EVENT:  UCI’s Center for Educational Partnerships and the UCI Teacher Academy in partnership with the UCI Humanities Center and UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive will host a two-day conference intended for K-12 educators and all community members interested in integrating the principles of Asian American studies into their professional work.

WHEN/WHERE:  9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30. Conference will be held virtually on Friday, April 29, and in-person on Saturday, April 30, at the UCI Student Center (bldg. 113, grid D5 on this campus map: https://parking.uci.edu/maps/documents/2021-UCI-MainCampusMap.pdf)

Full Schedule for both days found here: https://sites.google.com/view/teachingforjusticeconference/schedule

INFORMATION:  The first day will be virtual and open to all. Speakers will introduce Asian American studies, as well as spotlight resources and advocacy efforts for and by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

The second day will be in-person and is intended for K-12 teachers in Southern California. Attendees will build community with one another and learn how to integrate Asian American studies into the K-12 classroom. Parking is available in the Student Center Parking Structure, located near the intersection of Pereira Drive and West Peltason Drive on campus.

State Sen. Dave Min (37^th District) and Michael Matsuda, superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District, are included in the list of 33 confirmed speakers for the conference, found here: https://sites.google.com/view/teachingforjusticeconference/speakers 

Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or ccapuano@uci.edu for both parking and event credentials. Face coverings are recommended indoors, but not required, regardless of vaccination status, per state guidance. 

BACKGROUND:  The racial reckoning sweeping the nation, COVID-19-related xenophobia and violence aimed at the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on BIPOC communities have accelerated the urgency and necessity of ethnic studies in schools. The UCI School of Education recognizes that for social justice to be integrated and sustained in public education, local partnerships must be built that empower and prepare teachers to implement Asian American studies in the classroom.

After nearly a year of conversations and collaborations between K-12 educators in Orange County, faculty and staff at UCI, and education experts across California, the UCI School of Education formally invites all K-12 educators and stakeholders interested in establishing, strengthening and expanding Asian American classroom instruction to this two-day conference. An important outcome of the conference is the dissemination of research and pedagogical resources that teachers can directly implement.

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