Education for Social Justice (Anti-Bias Education) was an integral component of the comprehensive approach as implemented by REI projects. At the end of REI in December 2005, the Education for Social Justice Initiative and its management was included into the work of ISSA, the International Step by Step Association.

A large network of people across REI countries were trained in the methodology and are active in the field today. View the list of participants here.

There are two components to the ESJ initiative, one that targets and works with school-age children, and one which specifically targets adults.

Education for Social Justice: (ESJ Primary), A Program for Children, consists of 5-6 days of training, a Teachers' Handbook, and a resource book. It presents learning activities for teachers to do with children that work to:
-strengthen children's self-concepts and group identities by acknowledging, respecting, and affirming all children's cultures and experiences;
-strengthen school relationships between families and communities by incorporating into the curriculum learning material that comes directly from these two sources as the basis for teaching new knowledge and skills
-encourage children to explore and seek solutions to social injustices that they may encounter. Rather than just fostering a general "appreciation for differences", the program promotes children's ability to interact with people from diverse backgrounds in a comfortable and empathetic manner. The program also fosters children's critical thinking about the misrepresentations, stereotypes, and prejudices.

Because the skills taught in the training help teachers recognize the cultural diversity of each child, it is essential that teachers have a strong basis in child-centered methodologies before trying to implement "Effective Teaching and Learning" or "Education for Social Justice" in their classroom.

Education for Social Justice: (ESJ-Adult) is designed to be used broadly with minority and majority groups (including, for instance, not only educators, but also local administrators, social workers, community members), seeking to build deep mutual respect and combat discrimination in diverse communities.

The Program for Adults consists of 6 days of training and a Training of Trainers and presents background, theory, and activities for adult audiences in any profession. The objectives of the program are:
-to increase people's knowledge, understanding, and sensitivity of mechanisms which perpetuate and maintain systems of oppression and inequity
-to promote the concept that each person must intervene, challenge, and counter the personal and institutional behaviors that perpetuate these systems.

In addition to teachers, the Adult ESJ training is relevant for a larger audience of parents, school administrators, local education authorities, and others in the community who interact with minorities such as policemen, health care professionals, etc. The trainings for Adult ESJ are provided by trainers with a strong background in psychology who have received extensive training and mentoring from international experts.

For more information, please contact: eizsak@issa.hu