Empowering our Students for the Future: Encouraging Self-Direction and Life-Long Learning [Paperback]

Educators of every kind such as school superintendents, principals, teachers, higher education practitioners, community organizers and even students will gain essential skills, resources and examples to encourage and support individual as well as collective empowerment from early childhood education through college in both traditional classrooms and in the broader community. Working toward the goal of empowering young people as active citizens, this collection of chapters presents voices from across the broad community of educators who share their successful individual work of methods and practices that empower young people to engage in their own agency. By using student centered practices in and out of the classroom, their stories demonstrate multiple ways to successfully achieve these ends. The book clearly and effectively presents these concepts: How to encourage self-directed learning; methods and examples of participatory practices and inquiry methods; strategies designing and supporting Problem Based Learning; models for civic engagement; organizing strategies; and practices related to Critical Race Theory. This collection can provide practitioners with strategies and skills that will encourage and develop self-confidence and self-direction in many arenas working together to create change in a democratic landscape as youth learn to use their power.

Scott Wurdinger is a professor of experiential learning and leadership studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato. His most recent book published with Rowman and Littlefield is titled Changing the Status Quo: Courage to Challenge the Education System.


Cynthia McDermott is a faculty member in education at Antioch University Los Angeles. Her academic interest is in encouraging opportunities for young people to have power and to stand against oppression.

Kiel Harell is an assistant professor of education at the University of Minnesota, Morris. His research focuses on increasing opportunities flCÐ