The Lesley Center for Inclusive Education
Imagine compassionate and responsive communities that support and value all learners! Advances the belief that all children can learn!
Our Mission: We transform education systems by providing practical guidance and professional learning that supports educators and school districts to create inclusive, trauma-sensitive, and just learning environments.
Our Vision: Compassionate and responsive communities that support and value all learners.
We advocate for the development of inclusive and equitable education by bringing innovative solutions, the most current research, and practice to districts to build capacity for inclusive education. We seek to expand the vision for special education and access for children with learning differences beyond compliance.
Our team partners with educators and districts to provide courses, coaching, professional development, graduate courses, research, and model programs designed to support all students. Inclusive pedagogy breaks down barriers and embraces practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive, learner-centered, universally designed, resiliency-focused, and trauma-sensitive. Special education has a mission to promote equity in education and provide true, meaningful access for all students. We recognize the harm of trauma’s disproportional impact on people who have been marginalized or disenfranchised because of race, ethnicity, ability, gender, religion, immigration status, sexual identity, and the intersectionality of those categorizations.
Come visualize and design inclusive learning ecologies with us!
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“I hope that education prepares student for the world that is, but encourages them to never stop dreaming about how the world could be”
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“I dream of education that instills a life-long love of learning in students , fueled by the ability to think critically, a willingness to embrace the unfamiliar, a passion for social justice, and an attitude of resilience.”
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“I hope that schools are places where students feel safe, loved, important, supported, and free.”
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“What if educators got paid more so that teaching can grow as a profession as a whole?”
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“My hope is that we can center joy and human flourishity over testing and productivity
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“A place where students can come to class, share who they are (culturally, racially, economically, interest wise, passions, geographically) and join a collaborative classroom. So our society can transformed into safe and open spaces for life long learners from ALL backgrounds.”
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“Segregated classrooms aren’t just outdated—they’re harmful. There is real impact of separating students with disabilities. Inclusive education is essential for everyone.
Advance and advocate for the development of equitable and inclusive education.
The Lesley Inclusion Institute works to advance and advocate for the development of equitable and inclusive education. We believe inclusive pedagogy leads to more equitable joyful learning environments. Educators are better able to provide access to content when they break down barriers and embrace inclusive practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive, learner-centered, universally designed, resiliency-focused, and trauma-sensitive.
What we do:
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Graduate Level Courses
We create and deliver graduate-level courses for educators focused on practical applications of inclusive and trauma-sensitive pedagogy.
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Responsive Leadership in the Field
We provide workshops, seminars, and convenings on current, relevant topics to keep partners, Lesley University, and the community on the cutting edge.
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District Partnership and Systems Work
We partner with school districts as thought leaders and accountability partners to support deep, sustained culture change. For administrators and school leadership teams to develop innovative solutions and build capacity.
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Research and Knowledge Generation
We conduct research examining the intersection of equity, inclusion, and trauma sensitivity and their collective impact on learning outcomes. Our research team supports change initiatives and a variety of questions, like the impact of educators’ beliefs on developing equitable and inclusive learning environments.
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Journey toward inclusive education
Tracing the history of the Center parallels the field’s story of moving from exclusion to inclusion, and towards equity in education. The center supports educators to make true inclusion and belonging possible through strategies, research, and change initiatives.
Principal Funder
CISE activities are made possible by the generous support of the Morgridge Family Foundation.
The foundation commits its resources to spark innovation and sustainable change within stagnant systems, to create poignant connections that address issues holistically, and to build awareness while amplifying the impact of change-makers.