Landscapes of Urban Education, Place, Space, and Race

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This seminar explores the intersection of the physical realities of urban environments, race, and education. We will pay particular attention to space as a factor impacting children and families. As a group, we will work to answer a cluster of questions surrounding the course topic in a systematic, interdisciplinary format. Questions may include: How does the physical landscape/structure of communities and schools matter to urban education? How do high concentrations of poverty and racial segregation impact curriculum, school culture, and neighborhood? How does school choice, early childhood programming, college preparatory and after-school programs factor into the landscape of urban education? What are "best practices" involved with teaching in urban environments? The final question we will work on as a group will be: What do we know about race and urban landscapes that can help propel positive micro- and macro-level change for our educational system? This course demands a high level of class participation and student initiative.