Over the years, the School of Continuing Studies has deepened its partnership with the Center for Social Justice, Teaching, Research and Service (CSJ). SCS students have participated in CSJ programs, including the Alternative Breaks Program, and CSJ has supported community-engaged curriculum at SCS like the “Jesuit Values in Professional Practice” course. Last year, CSJ collaborated with SCS on its Day of Service by developing a program of awareness-raising and training around the issues of homelessness in the neighborhood surrounding SCS.
CSJ lives out its mission at Georgetown to “advance justice and the common good” as it “promotes and integrates community-based research, teaching and service by collaborating with diverse partners and communities.” CSJ enacts this mission in three key areas: community and public service, curriculum and pedagogy, and engaged research. Next week, from October 19–23, CSJ will host a series of events titled “Education for Liberation.” Consistent with its mission of educating the campus community around pressing issues of social injustice, the series intends to raise awareness about both the challenges and celebrations within the current field of education. This series is a valuable opportunity for SCS students, alumni, staff, and faculty to learn from community-engaged practitioners, scholar-activists, and others involved in culturally responsive and antiracist pedagogy.
There is an amazing array of virtual programs to choose from next week. From “A Dialogue with Creative Educators” focused on uplifting the voices of marginalized youth, to “The Role and Importance of Community-Based Organizations in Education” addressing community-based efforts in DC to support social-emotional development of K-12 students, the events offer important insights about the challenges facing the field of education. There are even fun and relaxing ways throughout the week to lower stress and tension through meditative dance at a “Joy and Jam Session.” At a time when many are questioning the state and future of education, particularly higher education, there is much to learn from CSJ and its commitment to living out the university’s Jesuit values through programs like Education for Liberation Week.