I am committed to the promotion of disadvantaged and historically marginalized groups in and through academia. Here I outline examples of outreach programs and access initiatives that I have led or in which I have participated.
Teaching feminist philosophy to men inside the New Jersey prison system
I co-taught feminist philosophy to men incarcerated at Garden State Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in New Jersey. Our students were serving a variety of sentences and their education levels varied widely. I needed to be innovative when trying to reach every student. This was delicate given that we were teaching feminist philosophy to men who, in some cases, had committed crimes against women. In order to help them relate to the material, I related feminist philosophy to their experiences. As they were all members of ethnic minorities, I focused on intersectional feminist philosophy and structural oppression. I assigned texts that examined the intersection of axes of oppression, including racism, sexism, and ableism. The students took to the material well and gave the course a score of 9.4/10.
Princeton University philosophy outreach program
I was a founding member of Princeton University’s after-school philosophy outreach program. The purpose of this program is to introduce philosophy to middle and high school students from the Trenton, New Jersey, area, who would not otherwise have access to philosophy instruction.
Oxford University ‘Schools Plus’ GSCE tutor
I tutored for Schools Plus, a program offering free tutoring to students in the Oxford area who do not have access to resources for private tuition and academic support.
Princeton University Program for Community Engaged Scholarship (ProCES)
I worked for Princeton University’s ProCES office. ProCES is dedicated to developing community-oriented curricula across the university. The office assists professors and students in designing their syllabi and research in ways that serve public issues at the local and global level. ProCES additionally promotes and funds collaborations between university researchers and community members.
Compass workshop for undergraduate minorities in philosophy
I co-organized Princeton’s Compass workshop. Compass is a two-day networking event designed to bolster the participation of people of color in academic philosophy. Undergraduates of color from around the country were invited to engage in two days of philosophical discussion with one another and our selected mentors. Our faculty and graduate student mentors ran advice sessions like, “How to apply to graduate school,” and “How to be a professional philosopher.” The workshop offered its participants an opportunity to increase their comfort with the field of professional philosophy.
‘Philosophy cafe’ for young girls in NYC
I led a “Philosophy Cafe” at New York City’s Lower Eastside Girls Club. This was a space for preteen girls from low-income families to gain exposure to philosophy. Each session of the Café began with a new, accessible topic in ethics, epistemology, or metaphysics, such as “what do we know for sure?” and “what was there before the universe began?”. I aimed to show the Café’s young participants that they too already think philosophically, and that philosophy is neither owned by men nor the ivory tower.