NAME's 2025 WEBINAR SERIES, Vol. 1:
Saturday, February 22 at 1pm.
From Empathy to Action: Empowering Students to Create Change
Through Reading, Writing and Research
Presenter:
Christopher Hass, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Education
James Madison University
(he/him/his)
While an increasing number of educators have begun to think more carefully about the roles of identity and diversity in their teaching, it is essential that we do not stop there. Representation should be the floor, not the ceiling. In this session, we will explore an essential next step in justice-oriented teaching - how literacy instruction can be used to scaffold learners to work toward needed change in their communities. While a wealth of examples, resources, and places to begin will be offered within the context of k-5 education, the practices shared in this session could be adjusted for learners of any age.
Chris Hass, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Early, Elementary, and Reading Education at James Madison University. His teaching and scholarship focus on culturally relevant teaching, social justice education, and student activism. He serves on the Executive Board of the Early Childhood Education Assembly and is a column editor for Language Arts where his "Civic Literacy" column supports educators to promote civic engagement in k-5 classrooms. Additionally, he co-created the Equity thru Education Collaborative, a diverse group of educators, students, and advocates working together to use education as a means of addressing issues of injustice and inequity in their communities.