Qualifications:

• A post-secondary degree in education, psychology, social work, public policy, or a related field (in-progress or completed).
• Some experience in policy or qualitative research, preferably in education, health, or social services (0.5 to 2 years).
• A strong understanding of mental health issues affecting youth and how schools respond (0.5 to 2 years).
• Excellent critical thinking and synthesis skills, especially in analyzing policy documents (1 to 4 years).
• Proficient in preparing reports and plain-language tools (1 to 4 years).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple responsibilities effectively (1 to 4 years).
• Clear, effective written and verbal communication skills (1 to 4 years).

What is the last date for applying to the job?

Which countries are accepted for this remote job?