ISLANDWOOD CHAMPIONS JUSTICE-CENTERED EDUCATION AT TWO CONFERENCES

This October, IslandWood’s faculty contributed presentations at two impactful conferences, bringing forward ways to intertwine justice with education in early learning and beyond.

Earlier in the month, Dr. Déana Scipio, IslandWood’s Director of Graduate and Higher Education, co-presented at the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC) Conference alongside Dr. Charlene Montaño Nolan, an associate professor in Early Childhood Education at Western Washington University. Their session, “Making Place for Climate Justice in the Early Childhood Curriculum,” invited educators to think deeply about engaging young learners in co-creating a world where everyone can thrive. This session emphasized understanding local climate shifts and human actions that foster a sense of justice, making it an enriching opportunity to be part of WAEYC’s forward-thinking discussions on climate justice in early education.

Following that, at the Northwest Teaching for Social Justice Conference, Dr. Scipio joined IslandWood colleagues Dr. Priya Pugh and Renée Comesotti to present “Perspective Storytelling as a Justice-Centered Science Teaching Practice.” This interactive session showcased how science education can reconnect students with the natural world through a justice-centered lens, emphasizing the power of perspective and storytelling to foster a deeper understanding of environmental and social issues.

Our team was honored to contribute to these conferences, sparking dialogues that empower educators to embed social and environmental awareness in their classrooms.

Learn more about IslandWood’s EEC program and its commitment to justice-centered education.

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