In a pioneering initiative to foster engaging conversations around fundamental moral and political questions, faculty members from over 30 American colleges and universities will convene at Yale University from January 11 to 13 for the inaugural Knowledge for Freedom Faculty Institute. Hosted by the Yale Citizens Thinkers Writers program, the three-day event aims to explore effective strategies for involving high school students in challenging and thought-provoking discussions.
The Knowledge for Freedom (KFF) Network, an undertaking by the Teagle Foundation, invites underserved high school students to delve into scholarly works addressing life’s purpose and civic responsibility. The participating faculty members lead programs that bring aspiring first-generation students from their local communities into seminar-style classes on their campuses.
Yale’s Citizens Thinkers Writers program, a founding member of the KFF network, has been at the forefront since 2016, inviting students from New Haven’s public high schools for intensive summer sessions on philosophy and politics. Inspired by Columbia University’s Freedom and Citizenship program, this initiative aims to connect academia with the community.
The KFF Network encompasses 28 active programs across diverse institutions, including community colleges, state universities, liberal arts colleges, and private universities. All share a common commitment to providing local students with exposure to transformative books on political thought and facilitating discussions on the complex questions they raise.
As the first in-person gathering of the network, the Knowledge for Freedom Faculty Institute provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on the KFF mission’s implementation in classrooms, campuses, and communities across the United States. Throughout the conference, they will engage with experts on college access and completion, sharing challenges and successes from their respective programs.
Yale participants, including Tamar Gendler, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Bryan Garsten, a professor of political science and humanities, will share insights into how the Citizens Thinkers Writers program connects academic conversations to present-day issues in New Haven. Local leaders involved with the program will also present at the conference, including Joseline Tlacomulco, Jorgeliez Casanova, Hossna Samadi, and Anthony Campbell.
The three-day conference will feature alumni of KFF programs and faculty from initiatives nationwide, such as the House Divided Project at Dickinson College, Elon University’s Freedom Scholars, and Fordham University’s Visions of the Good in the Bronx. Renowned national voices on the purposes of college, including Andrew Delbanco, Mary Dana Hinton, and Roosevelt Montás, will contribute to the discussions.
Notably, Henry Seyue, a student alum of Citizens Thinkers Writers, will participate in the conference. Seyue gained local recognition in 2022 for reading a Langston Hughes poem at the prestigious Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C.
The Knowledge for Freedom Faculty Institute stands as a milestone in advancing educational strategies that inspire meaningful dialogue and critical thinking among high school students on moral and political issues.
