WWU’s Rita Daniels Accepted to Prestigious Social Justice Training Institute

Western Washington University Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Rita Daniels has been invited to attend the Social Justice Training Institute in Springfield, Massachusetts this June.

The goal of the Social Justice Training Institute is to encourage educators and students alike to promote full and equal participation of all groups in society.

“This Institute is great for self-development and learning how to navigate issues of social justice in my classes,” Daniels said. “It’s beneficial for my students as well as the department and the university as a whole, given that we’re working towards strengthening issues of social justice.”

Over the past 15 years, The Social Justice Training Institute has hosted more than 28 sessions for professionals and six for students. During the session educators are taught to deepen their understanding of the dynamics of oppression at the individual, group, cultural and systems level.

Daniels said she hopes to develop her skills and have a better understanding of issues of social justice.

At its core, the Social Justice Training Institute is meant to promote equity among all groups. Daniels explained that social justice is fundamentally based on addressing issues of inequality.

“It’s just about fairness. We have to be fair regardless of personal likes, ideologies, sexual orientation, nationalities or religion,” Daniels said.

Daniels said she is excited to learn new skills and bring them back to her classrooms in the fall.

“My teaching philosophy is to create a classroom that is a safe space and I want to learn more about how to engage in these conversations about race,” Daniels said.