Our Mission

Student Pedagogies for Social Change was created out of the desire to provide an inclusive, creative platform for high school- and college students to critically discuss progressive topics that impact family, community, as well as national and global matters of social change and liberation. We believe that teenagers and younger generations can impact visions and shape theories for a just world through critical pedagogies—that is, teens can impact new ways of learning and reflecting. Paulo Freire discusses in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, that the process of learning must be a reciprocal, relational practice between student and teacher, young and experienced.

 

First and foremost, we believe in the power of solidarity between and within communities and of allyship. In that regard, we think conversations on histories, cultures, politics, and identities can be more capacious than how they have been understood in the past. Our vision for knowledge production and content about social change and liberation is that of inclusivity and allyship/solidarity. 

 

We seek to foster the critical voices of students in education whereby students are agents of their own learning and use their whole selves to produce knowledge. Student pedagogy is a critical pedagogical tool that inserts itself as an important component of critical theory. Critical student pedagogy starts with lived experiences of young people who see their agency as a critical component in changing education to promote societal change and progress. And like critical race theory, student pedagogy recognizes how the ongoing systematic harms in the education system can hinder true liberation.

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Ultimately, Student Pedagogies for Social Change looks for writing and artwork that offer crucial examinations of our society's inner workings, the systems we are all part of.  We recognize the importance of addressing the historical and prevailing inequities of power, status, socioeconomics, education, and more. We at Student Pedagogies believe that art and writing can be vehicles for positive change, and our journal seeks to give voice to students who are passionate about creatively advocating for a more just and equitable world.