The Latino Alumni Association of Columbia University is thrilled to be co-hosting a book talk with the Black Alumni Council and Columbia SoCal as we kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month!
Join us as Professor Adriana Villavicencio PhD CC ’00 TC ’02 shares in a conversation with NY Times bestselling author, Teachers College Professor Chris Emdin PhD, about her book, Am I My Brother’s Keeper: Improving the Educational Experiences and Outcomes for Black and Brown Boys. The book, published by Harvard Education Press, offers powerful insights into the opportunities and challenges of creating large-scale educational change. By chronicling a four-year initiative focused on improving education for 15,000 Black and Latino male students in New York City public high schools, the book covers what worked, what didn’t, and what we can do to transform districts and schools for young men of color.
The ESI model, a precursor to President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper, highlights the ways that school districts can embed educational equity into sustainable policies and practices, in contrast to implementing stand-alone initiatives that may come and go. Through the voices of students, teachers, and leaders, the book informs the development of other district-community partnerships designed to improve opportunities and outcomes for young people who have systematically been denied both. Most critically, the book provides policy, practice, and research recommendations to inform the next generation of work centered on youth of color.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A from the audience.
Dr. Villavicencio is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. Her research is focused on K-12 educational policy and school practice that deepens or disrupts inequities for historically underserved communities of students and families. For nearly a decade, she conducted research at the Research Alliance for New York City Schools at NYU—a Research-Practice Partnership with the NYC Department of Education. She is the author of numerous publications focused on race and equity in schools and regularly presents her research through a variety of both English and Spanish-language television and online media. Prior to becoming a researcher, she taught high school English in Brooklyn, NY and Oakland, CA. Dr. Villavicencio earned her Ph.D. in education leadership and policy from the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, an M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. in English from Columbia University. She also served as President of the Board of Directors for the Latino Alumni Association of Columbia University.
Dr. Christopher Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual, and award winning academic whose work in democratizing science and transforming urban education has been featured in a number of influential periodicals including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science and Technology, a M.S. in Natural Sciences, and Bachelors degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry.
He is a creator of the #HipHopEd educational movement – which explores the intersections of hip-hop and education and Science Genius – a global initiative focused on utilizing the power of hip-hop music and culture to introduce youth to the wonder and beauty of science.
He is author of the award winning book, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller For White Folks Who Teach In The Hood.. and the Rest of ya’ll too. His newest book, Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success, offers a transformative approach to schools and schooling and is currently available wherever books are sold.