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J. Paul Taylor Symposium to focus on social justice for youth topics
New Mexico State University's J. Paul Taylor Social Justice Symposium: Justice for Youth will bring together local, state and national experts and scholars to address the interrelated problems in education, health and juvenile justice that are affecting New Mexico's youth. The symposium dates are April 14, 15 and 16, and events will be held at the Corbett Center.
"Now in its fifth year, the J. Paul Taylor Symposium has become an important forum for discussions about social justice issues. It also is an opportunity to appreciate how artistic expressions invite us to reflect about these topics. NMSU is proud to host this event and we extend a cordial invitation to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community in general to join us and become active participants," said NMSU President Waded Cruzado.
The symposium's keynote speaker will be Pedro Noguera, a professor of teaching and learning at New York University, whose talk, "Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline," will address the schools' role in preventing youth from entering the juvenile and criminal justice system. His lecture will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, in the Corbett Center Ballrooms.
Noguera's presentation will look at strategies to keep kids safe, successful and out of trouble. He is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at NYU. A sociologist and author of five books and dozens of journal articles and literary works, Noguera's scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions of the urban environment.
Throughout Wednesday, April 15, and Thursday, April 16, there will be a series of other panelists discussing key topics. A provider and outreach fair, a documentary film and book signings also will be part of the symposium. For a complete schedule of events visit http://jpts.nmsu.edu.
All events are free and open to the public and will culminate with a coalition building exercise during which conference-goers will recap the conference highlights and decide as a group what specific topics they would like to see brought before the legislature in 2010.
"We are inviting youth and family involvement. They should come to be part of the conversation. Anyone with a stake in these issues can have the opportunity to hear and learn about the problems and research affecting our youth," said Lisa Bond-Maupin, associate professor of criminal justice.
For more information or to register for the symposium, visit http://jpts.nmsu.edu or call 646-7441.
Written by Daniella De Luca.