Great Lakes Equity Center |

Equitable, Responsive Education for All

The Great Lakes Equity Center was established by Dr. Kathleen King Thorius and colleagues in 2011 at the Indiana University School of Education, as an Equity Assistance Center (formerly Desegregation Assistance) funded by the United States Department of Education. As of 2016, the Great Lakes Equity Center re-structured as an organizational hub for an array of research, technical assistance, and educational resource development projects, including the Midwest and Plains (MAP) Equity Assistance Center. Collectively, we are committed to school and system transformation toward racial, disability, and other forms of educational justice: the MAP Center provides three-tiers of technical assistance related to race, sex, national origin, and religion desegregation to K-12 public education agencies in a 13-state region free-of-charge; the Great Lakes Equity Center continues to partner with community, non-profit, and private organizations across the U.S. on equity-driven systemic transformation, professional learning, and collaborative inquiry projects.

Midwest and Plains (MAP) Equity Assistance Center

This Equity Tool, Hmong and Latina/o/x Testimonios: The Pedagogical Space Between, highlights three powerful testimonios written by high... read more

This Equity by Design brief summarizes the key features and considerations for planning, implementing, and evaluating social, emotional or behavioral... read more

On March 19th 2020, COVID-19 forced schools to abruptly close and shift to online and hybrid learning, uprooting the lives of caregivers, students,... read more

In this Equity by Design brief, we outline the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on student learning and wellness. Next, we critique common... read more

The purpose of this study lab tool is to provide a facilitation guide for individuals who are seeking to lead professional learning... read more

School districts must not only be knowledgeable about the historical context of school desegregation, but also what current efforts are occurring... read more

Scenario Context: A kindergarten classroom Dilemma: What is the best way to address conversations surrounding non-heteronormative gender... read more

Scenario Context: Social media & Bullying Dilemma: How will an educator respond to an instance of cyberbullying that occurred off school... read more

With the growing interests in STEM at both the national and international levels, and the perpetuation of racial disparities in academic and STEM... read more

This Equity Tool is for educators who want to offer comprehensive and inclusive age-appropriate sex education to students, and are wondering how.... read more

Register Today! Newly Launched E-Course!

Open to educators and education stakeholders in the center’s thirteen-state region at no cost, this asynchronous, online course consist of 4 content rich, multi-media, interactive modules that participants can engage in at their own pace and in the comfort of their own setting.

Through these modules, participants enhance their own understanding of the importance of educational equity as foundational for safe and inclusive school cultures and climate, free from bullying and harassment.

Participants receive a certificate of completion for 5 professional development hours from the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center at Indiana University School of Education -Indianapolis for successfully completing all 4 modules. Enrollment for cohort one is now open! To enroll in the course click HERE or copy and paste the URL in your browser https://bit.ly/3nm9l6O.

Please direct your questions about the course to glec@iupui.edu