Gustavus Adolphus College will present its annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference, featuring a new teach-in format, on Wednesday, May 3 with the timely theme, The Future of U.S. Education: Who decides what gets taught?
The event will run from 10-11:20 a.m. in Alumni Hall in the OJ Johnson Student Union. The event is free and open to the public and will be recorded for those who cannot attend in person.
The program is an opportunity to draw upon the expertise and insights of Gustavus faculty members from across the disciplines to examine what education’s purpose is and should be, who actually decides what gets taught and why, and how the answers to these questions will impact us all in the short term and for generations to come.
The featured faculty presenters are:
Moderator: Greg Kaster, History and African Studies
Lisa Dembouski, Education Department
Sun Hee Lee, English
Colleen Stockmann, Art and Art History
Katie Leehy, Biology
Jill Locke – Political Science and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
Education is one of the cornerstones of American democracy and has historically been seen as a pathway to personal wellbeing, healthy communities, and a more peaceful world. Every generation has seen debates around educational curricula as a reflection of our values and priorities. Today, we’re seeing increased efforts to legislate what gets taught in classrooms from K-12 to colleges and universities — particularly around topics such as history, race, gender, sexuality, and identity. The outcomes of these debates will have a tremendous impact on peace, justice, and our democracy at home and abroad.
The teach-in model is designed to learn more about a complex and current topic from a variety of perspectives. The morning will include short remarks and a panel discussion from campus experts and time for small group dialogue.
A recording of the teach-in will be posted on the MAYDAY! website the day after the event.
The annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established at Gustavus in 1981 with funding by the late Florence and Raymond Sponberg. It was established to inspire attendees to work for justice and peace throughout the world.
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