In this essay, as a group of teacher educators, we discuss our experience of "walking the walk" of teacher education transformation at a time of urgent change. We reflect upon our process of integrating three key priorities in our preservice teacher education courses: education for sustainability; trauma-informed practice; and…

This paper focuses on the Education Systems Improvement EdD program (EDSI) at the University of South Carolina and how the program faculty utilize the signature methodology of the program, improvement science, towards its improvement efforts towards enhancing its equity focus, especially post-pandemic. We utilize the framework of improvement…

A small university in rural Texas explored developing a criminal justice bachelor's degree curriculum through the lens of perspective transformation focusing on humanity courses, resulting in a paradigm shift away from a traditional criminal justice baccalaureate degree curriculum. This article addresses the university's journey in developing the…

Mental health screening is a pivotal practice for promoting the social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) health and well-being of youth in schools. However, some aspects of traditional mental health screening practices may inadvertently perpetuate structural racism and unintentionally facilitate oppression and SEB disparities. We address this issue…

Grow your own (GYO) programs are designed to recruit, prepare, and place community members as teachers in local schools. They do this through partnerships between educator preparation programs, school districts or local educational agencies, and community-based organizations. The nation is currently seeing new and thoughtful uses of the approach.…

Youth within juvenile justice facilities (JJFs) are often some of the most vulnerable and marginalized population in our communities. These youth often have experienced trauma, social-emotional learning (SEL) issues as well as difficulties in school. Many of these youth have had little opportunity to express their voice in positive and healthy…

Recognising young women's authorship as a powerful force for civic change, we developed a creative framework for applied theatre that cultivates a space for young women to co-author "little words, BIG ISSUES": a diversity and inclusion workshop facilitated in cooperation with U.S middle school students. Activating girl-led activism…

The University of Washington's (UW) "Access to Informal STEM Learning (AccessISL)" project employs a student-centered approach and potentially transformative practices that embrace the social model of disability, social justice education, disability as a diversity issue, intersectionality, and universal design. A leadership team of…

Language teacher identity (LTI) has become an increasingly central focus in language teaching recently, perhaps because identity is now defined as multiple, complex, shifting, socially constructed, and a site of struggle (Norton, 2013; Song, 2016)--and thus a construct that can and should be intentionally influenced (Varghese, Motha, Park, Reeves,…

This evaluation report explores the evolution of the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), an annual convening of youth leaders, youth organizers, adult allies, and educators from across New England. The report closely examines the first several years of YLI, tracking its growth and challenges through the eyes of youth, adult allies, and Nellie Mae…

In the twenty-first century, many music education scholars seek to reconceptualize music education toward social justice. Critical pedagogy is at the forefront of this shift. However, as teachers aim toward equity through employing critical pedagogy, some undesired effects of using this teaching approach may arise. In this paper, I consider the…

Furthering intercultural competence in higher education requires colleges and universities to establish an intentional, mission driven strategic plan that embeds intercultural understanding and practice across the institution's work. To secure broad-based buy-in and support, this plan needs to consider the various ways that different units within…

The National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education identify social justice as a guiding principle of the social work profession, yet there is little consensus in the field of what the term actually means and how it can be achieved. Master of Social Work programs are likewise struggling with how to educate students…

A strengths assessment of the College of Education at Kansas State University in the United States showed that a majority of faculty had strong interests in social justice issues in education. The need for providing continuing post-graduate education in social justice education with theory-to-practice relevancy is critical in formal and informal…

Educational research often portrays culturally, linguistically and economically disenfranchised (CLED) children's disengagement from school learning as individual behaviour, ignoring the contribution of race, gender, socio-cultural, ethnic and social class factors. This paper analyses a specific community engagement programme in Australia which…