Jody Polleck is an associate professor in literacy at Hunter College—CUNY and a literacy coach in NYC public schools.  She began her work with adolescents in 1994 as an outreach counselor, and since 1998, has been teaching literacies within urban contexts across the disciplines.  Her research focuses on culturally sustaining literacy instruction, and she was a 2019 Fulbright scholar. Jody has published in over 25 academic and practice-based journals; her first book entitled Facilitating Youth-led Book Clubs as Transformative and Inclusive Spaces will be released by Teachers College Press in August 2022.

Project Description: For Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, Dr. Jody Polleck will facilitate “critical friends”, a small group of faculty who will share and receive feedback on ways to center justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in their coursework.  Dr. Polleck will also create and curate a college-wide equity website that will offer support and resources for faculty who are engaged in anti-racism and equity- and justice-based actions both in their personal and professional lives.