Educating for Inclusion: Community Building Through Mentorship and Citizenship

Abstract

Schools are powerful instruments of socialization. Societal conditions due in part to demographic shifts and immigration require the adoption of initiatives to address educational equity. Community building may enhance the inclusion of those who experience pedagogical silencing in all levels of schooling. Both mentoring and citizenship education share the goal of community building through relationship development. The intersection of mentoring and citizenship behaviour is discussed in the context of three studies: the University of Central Lancashire's peer mentoring scheme, Florida's HOMES project to enhance immigrant student achievement, and the CASA Latina ESL study of community building in the classroom and student empowerment. The overarching theme of this paper is examining the value of community building via mentoring and citizenship development to promote educational equity.