WHO WE ARE
What Is An Educational Leader Without Borders?
It is a person who shares expository stories with persons around the globe. Such leaders question and stand outside and look again at how schools work to perpetuate injustice, social division and reinforce social hierarchy.
Rose Cardarelli, Ed.D, FACHE
Founder & CEO, Education for All Coalition
2025 Educational Leaders Without Borders and International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership conference
Founder & CEO, Education for All Coalition
2025 Educational Leaders Without Borders and International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership conference
College in Prison
September 18, 2025
Eastern Michigan University celebrated a groundbreaking milestone on Sept. 18, 2025 with the graduation of the first cohort from its College in Prison program at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility—the only women’s prison in Michigan. EMU is the first public institution to establish a bachelor’s program for incarcerated women, where 12 students were awarded Bachelor of General Studies degrees, each graduating with a 3.5+ GPA.
Launched in 2023, EMU’s College in Prison program now serves 75 incarcerated students, offering the same in-person instruction provided on the University’s main campus. Led by EMU faculty, the program empowers students to engage in academic research, contribute to scholarly conversations, and gain essential skills that support both personal growth and future reintegration into society.
With great pride, President James Smith and a handful of senior academic leaders entered the correctional facility so as to personally deliver the bachelor degrees to these twelve incarcerated women. The ceremony was highlighted by a student statement noting “we will need a bigger graduation space for the future groups of EMU degree completers.”
President James M. Smith, Ph.D.
Eastern Michigan University
September 18, 2025
Eastern Michigan University celebrated a groundbreaking milestone on Sept. 18, 2025 with the graduation of the first cohort from its College in Prison program at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility—the only women’s prison in Michigan. EMU is the first public institution to establish a bachelor’s program for incarcerated women, where 12 students were awarded Bachelor of General Studies degrees, each graduating with a 3.5+ GPA.
Launched in 2023, EMU’s College in Prison program now serves 75 incarcerated students, offering the same in-person instruction provided on the University’s main campus. Led by EMU faculty, the program empowers students to engage in academic research, contribute to scholarly conversations, and gain essential skills that support both personal growth and future reintegration into society.
With great pride, President James Smith and a handful of senior academic leaders entered the correctional facility so as to personally deliver the bachelor degrees to these twelve incarcerated women. The ceremony was highlighted by a student statement noting “we will need a bigger graduation space for the future groups of EMU degree completers.”
President James M. Smith, Ph.D.
Eastern Michigan University
Dr. Clementine M. Msengi, Lamar University
Spared: A Story of Hope, Resilience, and Healing in Times of Uncertainty
September, 2025
There is no question that we live in an age of uncertainty, where division, conflict, and fear can sometimes feel overwhelming. Across the globe, people are searching for solutions in the midst of chaos, for connection in times of isolation, and for hope when the future feels fragile. In moments like these, one truth becomes clear: stories of resilience, hope, and healing are more essential than ever. My memoir, Spared: Escaping Genocide and Finding a Home in America: A True Story of Hope and Resilience offers one such story.
I grew up in the rolling green hills of western Rwanda, surrounded by a close-knit, loving family. In 1994, my life was shattered as I struggled to escape one of the fastest and most complete genocides in human history: The Genocide against the Tutsi. Forced into hiding for nearly three months, I confronted the darkest face of humanity. Yet in those same days, I also discovered extraordinary courage, compassion, and the quiet strength that makes survival, unity, and peace possible.
Through faith, the support of those who chose courage and love over fear, and a deep determination with hard work, I found a way forward, even when the burden seemed too heavy to bear and hope felt out of reach. Encounters with both expected and unlikely allies and leaders helped illuminate a path toward healing.
I am honored to share my story with you in Spared, a powerful account of my journey and the fulfillment of a promise I made while in hiding when all hope seemed lost. This memoir is not only my personal testimony of survival; it is also a resource for those seeking to understand the human cost of violence and the resilience required to overcome it.
Educators, students, leaders, and readers from all walks of life will find in Spared lessons on trauma-informed leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and the power of storytelling to heal and unite.
If you feel moved to share your own story, I would be honored to listen. I believe that many stories of resilience are waiting to be told. To invite me to speak at your next event or collaborate with in other ways, please reach out to me.
About the Author
Clementine M. Msengi, Ed.D., is an award-winning educator, author, keynote speaker, and mentor. She speaks nationally and internationally on topics including faith and resilience, education, mentoring, and the integration of refugees and immigrants.
Spared: A Story of Hope, Resilience, and Healing in Times of Uncertainty
September, 2025
There is no question that we live in an age of uncertainty, where division, conflict, and fear can sometimes feel overwhelming. Across the globe, people are searching for solutions in the midst of chaos, for connection in times of isolation, and for hope when the future feels fragile. In moments like these, one truth becomes clear: stories of resilience, hope, and healing are more essential than ever. My memoir, Spared: Escaping Genocide and Finding a Home in America: A True Story of Hope and Resilience offers one such story.
I grew up in the rolling green hills of western Rwanda, surrounded by a close-knit, loving family. In 1994, my life was shattered as I struggled to escape one of the fastest and most complete genocides in human history: The Genocide against the Tutsi. Forced into hiding for nearly three months, I confronted the darkest face of humanity. Yet in those same days, I also discovered extraordinary courage, compassion, and the quiet strength that makes survival, unity, and peace possible.
Through faith, the support of those who chose courage and love over fear, and a deep determination with hard work, I found a way forward, even when the burden seemed too heavy to bear and hope felt out of reach. Encounters with both expected and unlikely allies and leaders helped illuminate a path toward healing.
I am honored to share my story with you in Spared, a powerful account of my journey and the fulfillment of a promise I made while in hiding when all hope seemed lost. This memoir is not only my personal testimony of survival; it is also a resource for those seeking to understand the human cost of violence and the resilience required to overcome it.
Educators, students, leaders, and readers from all walks of life will find in Spared lessons on trauma-informed leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and the power of storytelling to heal and unite.
If you feel moved to share your own story, I would be honored to listen. I believe that many stories of resilience are waiting to be told. To invite me to speak at your next event or collaborate with in other ways, please reach out to me.
About the Author
Clementine M. Msengi, Ed.D., is an award-winning educator, author, keynote speaker, and mentor. She speaks nationally and internationally on topics including faith and resilience, education, mentoring, and the integration of refugees and immigrants.
President James Smith - Eastern Michigan University has welcomed three refugee students through the Welcome Corps on Campus program. As initially announced June 20th, Eastern became the first university in the U.S. to participate in the initiative
September, 2024
https://today.emich.edu/story/story/12825
September, 2024
https://today.emich.edu/story/story/12825
Arthur Shapiro, University of South Florida
The Impact of Conservative Theory on Public K-12 and Higher Education Curriculum
October, 2024
A_Shapiro_The_Impact_of_Conservative_Theory_on_Public_K-12_and_Higher_Education.docx
The Impact of Conservative Theory on Public K-12 and Higher Education Curriculum
October, 2024
A_Shapiro_The_Impact_of_Conservative_Theory_on_Public_K-12_and_Higher_Education.docx
Hamas-Israeli War: Framing the educational borders for a conversation with students
Professor Ira Bogoth
Florida Atlantic University
June, 2024
I will make this very short.
The topic of what is happening in Gaza and in Israel arises mostly as an extra-curricular question asked by students. Your choosing to engage at any level is a personal choice, and not all of us, as educators, are able or willing to engage. We are educators first.
Still, if the topic does come up, there are many appropriate – based on age, grade levels, etc. - educational responses:
Educator to student(s): Have you asked this question (these questions, your questions) to others, your parents, your friends? What do they say?
Educator: Do you agree with their responses?
Educator: Are you asking for my opinion [outside the lesson] because that’s all I have to offer?
Educator: We can talk about this very important topic, but we have to agree on one thing: when we speak, we speak respectfully even when we strongly disagree with what is being said and how we are hearing the words. Otherwise, what happens is that we go from discussing and debating the topic of the Hama-Israeli War to personal name-calling, which quickly leads to accusations of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism- even when that is not what anyone was thinking or saying.
Educator: A second important rule for us is to recognize that the political leaders on both sides, as grown-ups, haven’t solved these questions/problems during my whole life and certainly not during your whole lives either. And third, these grown-ups are not educators and do not listen to children and young adults. But I do.
Educator: Are you following? What do I always say? Anybody? (Different students respond). What I say is that before you give your opinion, you have to learn and know the facts. So, my next question is to ask each of you, where do you get your facts? (Different students respond).
This lesson can go in the direction of information/disinformation/misinformation, or it can go directly to the meanings of words (i.e., definitions). For example, what do the words democracy, peace, and war mean? Once, as an educator, you believe that a solid list of facts has been mentioned out loud, the next question is how and why people who see the same “facts” still have different points of view.
When I hear different points of view, the questions that come to my mind are whether we can move the conversation/debate to reach a common understanding. I won’t say compromise because that’s not what it means to reflect on controversial issues critically. Likewise, any negotiations in an educational setting, in or out of a classroom or school building, will be among children and young adults – which means as an educator, you have to bring this back to why the grown-ups in charge haven’t successfully negotiated peace. The children and young adults are innocent, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, just like the children you are talking with.
Professor Ira Bogoth
Florida Atlantic University
June, 2024
I will make this very short.
The topic of what is happening in Gaza and in Israel arises mostly as an extra-curricular question asked by students. Your choosing to engage at any level is a personal choice, and not all of us, as educators, are able or willing to engage. We are educators first.
Still, if the topic does come up, there are many appropriate – based on age, grade levels, etc. - educational responses:
Educator to student(s): Have you asked this question (these questions, your questions) to others, your parents, your friends? What do they say?
Educator: Do you agree with their responses?
Educator: Are you asking for my opinion [outside the lesson] because that’s all I have to offer?
Educator: We can talk about this very important topic, but we have to agree on one thing: when we speak, we speak respectfully even when we strongly disagree with what is being said and how we are hearing the words. Otherwise, what happens is that we go from discussing and debating the topic of the Hama-Israeli War to personal name-calling, which quickly leads to accusations of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism- even when that is not what anyone was thinking or saying.
Educator: A second important rule for us is to recognize that the political leaders on both sides, as grown-ups, haven’t solved these questions/problems during my whole life and certainly not during your whole lives either. And third, these grown-ups are not educators and do not listen to children and young adults. But I do.
Educator: Are you following? What do I always say? Anybody? (Different students respond). What I say is that before you give your opinion, you have to learn and know the facts. So, my next question is to ask each of you, where do you get your facts? (Different students respond).
This lesson can go in the direction of information/disinformation/misinformation, or it can go directly to the meanings of words (i.e., definitions). For example, what do the words democracy, peace, and war mean? Once, as an educator, you believe that a solid list of facts has been mentioned out loud, the next question is how and why people who see the same “facts” still have different points of view.
When I hear different points of view, the questions that come to my mind are whether we can move the conversation/debate to reach a common understanding. I won’t say compromise because that’s not what it means to reflect on controversial issues critically. Likewise, any negotiations in an educational setting, in or out of a classroom or school building, will be among children and young adults – which means as an educator, you have to bring this back to why the grown-ups in charge haven’t successfully negotiated peace. The children and young adults are innocent, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, just like the children you are talking with.
ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM COMPROMISED
Dr. Fenwick W. English
Professor and Associate Dean, College of Education
June, 2024
Academic freedom is not some archaic term pulled out of the closet to defend unpopular theories or ideas, or whacky professors and crazy ideas run amok. The article by ELWB co-founder Fenwick English’s latest essay, “ Dual spatiality, conspiracy theories, and academic freedom compromised” speaks to the real dangers posed by the right wing think tanks who churn out conspiracy theories regarding “critical race theory” being reminiscent of the Joe McCarthy era of a “Commie under every bed” paranoia.
English’s article appeared in the online edition of the Journal of Educational Administration and History and tracks the authoritarian and fascist attacks introduced by state legislators to banish, silence, censor and punish institutions who have been involved with social justice issues and taken steps to institutionalize measures to bring the benefits of a good society to all of its citizens via education.
Dual spatiality refers to the concept that all universities occupy a shared collective space that lies beyond the boundaries of any specific nation’s political boundaries. The right of the professor to pursue the truth, even if it is unpopular or absurd, must be protected as progress often comes when what appears to be heresy becomes recognized as true.
The so-called WOKE conspiracy is a hoax equivalent to one of the greatest and most virulent lies in history, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a deep fake lie pushed by the Russian czars secret police to enable them to persecute Jews indiscriminately. This pernicious fabrication was supposed to reveal the words of 300 Jewish elders telling a new initiate the 24 means (called protocols) of how they were going to take over the world.
The article ends with analysis of Florida House Bill 266 which transforms anti-WOKE conspiracy into law. The essay ends with two pronouncements: (1) Academic freedom must be fought for by every generation, and (2) If academic freedom is compromised in one place, because of its spatial connectivity, it can then be compromised in every place. It must therefore be protected everywhere.
The complete text is https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2024.2360005
Dr. Fenwick W. English
Professor and Associate Dean, College of Education
June, 2024
Academic freedom is not some archaic term pulled out of the closet to defend unpopular theories or ideas, or whacky professors and crazy ideas run amok. The article by ELWB co-founder Fenwick English’s latest essay, “ Dual spatiality, conspiracy theories, and academic freedom compromised” speaks to the real dangers posed by the right wing think tanks who churn out conspiracy theories regarding “critical race theory” being reminiscent of the Joe McCarthy era of a “Commie under every bed” paranoia.
English’s article appeared in the online edition of the Journal of Educational Administration and History and tracks the authoritarian and fascist attacks introduced by state legislators to banish, silence, censor and punish institutions who have been involved with social justice issues and taken steps to institutionalize measures to bring the benefits of a good society to all of its citizens via education.
Dual spatiality refers to the concept that all universities occupy a shared collective space that lies beyond the boundaries of any specific nation’s political boundaries. The right of the professor to pursue the truth, even if it is unpopular or absurd, must be protected as progress often comes when what appears to be heresy becomes recognized as true.
The so-called WOKE conspiracy is a hoax equivalent to one of the greatest and most virulent lies in history, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a deep fake lie pushed by the Russian czars secret police to enable them to persecute Jews indiscriminately. This pernicious fabrication was supposed to reveal the words of 300 Jewish elders telling a new initiate the 24 means (called protocols) of how they were going to take over the world.
The article ends with analysis of Florida House Bill 266 which transforms anti-WOKE conspiracy into law. The essay ends with two pronouncements: (1) Academic freedom must be fought for by every generation, and (2) If academic freedom is compromised in one place, because of its spatial connectivity, it can then be compromised in every place. It must therefore be protected everywhere.
The complete text is https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2024.2360005
Share Your Expository Stories! Send them to [email protected]
| Talking to Children and Teens About the Isreal Gaza War Octoeer 2023 |