Social Justice Educator Cohort Program
The Social Justice Educator Cohort (SJEC) was a year-long social justice leadership program for educators piloted in 2024-2025. The development program brought together a group of dynamic Chicago educators to collaborate on projects to advance racial justice in schools.
The free program was offered by It Takes A Village Family of Schools (ITAV) and the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP).
As of 2025, we have paused the program. If you are interested in learning more about racial justice in schools, consider registering for IRRPP's Summer Education Workshop.
SJEC Program Goals
- Increase understanding of the ways structural racism shapes education, teaching, and their students’ educational experiences including how racial dynamics have shaped the sociohistorical context of urban education.
- Increase understanding of how identity shapes school processes, interactions, and learning.
- Develop pedagogical tools to integrate issues of racial justice and civic engagement into the curriculum and the classroom.
- Identify ways to improve educational experiences and outcomes for all students.
- Create a supportive community for sharing best practices in social justice education.
- Integrate new knowledge and skills into a work plan for implementation in schools and classrooms in the Chicagoland area.
SJEC Participants
For the 2024-2025 pilot program:
- Received a $2500 honorarium plus extra research funds to support their work in the cohort.
- Attended a 4-day professional learning workshop: Summer Education Workshop (SEW).
- Participated in monthly workshops throughout the year.
- Received CPDUs.