About 16,000 kilometres separate Drs. Lisa Kervin and Anne Burke, but the similarities in their research keep the scholars connected.

The two education experts are building on those connections to create tangible results for young learners in their respective countries.

Dr. Kervin is recognized for her research excellence in early childhood and digital literacies. The professor in education at the University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia is the founding chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and co-leads the country’ Educated Child Program of Research, focusing on young children’s literacy, play, intergenerational interactions and digital technologies.

At UOW, she is the director of Early Start, a community-focused research institute with over 70 researchers from disciplines including education, psychology and public health. Early Start includes the Discovery Space, a public children’s museum that serves as a social living lab, with over 2,000 weekly visitors.

Memorial’s Dr. Burke, a professor in literacy education and digital learning in the Faculty of Education and the Discovery Play Centre lead, says the two have discovered many synergies with their work around the sociocultural perspectives of children’s literate lives with a focus on play and digital media.

In 2025, Dr. Kervin began her Future Fellowship Program of Work, Intergenerational Play: A Right for All Generations. She says the program enables her to make connections with international scholars.

“In my application, I identified Anne as an expert advisor to support the focus on intergenerational play. During my Canadian visit, Anne and I will have the opportunity to plan a collaborative project that we will work on together. I am hoping that this will lead to future visits.”

Memorial University is the first stop on Dr. Kervin’s first trip to Canada.

“I have followed the St John’s community from afar and see them as leaders in intergenerational initiatives, particularly through the arts. I can’t wait to hear more about the music festivals, maker-faires, art workshops and museum programs that bring the community together,” she shared.

Dr. Burke says she is excited about the project.

Despite the distance between the two scholars, she says they have found many connections between their respective islands’ cultures.

“Together we aim to understand how Newfoundland and Labrador as a society encourages multiple generations to interact through play,” she said. “We are also curious as to how multi-generations provide care and support to each other, and how they participate together in expressive cultural activities, like museums and gallery programming, botanical gardens and music festivals.”

She also says she and Dr. Kervan will work together to develop an Eastern Canadian case study for the University of Wollongong project and a Global Intergenerational Play Observatory,  contributing to the ongoing initiatives of the National Educated Child Program of Research.

“In Newfoundland and Labrador, we will be focusing on young children’s literacy and play, exploring the many intergenerational interactions and digital technologies through our unique artistic culture.”