Teachers have responsibility and can assume agency for enhancing the education of Pacific students in Aotearoa New Zealand. Pacific education is an area which needs improvement and, consequently, Pacific communities seek actions -- deliberate strategies -- to enhance educational provision. Among the strategies available is the engagement of role…

The academic achievement of Black boys in the U.S. has been declining, and Black male mentorship can positively change these outcomes. Schools have tried many interventions to help Black boys receive the academic, social, and emotional support they need to close the performance gap. Some case studies have proven that Black male mentorship works.…

In this article, we describe a year-long superhero storytelling project we facilitated with youth in a midwestern middle school. In this project, students read "Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spiderman," designed superhero stories set in their community, and presented artistic representations of their stories to their families and peers. We…

This article explores the dynamics of inter-generational conversations between queer and trans youth and queer and trans adults through an analysis of a routine segment on the reality show, RuPaul's Drag Race. At the end of each season, the drag queen contestants are asked to give a piece of advice to photos of their younger selves and, by proxy,…

Protecting children and investing in their education and wellbeing can often feel like a battle. The seat that the author now holds at the proverbial education table is crucial in not only developing a well-rounded and well-equipped student body, but it is also in seeing herself as a role model to future leaders--both women and future leaders of…

The purpose of this article is to share Coach Vermeil's foundational commonsense coaching principles for youth sports coaches, and more broadly health and physical educators, to help create a more positive culture for their team.

Bandura's research on observational learning laid the foundation of role model research. Contemporary research shows role models support women and racial/ethnic minority students in STEM by buffering them from the deleterious effects of stereotype threats and boosting their self-efficacy. However, certain characteristics can make role models more…

Comic book characters (CBCs) provide an escapism from reality while still confronting real issues. However, for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) there is a lack of characters that look, talk, and think like them. Black Panther is an example of a character more inclusive of BIPOC populations, especially Black males. What…

Education systems today must prepare every child, everywhere, to thrive in an increasingly complex world. But despite huge increases in education spending over the past two decades, children are not achieving the desired outcomes. A lack of belief and investment has led to widespread demotivation of teachers and officials, as demonstrated by high…

In recent years, several role-modelling initiatives have been testing and exploring the use of digital technologies to facilitate young people's encounters with role models in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The aim of this article is twofold. Firstly, through a literature review, the article aims to provide an…

In this article, the author finds connection between courage and a place that, at first glance, might seem to many to be among the unlikeliest of places in which to find courage: the library. The author maintains that the library--public or, as applies more directly here, school-- is precisely and even profoundly the place. How so? In the books on…

How can an open access database annotating pictures, films, music and texts support adults as existential exemplars? This article explores the opportunities of a Norwegian database called the OE-database. Its target group is all adults who want to become better exemplars for children through encounters with art and conversations in small groups.…

Abstract When he returned to Amsterdam in spring 1945, Otto Frank discovered that not one but two versions of his daughter's diary had survived the Holocaust: the three notebooks of so-called version A and the revision of that diary on loose sheets of paper, called version B. Other texts also survived, including a notebook Anne titled "Tales…

In this article, the author recounts how giving pupils access to diverse role models not only benefits those from underrepresented groups, but ensures all children see that science is a subject for everyone. Teachers need to be aware of the culture of their pupils and ask how that can be used to engage and extend scientific understanding.

Learning and innovation skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration can be fostered through learning about STEAM role models. Using selected picture book biographies, teachers can help their elementary students visualize the experiences of these individuals as they developed and refined ideas…