About

 

Inequality: Town Halls for Education Innovation brought together students, staff, faculty and members of Olympia community in forums to address the unprecedented rise in income and wealth inequality that characterizes US society today. Drawing across disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and the expressive arts, this symposium held bi-quarterly Town Hall meetings to examine the causes and consequences of inequality, and to explore contemporary and historical perspectives.
banner2-01-01-01-01In this moment of a heightened awareness of the polarization of US society, we are troubled by the impact that this inequality of wealth, power and privilege might have on our democratic institutions, on our governance practices, as well as on our schools, colleges and workplaces – sites that we cherish as purveyors of social mobility in our society. As a public liberal arts institution, the Evergreen community has been especially unsettled by the rising cost of tuition, nation-wide, and the concurrent rise in the debt-burden facing our students upon graduating. We think these are overriding concerns facing our students and their families, and feel that we need to tackle this issue openly and collectively as a community.
 The World Cafe Discussion platform was a key component of all of the Inequality Town Hall events. It provided an innovative and effective horizontal discussion framework that allowed for meaningful conversations about challenging topics and issues.
Guidelines for the World Cafe Discussion model.

Sponsored/Funded by:

  • Evergreen Fund for Innovation  Fall 2014-Spring 2016
  • Additional funding and collaborations are listed on each event page and include the President’s Diversity Fund, Dean’s Match, and Center for Community-Based Learning and Action. 

Faculty Co-Coordinators:

  • Savvina Chowdhury
  • Anne Fischel
  • Martha Rosemeyer
  • Sarah Williams

Evergreen Staff Collaborators:

  • Ellen Shortt Sanchez, Director, Center for Community-Based Action
  • Jean Eberhardt, Academic Advisor
  • Raquel Salinas, Coordinator of Student Support Programs, First Peoples Multicultural Advising Services