About

The Latinx and Latin American Faculty Working Group at Teachers College, Columbia University started in 2007, when Professor of Education Regina Cortina joined the International and Comparative Education Program. Professor Cortina, an expert in Latinx and Latin American education issues, realized that a great amount of research was being carried out at the College, but was not visible. At the same time, online research on Latinx issues was hard to find.

In 2009, Leslie Barlett and Regina Cortina, along with other faculty members and college administrators, collaborated in establishing the first working group on Latinx issues. The group gained an online presence and, with time, integrated Latin American issues on education. The group currently has 21 faculty members from across all fields and five college administrators at TC.

The Latinx and Latin American Faculty Working Group at Teachers College works under three pillars:

• It is a space for professors and students to exchange viewpoints on Latinx and Latin America related topics. To that end, the group organizes a yearly event with the College’s Coalition of Latinx Students (CLS).
• It works to bring education scholars and experts to talk on matters relevant to the group. The Latinx and Latin American Faculty Working Group collaborates with the K-12 Outreach Program and the Americas Dialogue Education Policy initiative (ADEP) at the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) of Columbia University to offer original resources for class, as well as outstanding academic and professional development experiences in the Americas.
• It strives to increase the presence of Latinx and Latin American Students at Teachers College. US-born Latinx students together with immigrants from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean represent 40 percent of students in New York City. Latinx populations in Harlem, which neighbors Columbia’s main campus, request experts to provide greater understanding of the cultural realities of their students. The group gathers to discuss how to increase the Latin American and Latinx presence within Teachers College and supports the Latinx and Latin American community through events such as the “Annual Latinx Unity Dinner.”

For more information on the origins of the Latinx and Latin American Faculty Working Group at Teachers College, please visit the news section.