About the Public Education, Religious Studies, and Public Scholarship Seminar
Objectives
Develop a Community of Practice
Develop a community of practice of religious studies scholars interested in promoting the public understanding of religion in the public school sector.
Foster Connections among Educators & Scholars
Build a network of educators and scholars who are invested in enhancing education about religion in K-12 public schools.
Share Expertise
Put public scholarship knowledge and skills into practice through opportunity to share expertise with educators, preservice teachers, and education researchers
Meet our five scholars participating in the 2022 Public Education, Religious Studies, and Public Scholarship Seminar:
Background:
Religious studies scholars widely support enhancing education about religion in K-12 public schools and express encouragement for projects with that goal. The difficulty arises when translating this support into action. Scholars quickly encounter the complexity of U.S. public education and the challenges inherent in public scholarship. This project seeks to establish a community of practice dedicated to cultivating the public scholarship knowledge and skills necessary for religious studies scholars to collaborate with public schools and educators.
Seminar Content:
- best practices for communicating their scholarly expertise for a non-academic audience;
- the current status of religion and public education in our region, and;
- how scholars of religious studies and theology can contribute to enhancing the understanding of religion in the K-12 education environment.
Seminar participants will learn from current K-12 teachers, education researchers, and other experts in the field of religion and education. Each participant will develop a public-facing product that presents their area of expertise in a manner that is accessible to K-12 educators and/or teacher educators.
