Abstracts of Sessions

Session 1
Name and Affiliation of Presenter	Title of Session	Abstract
Laura Catulle Hood College	“Restorative Practices to Amplify Student Voice”	Restorative justice circles are a proactive intervention promoting positive social skills, accountability, increased engagement and student connectedness. Restorative practices help students learn to advocate for themselves and give them an opportunity to share their feelings about inequalities they feel within the learning environment, community and world.
Chloe Irla McDaniel College	“Illuminating Place: The Lumen Scholars Program at McDaniel College”	Drawing from the development and implementation of the new honors program at McDaniel College called the Lumen Scholars Program, this presentation will examine how a scaffolded, interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in Place as Text pedagogy encourages students to critically examine power, belonging, identity, and systems of inequity through local and global lenses both on and off campus.
Hope Witmer Hood College	“Inspiring ‘Hearts and Hands’ for the Common Good – An Interdisciplinary Perspective”	In this session, attendees will participate in interdisciplinary dialogue to explore innovative teaching and learning techniques for instilling values such as human connection, the common good, and the broader collective across disciplines as part of an integrative framework for the common good.

Session 2
Name and Affiliation of Presenter	Title of Session	Abstract
Heather Mitchell-Buck Hood College	“How Theatre Can Change the World”	Theatre absolutely can change the world. A good play puts us in someone else’s shoes and helps us shift our expectations and decenter our own perspective. In this session, we’ll consider The Hamlet Voyage as an example of a performance designed to help its audience see and appreciate different points of view, and consider how we can bring similar lessons into our lives, stages, and classrooms.
Elizabeth Newdom Hood College	“Cultivating Agency in the English Classroom: Antiracist Practices”	The current social and political climate increases the need for educators to assess teaching materials, content, and evaluation practices for greater inclusivity. Grounded in anti-racism ideology, this presentation aims to show methods for enhancing agency in the English classroom and/or writing workshop.
Ryan Weaver Salisbury University	“Values in Action: Civic Leadership, Interdisciplinary Learning, and Student-Led Impact”	This interactive workshop explores how values-based leadership education helps students connect personal purpose, interdisciplinary learning, and civic action. Drawing on Salisbury University’s Presidential Citizen Scholars Program, faculty and student presenters will share adaptable activities for fostering reflection, civic leadership, and student-led community impact.
Chloe Scott Hood College Alum 2016/ Mount St. Mary’s University	“Navigating the Noise: Media Literacy as a Catalyst for Collaborative Inquiry in the Classroom”	In an era of digital noise, how do we help students move from reaction to reflection? This session introduces a “Human-Centered” framework for media literacy that prioritizes empathy and critical inquiry. We will explore how educators can deconstruct viral content to foster civil dialogue, helping students find their voices and build bridges during times of social unrest.

Session 3
Name and Affiliation of Presenter	Title of Session	Abstract
David Bolton Hood College	“Techniques for Teaching Policy Analysis During Times of Political Unrest”	This session reviews research and equips instructors to teach policy analysis during political unrest using trauma informed pedagogy, structured dialogue, and simulations. Participants gain tools to manage conflict, support resilience, and deepen analysis. Techniques suit seminars, simulations, and assessments. Outcomes: 1) safer discussions; 2) improved analysis; 3) increased civic engagement.
Evan Hughes Hood College/ US Department of the Air Force	“A Series of Sevens: Similarities, Unique Characteristics, and Recommendations for Adult Learning Outside the Classroom”	Learning changes across our lifespan and is shaped by context, yet most research focuses on classrooms. This review synthesizes literature to explore adult learning in informal settings. It defines learning constructs and provides actionable recommendations for andragogy outside the classroom, offering insights on how adults best acquire and transfer knowledge.
Justin Lohr and Ibraheem Ahmad University of Maryland, College Park	“Activist Performance and High School English: Looking at the ‘Writing for Change’ Partnership”	This session will focus on the ways in which a community writing partnership between Northwestern High School in Adelphi, Maryland and the University of Maryland, College Park bridges the local and university communities and enables high school participants in the program to be heard as important contributors to public discourse on pressing issues facing the Hyattsville community.