Each semester the University YMCA hosts a series of lunchtime speaker series centered around a particular theme. This spring, the theme is Praxis and the Power of Public Learning. From the press release:
“Paulo Freire asserts that praxis is a cycle of learning, reflecting, and acting in order to protect ourselves and our communities from oppressive systems. During the semester-long series, leaders will discuss how they are putting their theories into practice — whether those theories are in science, technology, education or social justice.”
All Friday Forum events begin and noon, and are free and open to the public. Here’s the lineup for this spring:
February 7th- “Steal the University: Making Teaching and Scholarship Work for Publics.” with A. Naomi Paik
February 14th – “We Poor Not Stupid! Lessons Learned in the Political Schools of the Urban Poor in Cape Town” with Dr. Ken Salo, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois and Danielle Chynoweth, Cunningham Township Supervisor
February 21st – “STOP THAT: I’ve stopped everything I’m doing, to focus on limiting the damage of catastrophic climate change. And I want you to do that, too.” Susan Parenti, founder of the School for Designing a Society
February 28th – “Religious Coping with Domestic Violence: What’s God Got to Do with It?” with Kristin Godlin, Hospital Chaplain
March 6th – “Bioinspired Design: A Practice in Making Analogies” with Aimy Wissa, Mechanical Science & Engineering, University of Illinois and Marianne Alleyne, Entomology, University of Illinois
March 13th – “Why I’m Still a Democratic Socialist and How I Practice My Politics?” with Patricia Simpson, Health Care for All Campaign
March 27th – “From One Side to Another: Lessons Learned about Dialogue Across Divisions” Scott Bidner, local farmer and instructor
Top image: People are sitting in rows of black chairs, facing the same direction. One woman is taking notes with a notepad and pen. Photo from University YMCA website.