The Teacher Institute "Engaging Lived Religion: Jain, Buddhist, and Muslim Communities" will introduce grade 6-12 educators to Jainism, Buddhism, and Islam through the lens of “Lived Religion” and equip them with knowledge, resources, and pedagogies for classroom engagements.
This institute will focus specifically on Jain, Buddhist, and Muslim communities from South and Southeast Asia and their diasporas in Los Angeles in order to help teachers gain a richer understanding of religious diversity in Southern California. It will accompany the Fowler Museum’s exhibition Visualizing Devotion: Jain Embroidered Shrine Hangings (November 20, 2022- March 26, 2023).
Drawing on recent scholarship, as well as a wealth of Los Angeles resources–museums, murals, religious sites, and community and spiritual leaders–this teacher institute will explore the many ways individuals and communities express their key beliefs and practices. Educators will be introduced to strategies for integrating art, oral histories, music, and site visits into their curricula. They will work with scholars of religion, community leaders, and curators, as well as K-12 teachers versed in experiential learning, on curriculum activities for teaching World History, Culture, and Geography.
The institute will convene on Saturday, January 28 and February 4 from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Wednesday, February 1, from 6 to 8 pm. Applications are available here. Enrollment is limited to 25 Southern California-based teachers. LAUSD teachers will receive one LAUSD Salary Point with Multicultural Credit.
Teachers enrolled by November 15 will be invited to the opening reception of Visualizing Devotion: Jain Embroidered Shrine Hangings at the Fowler Museum and will be eligible to receive a transportation scholarship worth up to $500 to bring their students to the Fowler.
This teacher institute is organized by the Fowler Museum at UCLA in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies (CNES), and the UCLA Islamic Studies Program. Funding is provided by U.S. Department of Education Title VI grants held by CSEAS and CNES.