Note to Facilitators
After reading the poem and discussing the meaning of popular education, have a conversation about the diverse educational experiences of the participants.
In what contexts have you experienced something like popular education?
Where do you think popular education could be used in specific social movements you are involved in?
How can popular education be applied in formal education contexts such as public schools and universities?
Do further research on popular education in Nicaragua
Research the historic National Literacy Crusade of Nicaragua, which received the UNESCO Educational award in 1981.
These resources by Deborah Barndt are available in the CERLAC archive:
The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade: The Second War of Liberation. Toronto: Canadian Action for Nicaragua, 1982.
“Now we can see ourselves: Nicaraguans learn to make photo-stories of their daily lives.” Dev/Ed News, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1982.
Popular Education in Nicaragua: Collected Documents. Toronto: Participatory Research Group, 1983.
“We Call Upon All Popular Educators of the World.” Report of the International Conference of Popular Education for Peace.” Published in English and Spanish by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education and the Participatory Research Group of Toronto, 1983.
To Change This House: Popular Education under the Sandinistas. Toronto: Between the Lines, 1991.
For a full account of the Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade:
Valerie Miller. Between Struggle and Hope: The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade. Routledge, 1985.
Do further research on popular education in North America
The ideas and practices of popular education in the U.S. and Canada have been greatly influenced by the Nicaraguan and Latin American experiences. The following resources offer concrete examples of how popular education methodology has been applied in the North American context.
Rick Arnold, Bev Burke, Carl James, D’Arcy Martin, Barb Thomas. Educating for a Change. Toronto: Between the Lines, 1991.
Rick Arnold, Deborah Barndt and Bev Burke) A New Weave: Popular Education in Canada and Central America. Toronto: Canadian University Service Overseas and Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1985.
Deborah Barndt. English at Work: A Tool Kit for Teachers. North York: Community Outreach in Education (CORE) Foundation, 1986.
Deborah Barndt. Naming the Moment: Political Analysis for Action. Toronto: Jesuit Centre. 2ndprint in 1991.
There are also many examples of popular education used in social movements in Canada located in the York University archives of Deborah Barndt.
http://www.deborahbarndt.com/site/academic/barndt-archive-at-york-university-library/