McGovern Educators' Institute

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The 2024 Educators Institute is coming at a critical moment for our

city and nation. Two of the traditional “3-R's,” Reading and Writing, have

fallen out of favor. Young people are increasingly receiving their “news” and

"education" from social media and the internet. The current effects of

neglecting serious art, literature, and culture do not bode well for the future

of education or, more generally, for the health of our society.

For many years the McGovern Foundation has supported educators

who provide guidance for young people as they “orienteer” through

adolescence. Young people need help finding their way through a

challenging period in their personal development, yet their access to those

who truly want the best for them is limited. The 2024 Educators Institute at

the University of St. Thomas would explore literature and other art works

that are inclusive, enlightening, and sustaining.

With the leadership of Dr. William Monroe, who has over 30 years of

experience establishing, directing, and participating in teachers’ institutes,

we propose the establishment of a more comprehensive institute, perhaps

to be designated the 2024 Kathrine G. McGovern Educators Institute. The

2024 Institute would be an expanded, next-generation iteration of the IEI,

the Inprint Educators Institute of 2023, and like the IEI, would be based on

the tenets and practices of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.