School reform activist and education scholar Bill Ayers — whose name will forever be linked to the 2008 presidential campaign — will be a Unit One/Allen Hall Guest-in-Residence from March 9–12. Each night of his residency, Ayers will give a free talk in the Main Lounge of Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory in Urbana. The talks are open to the public.
Ayers is a school reform activist and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is founder of the Center for Youth and Society and founder and co-director of the Small Schools Workshop. He has written extensively about social justice, democracy, and education. His interests focus on the political and cultural contexts of schooling as well as the meaning and ethical purposes of teachers, students, and families. Ayers’ book, Fugitive Days, recounts his experiences in the Weathermen and the Weather Underground.
Monday, March 9
7 p.m. — Opening program, “Yes We Can: Reflections on Campaign 2008”
followed by a screening of the film The Weather Underground
Tuesday, March 10
7 p.m. — “Fugitive Days”
followed by a screening of the film The Weather Underground
Wednesday, March 11
7 p.m. — “Education for Democracy”
Thursday, March 12
7 p.m. — “The New Activism”