VANCOUVER – The At Home At School Program (AHAS) at WSU Vancouver has been accepted as a collaborative site of the International Institute of Qualitative Inquiry (IIQI). Enhanced research opportunities and leadership in social justice advocacy for WSU are anticipated.
Founded by Susan Finley, WSU Vancouver professor of education, the AHAS program provides community-based teacher education that emphasizes social justice in the classroom by teaching how to identify and break down barriers that may leave children feeling unwelcome or invisible.
“Becoming a collaborative site for the IIQI is a great move for AHAS,” Finley said. “It supports what we are already doing in the program and provides an opportunity to start new initiatives.”
The IIQI is a multidisciplinary institute housed at the University of Illinois that works with collaborative sites to build a community where members from a wide variety of academic disciplines can discuss, research and work together to provide leadership and be advocates of social justice.
Finley plans to continue in-depth research on issues that confront homeless children. By partnering with the IIQI and other collaborative sites, AHAS can build on existing research from other locations, work with other groups doing similar research and help determine the most effective method to research these problems.
“Joining forces with the IIQI promotes WSU Vancouver’s community outreach and collaborative research efforts,” Finley said. “I expect results from the AHAS program will expand the arena of social justice in the classroom. With the help of the IIQI, our work will be able to reach a far greater audience than it does now.”
