Religious Literacy: Children’s Museums as Playful Spaces to Engage Young Children and Adults
November 1, 2023 — Children’s museums provide playful spaces within the public sphere for children and adults to engage together through familiar and novel content and platforms. This talk explores processes in developing religious literacy within the informal educational context of Boston Children’s Museum (BCM). To guide critical theory-practice connections, we reflect on how as collaborators in the Religious Literacy Initiative we sought to provide children and the adults who care for them opportunities to: 1) unpack how beliefs and values develop as a facet of identity; 2) increase comfort around differing belief systems and uncover commonalities; and 3) celebrate religious, cultural and familial traditions.
The Search for the “Right” College: An Overview of White Evangelical College Decision-Making with Implications for Practice
September 21, 2023 — Although white evangelicals have long been skeptical about non-sectarian higher education, the current climate in the United States necessitates a fresh look at possible sources of their beliefs. Edwards’s research seeks to understand how evangelical high school students navigate the college enrollment process in the current polarized climate.
Religious Literacy Education Beyond Secondary Social Studies: Including English Language Arts in Secondary Teacher Professional Development
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 — Gayle Pagnoni, Program Director at the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance at Rice University will discuss the expansion of her professional development program to include English Language Arts.
Religion in State Education Policy
Monday, March 21, 2022 — Bryan Kelley will discuss education policy at the state level in general, introduce some organizations and resources that provide helpful information on state education policy, and provide some examples and trends on legislative actions regarding religion seen in state education policy in recent years.
Teacher Perspectives on Professional Development about Religious Literacy
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 — A panel of educators from Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland) will discuss their experiences of professional development about religious literacy.
Teaching about Religion In Europe & the UK
December 14, 2021 — An international panel of scholars will provide an overview of how several European countries teach about religion
Brie Laskota: Understanding Religious Literacy Content Creators
November 16, 2021 — Brie Laskota will discuss her recent report, Understanding Religious Literacy Content Creators and Providers in Education, Journalism, and New Media: A Report for the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, produced with the Inclusive American Project of the Aspen Institute.
Religion & Social Studies in the U.S.
October 20, 2021 — Ashely Berner discusses the difference between “exposure” and “indoctrination.” American school systems confuse the two. This session explores why, and what we can do about it, by comparing the structure and content of public education in our democratic peer nations.
REC Fall Kick-Off and 5th Birthday Celebration
Monday, Sept. 27 —Start another new year with the Religion & Education Collaborative!
Fall 2018 Check-in Meeting
Members of the Religion & Education Collaborative provide summaries of the projects they are currently working on. Presenters include: Alice Chan, Ryan Gardner, Gayle Pagnoni, Ben Marcus, and Kate Soules.
