UC School of Education-Freedom Center
Teaching for Hope & Justice Network Events
Mark Kohan, UC Academic Director / Rich Cooper, NURFC Interpretive Services
May 12th, 2011
FREEDOM WRITERS & ERIN GRUWELL KICKOFF SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT WITH
CINCINNATI AREA TEACHERS & STUDENTS
Renowned educators and authors, Erin Gruwell and the Freedom
Writers, will speak with hundreds of interested students and educators at
schools and universities across Cincinnati. In honor of the 50th anniversary
of the Civil Rights movement and the Freedom Rides of the 1960's, students,
educators and community partners throughout Cincinnati have been
working together to support the Teaching Hope social justice project. The
project will create new space for students and teachers to engage in social
justice inquiry, service, and leadership projects related to the region’s rich
diversity and cultural resources. Throughout the day at various venues
across town, Erin and the Freedom Writers will be sharing their stories and
ideas for what schools and communities can do to be more inclusive and
socially just.
A special evening at the National Underground Railroad Freedom
Center will celebrate the voices, knowledge, and ideas of students and
teachers. 300 students, teachers, and other educators from throughout the
greater Cincinnati area will be the guests of honor with Erin and the
Freedom Writers. The Freedom Center will be hosting this event in
partnership with the Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education, the
Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, the University of
Cincinnati, Xavier University, Miami University, Women Writing for
Change, and other community organizations, as they hope to call attention
to how schools can be involved in making social justice a priority for the
health and well-being of our region. Invited teachers, educators, and their
students will begin a dialogue about how they can become catalysts for
positive educational change.
More can be found at www.freedomwritersfoundation.org
http://cech.uc.edu/centers/hope/
http://www.freedomcenter.org
Kohan/Cooper/THJN -- 2
October 11th, 2012
Culturally responsive Pre-service Teacher Workshop
The UC School of Education created a special Workshop with the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center for students and faculty to explore
exhibits and educator resources for addressing issues related to equality,
diversity, and justice. The evening provided an opportunity for UC
education students and faculty to get to know one another better as they
engaged in issues that affect the profession of teaching and the process of
schooling in the United States. the workshop paid particular attention to
increasing student awareness of the impact of race and diversity on
American society and schools.
Outcomes:
 School of Education EDST 201 students participated in considering
the historical and contemporary social, legal, political, and
philosophical issues related to slavery and it impact and role in
education.
 Students began to identify significant socio-cultural issues impacting
education, particularly those that relate to schooling and American
culture, diversity, and educational equity (e.g., many students took
notes and reflected on the experience for their field experience
projects).
Approximately 60 students and 5 UC faculty and/or instructors
participated in the event.
http://cech.uc.edu/centers/hope/
http://www.freedomcenter.org
Kohan/Cooper/THJN -- 3
February 1st, 2012
Culturally responsive Pre-service Teacher Workshop
The UC School of Education created a special Workshop with the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center for students and faculty to explore
exhibits and educator resources for addressing issues related to equality,
diversity, and justice. The evening provided an opportunity for UC
education students and faculty to get to know one another better as they
engaged in issues that affect the profession of teaching and the process of
schooling in the United States.
The UC School of Education created a special Workshop with the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center for students and faculty to explore
exhibits and educator resources for addressing issues related to equality,
diversity, and justice. The evening provided an opportunity for UC
education students and faculty to get to know one another better as they
engaged in issues that affect the profession of teaching and the process of
schooling in the United States. the workshop paid particular attention to
increasing student awareness of the impact of race and diversity on
American society and schools.
Outcomes:
 School of Education EDST 201 students participated in considering
the historical and contemporary social, legal, political, and
philosophical issues related to slavery and it impact and role in
education.
 Students began to identify significant socio-cultural issues impacting
education, particularly those that relate to schooling and American
culture, diversity, and educational equity (e.g., many students took
notes and reflected on the experience for their field experience
projects).
Approximately 45 undergraduate and graduate students and 15 UC faculty
and staff participated in the event.
http://cech.uc.edu/centers/hope/
http://www.freedomcenter.org
Kohan/Cooper/THJN -- 4
May 9th 2012
From Civil War to Civil rights…to Human Rights:
A culturally responsive teacher training workshop
This professional development workshop for pre-service teachers, as well as
area high school teachers and their students, focused on non-dominant
American histories and cultures. This work was inspired by historian
Ronald Takaki, by Freedom Writer Teacher Erin Gruwell, and by
educational researcher Bridgie Ford who writes about the importance of
culturally responsive educational partnerships. After hearing the cultural
conflict stories of 6 ethnically and professionally diverse Americans,
participants broke into one of 5 smaller Break-out/discussion groups of
their choice (some of which included one of the speakers) around issues
that were raised and that are still impacting American education, schools,
teachers, and students. At the end of the workshop, participants came
together as a whole group to report out on what they discussed and learned
as well as what implications for teaching and schooling it raised.
Evaluations were also distributed and collected.
Approximately 75 pre-service teachers, teacher educators, teachers and their
students participated in the event.
http://cech.uc.edu/centers/hope/
http://www.freedomcenter.org
Kohan/Cooper/THJN -- 5
October 9th, 2012
Examining oppression in the world:
Why Modern-Day Freedom Fighters are needed
A culturally responsive education workshop
Despite public perception, slavery did not end 150 years ago. Depending on
how slavery is defined, there are possibly more people enslaved today in the
world, than in any other time in human history. Come and learn about how
a new Underground Railroad movement is needed today in schools to help
eradicate modern-day slavery and address other forms of oppression in our
country and world.
The evening will include guest speakers, tools to identify your modern-day
slavery footprint, interactive activities connected to the Common Core
Standards, and dialogue sessions with other students, teachers, and teacher
educators.
Approximately 100 UC pre-service teachers as well as area high school
teachers and their students participated in the event.
November 8th, 2012
Revisiting the Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell
Area students, teachers, teacher educators, and community partners will
join erin gruwell for a special evening at the National underground railroad
freedom center to watch a freedom writers film and discuss its implications
for schooling, teaching, and learning in America.
Over 3oo participants are expected at the event.
http://cech.uc.edu/centers/hope/
http://www.freedomcenter.org