Justice Scholars: Educational Equity through a Social Justice Focused, College-Preparatory University-School Partnership

Background and Purpose: In light of the challenges that face urban schools, it is imperative that universities intentionally engage K-12 students in ways that help them disrupt the educational inequity that they see and experience. Social Work institutions in particular are uniquely positioned to interrupt the effects of distressed neighborhoods and underserved schools. As such, PACS’s Justice Scholars initiative partners with Westinghouse Academy, a 6-12 public school in Pittsburgh’s economically challenged Homewood community, to provide a rigorous, justice-focused, college preparatory experience for high school students. The program has a two-fold approach:  1) a focus on social justice helps students address systems of inequity in education; and 2) a college-readiness focus equips students with habits of mind that support an academic identity and that open up pathways to higher education.

Methods:  Justice Scholars began in 2016 with implementation of an Introduction to Social Work course through the University of Pittsburgh’s College in High School (CHS) program. We have since expanded to three college courses. In addition to earning actual college credits, Justice Scholars participants receive a suite of college readiness supports, including preparatory workshops, campus visit opportunities, and guided instruction in conducting college-level research on a social problem relevant to their community, culminating with a 10-15 page paper and a poster presentation at Pitt attended by university faculty. In addition to the in-school support through the college course and research training, students also participate in an out-of-school time, social justice lab where we examine relevant justice issues and engage in the community to address the issues explored in their work. Program outcomes are evaluated through participant surveys and interviews, pre- and post- academic performance outcomes, and college matriculation rates.

Results: Prior to Justice Scholars there were no legitimate college credit opportunities at Westinghouse. However, since its inception the program has grown from 13 students the initial year to 47 students in the current year, with 11 of the 13 of the original cohort (85%) matriculating to post-secondary education programs. Interviews with JS students and alumni indicate that among particularly impactful program components, the intensive research experience provides them with valuable skills that support the college transition. Participants also indicate that the social justice lab provides an avenue for them to develop their perspective and voice in a way that feels empowering.

Conclusions: The ongoing development of PACS’s Justice Scholars initiative represents an extraordinarily promising educational equity strategy and university-community partnership. Through intentional work to create a college immersion experience, Justice Scholars has invited students to adopt a scholar identity in a setting where post-secondary pathways were obscured. This development is in line with research that supports the importance of non-cognitive factors necessary to support college readiness for students in urban, underperforming schools. Additionally, the focus on social justice invites young people into the discourse about their experiences and how their voices fit in to larger conversations on what equity can look like in communities of color.