TEACHING TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: Using Literature Circles to Enhance Learning and Create Deeper

Using literature as the catalyst for change is grounded in Freirean pedagogy. In the case of the Oaks Leadership Scholars, leadership educators are crafting an environment for building transformative leadership skills using texts calling for the enactment of justice and equity as a starting point for capacity building and self-reflection. Students read the texts individually, then in conjunction with workshop-style instruction, discuss the texts in formal sessions. To extend their thinking, students have the opportunity to attend optional reading circles (including a formal lesson and informal discussion) designed to enhance their critical thinking and development. Discussions in these reading circles often move in directions that allow for meaning-making beyond the narrow text focus into broader, real-world applications. Project co-directors report that the texts and subsequent discussion have energized students to act and engage.