Building Bridges: Pen Pal Programs as a Pathway to Just Education Renewal

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: School-University Partnership Research Roundtable: Preservice Teacher Education (Table 10)

Abstract

The purpose of this collaborative autoethnography was to investigate how three educators associated with Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) described and analyzed their experiences of forming and maintaining a university-school partnership through implementing a pen pal program between pre-service teachers and diverse learners at a middle school with urban characteristics. Utilizing a constructionist framework, the study aimed to understand how these interactions contribute to educational equity and renewal. This framework guided the study's methodology of collective autoethnography to interpret the findings through systematic text condensation. Analysis has yielded several themes across research questions. This research highlights the potential of pen pal programs to bridge gaps in educational equity, promoting a more just and inclusive learning environment.

Authors

• Catherine Boggs, Texas A&M University

• Leslie Reschman, Texas A&M University

• Quinita D. Ogletree, Texas A&M University