Nearly 300 Expected for 3rd Annual Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore Summer Conference

The School of Education’s Barbara A. Sizemore Urban Education Initiative will host the 3rd Annual Barbara A. Sizemore Summer Conference and Award Ceremony, Gaining the Tools to Take Action in Urban Schools and Communities, in the Power Center Ballroom on May 31 and June 1.

The conference, which will bring together nearly 300 members of the Duquesne University and Pittsburgh communities, focuses on issues to improve education for all students, particularly for students in urban schools. Attendees will participate in a wide range of experiences promoting a greater awareness of research conducted on issues of urban education.

“The importance of holding this year’s conference is that we will be bringing together the Sizemore Initiative High School Pipeline students who we have been working with over the past year, the undergraduate students in Duquesne’s Leading Teacher Program in Urban Education, the Barbara A. Sizemore Research Scholars who are faculty in the School of Education and the Heinz African American Male Fellows to provide them with an opportunity to share their work with other scholars and with the surrounding Pittsburgh community,” explained Dr. Arnetha F. Ball, Professor of Education at Stanford University who served as Duquesne’s inaugural visiting Barbara A. Sizemore Distinguished Professor in Urban Education.

In addition, the conference will feature the presentation of the Annual Barbara A. Sizemore Spirit Award to an individual who has infused urban education into his or her research and curriculum at the School of Education.

“The workshops will be of great importance to teachers and community members who are coming from the surrounding school districts to learn more about five important topics: culturally relevant pedagogy, serving English language learners, mentoring African American males, drawing on community resources and supporting students who are struggling readers and writers,” said Ball.

The conference will feature three keynote speakers:

• Dr. Geneva Gay, professor in curriculum and instruction at Washington University
• Dr. Ivory Toldson, associate professor at Howard University
• Dr. Anthony Brown, associate professor at University of Texas, Austin.

“As the conference attendees engage with our keynote speakers and the workshop activities, our hope is that they will also forge new collaborations that will support them in the work they are doing on behalf of the students we serve,” said Ball.