Cultivating 'Multiplicadores' through Community Empowerment: Liberatory and Digital Learning Models for Transformative Development

Thursday, September 26th - 12 PM - 306 Coble Hall and on Zoom

Description: In 2019, Armando joined a Rio de Janeiro based NGO and Think Tank as a research collaborator to digitally map local favela organizations and their mobilizers. He has spent the last 5 years conducting community-based participatory research with Brazilian mobilizers, virtually and locally, to identify and strengthen community assets. This work led to the development of a pilot course for empowerment, global citizenship and digital inclusion. This talk will present findings of this study aimed at accelerating the development and impact of community mobilizers by boosting agency, capacity, collaboration, and learning through transformative, culturally relevant, and digitally inclusive pedagogy. Stakeholders across disciplines interested in transformational scholarship and practice are invited to participate in this collaborative and global project.

Speaker: Armando Jose Torres is earning his PhD degree in Global Studies in Education (GSE) within the Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership department and holds a BA in Global Studies and MEd in Postsecondary Administration. Armando is a popular educator, social entrepreneur and community mobilizer with 15 years of experience working in community with local and international CBO’s, scholars and mobilizers for social transformation.