
Education & Access
The promotion of a just and civically responsible society depends highly on our ability to provide people with equal access to an education system that helps them think critically about themselves and their communities. That means education is—at its core—an intersectional field that cannot be conceived apart from issues of race, class, and nation. The Education & Access pathway at the Lang Center is concerned precisely with the ways in which the academic discourse on education overlaps with local and national movements for expanding access to higher education, promoting equity in school funding, providing equal opportunities for undocumented immigrants, etc.
Engaged Scholarship Opportunities
Within the issue area of Education and Access, there are several ways that you can get involved both on and off campus. The Learning 4 Life program is a wonderful opportunity for you to pair with staff members & professors to develop a specific skill or explore a personal interest. If you’re looking for tutoring opportunities, there are several that are easily accessible. The Dare 2 Soar program, Swarthmore’s oldest tutoring program, is for students interested in helping K-12 first-generation students achieve academic and personal growth. Let’s Get Ready, the SAT tutoring program, seeks tutors from Swarthmore and other colleges to tutor high school students from local high schools around the area. If you’re more interested in education policy, consider joining the Critical Education Policies Studies group composed of Swarthmore faculty and undergraduates. In this group you’ll have an opportunity to publish work in their Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies, a wonderful example of engaged scholarship, connecting your classroom learning and life experiences to consequential policies of the day.
Connect
Lang Center Associates
Ariza Nanji '24 |
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Sign up for an appointment with them on the LCA appointment calendar.
Key Faculty & Staff
- Edwin Mayorga, Associate Professor of Educational Studies and Latin American & Latino Studies
- Lisa Smulyan ’76, Henry C. and Charlotte Turner Professor of Educational Studies
- Jennifer Bradley, Visiting Assistant Professor of Educational Studies
- Kevin Webb, Associate Professor of Computer Science
- Catherine Crouch, Professor of Physics
- Ben Geller, Assistant Professor of Physics & Coordinator of NSE Educational Support Initiatives
- Amy Kapit, Visiting Associate Professor of Peace & Conflict Studies
Centers
- Educational Materials Center
Student Groups
- Learning 4 Life | Contact: Olivia Vazquez Ponce '22
- Chester Youth Courts | Contact: Sokeyra Francisco '22, Gwen Gilfond '22 and Leah Owen-Oliner '22
- Let's Get Ready | Contact: Ashley Henry
Learn
Relevant Courses
Tri Co
Bryn Mawr
- EDUC B266: Schools in American Cities
- EDUC B295: Advocating Diversity in Higher Education
Haverford
- EDUC H311: Theories of Change in Educational Institutions
Act
On-Campus Opportunities
- Dare 2 Soar | Contact: Ashley Henry
- Journal of Swarthmore Critical Education Policy Studies | Contact: Edwin Mayorga
Off-Campus Opportunities
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Subscribe to the weekly newsletter of the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND)
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Join an ITAG (Inquiry to Action Group) at the Teacher Action Group of Philadelphia
Grants
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Lang Opportunity Scholarship (apply Sophomore year)
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Summer Experience Funding (faculty-led engaged scholarship, internships, or projects)
Projects
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Elimu Kwanza After-School Program, Haron Kalii '23
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Improving Access to Museums in Cameroon, Philippe Kame '23
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FLI to Graduation, Aleina Dume '23
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The FreeArt Initiative, Chunyang Wang '22
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Writing in the Ward, Chris Precise '21
- Education project in Kenya, Jolleen Opula '21
- Strive St. Louis, Faith Becker '21
- The Benat Seshat Initiative, Nancy Awad '20
- Press for Peace Project, Seimi Park '20