IEE Projects

Current Projects

Bilingüismo y Justicia Critical Bilingual Authorization Program

The Bilingüismo y Justicia bilingual authorization program, coordinated by Dr. Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz, is the leading bilingual teacher preparation pathway in the region. The CBAP has grown in enrollments by over 400% in the last five years, expanding with undergraduate pathways, teacher residency partnerships with local districts, an add-on authorization pathway for in-service teachers seeking bilingual certification, and offering bilingual authorizations in Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese through the Asian Languages Consortium with other CSUs. The Bilingüismo y Justicia program prides itself on providing the most comprehensive bilingual teacher preparation pathway, with numerous courses taught in Spanish, teaching placements with expert bilingual mentor teachers, an additional bilingual seminar that complements candidates’ practicum seminar, and the option of a bilingual concentration in the Master of Arts in Teaching. Moreover, the Bilingüismo y Justicia program distinguishes itself by preparing educators who think critically about the relationships between language and power in society, and bring critical pedagogical approaches to their teaching so that bi/multilingual youth can flourish.

Ethnic Studies Educator Pathway

The Ethnic Studies Educator Pathway is a collaboration between Luis Poza (SJSU), Juan and Jackie Gamboa (San José City College, SJCC), and faculty in Liberal Studies Teacher Preparation and the Ethnic Studies Collaborative at SJSU. The program has established clear articulation between Ethnic Studies courses at SJCC (including dual enrollment courses offered to high school students), undergraduate courses at San José State in the LSTP major or various Ethnic Studies subfield majors and minors, as well as the graduate teaching credential and master’s program in the Lurie College

of Education. This partnership has created an accelerated and more economical pathway for students interested in Ethnic Studies and careers in education to achieve their goals, as well as fostered greater sense of community across institutions and programs to ensure each stage of the pathway is welcoming and affirming.

The image source and more information about the Educator Program can be found here!

Ethnic Studies Residency Program

The Ethnic Studies Residency Program (ESRP) provides financial support, specialized additional professional development, and immersive student teaching experiences to prepare future educators to meet California’s new ethnic studies graduation requirement and to cultivate an educational ecosystem in East Side San Jose that knows it’s not just about what we teach, but also how and why we teach. The ESRP is coordinated by Profs. Luis Poza and Marcos Pizarro, in close collaboration with Profs. Jolynn Asato, Yvonne Kwon, Tiffani Marie, Asha Sudra, Tiffani Marie of SJSU and Christina Hewko, UC Santa Cruz doctoral candidate. The ESRP proudly partners with the Eastside Union High School District, Franklin McKinley School District, and Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District in a long term collaboration that not only prepares future teachers, but also amplifies the voice of current educators doing transformative work centering the strengths of the students and communities they serve.

Transforming Science Education for Climate Justice

Prof. Tammie Visintainer, recipient of a prestigious NSF Career Award, coordinates this project that supports school-based science teachers and students in conducting community-based science research on the causes and effects of extreme heat/urban islands in racially and ethnically diverse communities. Doing research of this nature in schools is important, as students gain opportunities to engage in community-based science research usually occurring in out-of-school contexts. Teachers participate in professional learning experiences that support their development of content knowledge, scientific research practices, and critical pedagogies needed to design and implement research projects in their classroom. Meanwhile, students identify locally-relevant issues related to this phenomenon, conduct investigations to explore the issue, share their findings through arts-based community narratives, and advocate for change. This project will broaden access to empowering youth-centered approaches that support learning and identity construction in science. Educational activities culminating from this research include the development of a graduate-level course focused on climate justice action research as well as curricular materials for K-12 classroom use by teachers and students. (See more information about the NSF Career Award and project funding here).

Spartan Occupational Career Life Studies Program (OCLS)

Coordinated by Profs. Sudha Krishnan and Jihyun Lee, the Successful Postsecondary Access and Related Transition Activities for Neurodiverse Students Occupational Career Life Studies (SPARTANS OCLS) Program is designed for college-aged students with intellectual disabilities who did not meet the original admission requirements at SJSU. The program aims to provide inclusive academic, social, and work experiences to support their pursuit of independent employment based on person-centered career goals.
Each student’s path in the SPARTANS OCLS program is individualized according to their person-centered plans. The program is a two-year, non-degree, non-residential program offered through a collaboration between the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Lurie College of Education, and the College of Professional and Global Education at SJSU.