I have had the tremendous fortune of being a NIU Social Justice Summer Camp co-counselor since Dr. Joe Flynn invited Dr. James Cohen and me back in 2016, and Dr. Dana Isawi in 2019, to help him build his vision of immersive professional learning for educators to build on their work toward more just educational spaces.
As we have moved through the years and the pandemic, and as we have imagined and reimagined the experience, we come back to the idea that SJSC is an experience.
From my perspective, it is an experience like no other, and every year I am changed through my participation. By the time camp ended Friday afternoon, I felt both energized and exhausted. For about a day, I even find it hard to verbalize my thoughts and emotions. As I processed, I was reminded of a conference I attended earlier in the year where the theme was “Literacies of Solidarity.” That theme and experience has given me some language to describe my experience now five months later at the NIU Social Justice Summer Camp.
The entire week this year had this deep feeling and experiences of solidarity among participants.
As we hosted 76 campers from more than 10 different school districts, old friends reunited and new friends were connected. As camp begins with registration, we as counselors have the privilege to welcome campers as hugs and “How are you?” abound. After check-in and dinner, we made our way to Cole Hall to officially start camp.
We honored the life and legacy of Ron Raglin, who was a friend, colleague and fierce advocate of camp. His advocacy is the reason why we were able to start SJSC 1.0. James shared heartfelt stories, and Ron’s wife and daughter were there to share how excited Ron would be to see how camp has emerged. The first night keynote is now named the Honorary Ron Raglin Lecture.
We then heard an eye-opening presentation from Dr. Nicole Nguyen. One of the many things I love about camp is that we jump right into critical discussions and tackle pressing issues in our schools. Campers then walked back to Patterson Hall to start the rest of an immersive week – together.
Throughout the week, we had hard conversations and lots of laughter. Tears and dancing. Advocacy and concern. Reflection and sharing. Introspection and vulnerability. Individuals coming together for each other and for our young people and their families and communities.
As a counselor, I have the privilege to introduce people across districts or watch as cross-district connections start to unfold. To hear intense conversation or laughter erupt from breakout session in Graham Hall is a joy for all of us as counselors. To be in the presence of committed educators makes me a better educator and human. Sometimes I feel selfish to benefit from the wisdom and experiences of so many campers. But then I remember solidarity. We are all better because of each other. We are all connected.
To participate in the dismantling of structures that cause harm in schools and create responsive, affirming and sustaining educational experiences means doing hard work. It can re-traumatize, it can cause dissonance, it can cause painful awareness of being complicit in harm. It can also feel deeply personal, and we need reminders that we are not alone.
On Thursday night, we had our first ever camp social in the Huskie Den. It was intended as a time to unwind and connect. What ensued was a room full of people sharing their talents, their whole selves and their commitments to each other and the work of social justice. As the evening closed, a request was made to all sing “We are the World” from 1985. Some participants grew up with that song while others were born years later and never even heard of it. But with the karaoke words on the screen, and two amazing voices leading the room, everyone joined in.
“When you’re down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well let us realize
Oh, that a change can only come
When we stand together as one, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
In that moment, the meaning of Social Justice Camp 6.0 came into full clarity for me.
Solidarity.
We all have individual work toward social justice in schools, but we can’t do so alone. We are not alone. We need each other. We learn from each other. We build with each other. We have each other’s backs. We will notice, name, interrupt and dismantle inequitable systems and practices in solidarity. We will create equitable, humanizing and justice-centered educational spaces in solidarity. We will continue to build – TOGETHER.
Michael Manderino, associate professor in the NIU Department of Curriculum and Instruction, studies the intersections of digital literacies for disciplinary learning, especially with adolescent learners. He was a column co-editor of Digital Literacies for Disciplinary Learning for the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Professor Manderino is on the executive board for the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in the role of social media manager.
