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How & What We Teach

We center love. We center justice.

Grounded in mentorship, healing, experiential- and land-based learning, SLE centers critical pedagogy. We design courses with intention to nurture deep care, foster intellectual rigor, and advance collective liberation. 


Dr. Rodriguez has been a committed mentor to BIPOC and LGBTQI+ folks. One project she led while at UC Davis was WOCSI, a project that builds on a similar project she lef at Rutgers University when she taught there. This is a photo of the cohort of people WOCSI served.

The right-wing produces fake news and undermines mainstream Western science. It attacks higher education institutions as sites for the propagation of "radical indoctrination," and yet, the "ivory tower" of academia are precisely that: white (and male, and heteronormative, and etc.). Our people (BIPOC, marginalized) and our knowledges are invisible or excluded in these spaces. We often take to social media (or other digital media platforms) to tell our stories.  At best, these platforms only offer superficial information. At worst, these platforms are owned by corporate elites who put profits first and often affiliate with the right-wing. 

So what do you do if you care about social and ecological justice? 

How can you deepen your knowledge? 

You can join us.

In SLE courses, we provide you with scholarly, academic readings produced by and for BIPOC and other marginalized people. Though there aren't a lot of us in the country's major research universities, some us manage to fight our way in (like me) and have done really rigorous work that lifts up our collective experiences. A lot of amazing research is out there but is often inaccessible to most people it was often intended for.

We also provide you with access to reliable, and critical, news articles. Our digital news feeds tend to be dominated by mainstream, corporate news outlets, but there are brave journalists and not-for-profit news services in existence that are sometimes hard to find. SLE makes sure to get these resources to you in our courses. 

Finally, we provide you connection with social and ecological justice activists and community organizers.  We want you to learn about how they are addressing the crises of the day, but more than that, we want to give you an opportunity to find out how to get involved.

Most of our courses are virtual and self-paced. Our self-paced courses range from curated content around specific sets of themes to instructor-led pre-recorded lessons.

We are adding "hybrid" virtual courses that will include lectures from instructors in real-time (synchronous) as well as opportunities for class discussion. Some of these courses can be counted toward the certificate program.

We will also be offering in-person intensive learning opportunities (retreat style and/or land-based) for those who have completed our synchronous courses.

Dr. Rodriguez leading a workshop at Remagination Farm

For more information on SLE's founder, Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, see her website. 

FAQ

  • Do I need any college or university experience to enroll in SLE courses?

    No. We recommend students enrolling in SLE courses have a high school diploma and/or a GED . However, if you're 18 years of age and older and did not get a chance to complete high school, you're still welcome to enroll. We will have in-take forms that will allow us to better tailor our curriculum to meet your learning needs.

  • Are flexible payment options available?

    Yes. We've tried our very best to ensure that our courses both cover our expenses while being affordable to most people. We do offer monthly payment options and are willing to negotiate alternative payment terms if the available options are still not feasible. We're willing to consider trade/barter options; please email us directly to discuss possibilities. We will always offer a slots for free tuition on an application basis. Please email us directly to apply for specific courses. We also offer lots of free courses, so you're welcome to take advantage of those.

  • What kind of homework or assignments will I have to do?

    It depends. Unless you're opting to earn a certificate from SLE, then you don't have to complete any homework or assignments. For the real-time (synchronous) courses, we may have you complete assessments or surveys - this is mainly so we can determine what your current base of knowledge is or what your learning styles are or what topics you're interested in exploring. We are committed to offering courses that are responsive to your interests and needs.