Teaching to Transform: A National Dialogue Rooted in Action

The NLN Taking Aim Initiative: Structural Racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Implicit Bias, and Social Justice was launched in 2021 with the support of AMNⓇ Healthcare and Elsevier Nursing & Health Education to address the enduring impact of structural racism on health outcomes and nursing education. Tasked with creating forums and strategies for nurse educators to become more informed and equipped to engage this work, the yearlong initiative developed a public facing website, curated a growing library of equity-focused resources, and hosted a series of well-received webinars. The Taking Aim Committee, composed of Michele Crispo-Fierro, Sandra Davis (chair), Abraham Ndiwane, Mollie Nordgren, Angela Richard-Eaglin, Rachel Risner, Aaron Sebach, and Danica Sumpter, continues the work of the initiative with a shift in strategy. Rather than producing and offering static resources, the committee is “getting in the weeds” to better understand and respond to what educators need in real time. A NATIONAL BOOKCLUB The Teaching to Transform (T3) national book club builds on the grassroots work of Dr. Danica Sumpter, who facilitated a longstanding faculty and staff book club at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing from 2018 to 2023. To kick off broader engagement with the content, Dr. Sumpter partnered with Dr. Roberta Waite, dean of the Georgetown University School of Nursing, to co-facilitate a two-part NLN webinar series titled “Teaching the Impact of Structural Racism on All of Us: Opening the Conversation” and “Continuing the Conversation.” These webinars introduced educators to Robert Livingston’s book, The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations (Penguin Books, 2021). The overwhelmingly positive response to the series sparked the idea for an NLN national book club grounded in Livingston’s work. The Conversation became the first book selection. The title of the book club, Teaching to Transform (T3), draws inspiration from the 1994 book by bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. It reflects the Taking Aim Committee’s shared belief — echoing Livingston — that we don’t need more cookbooks; we need more chefs. Toolkits abound. But transformation requires more than tools. It requires time, trust, discomfort, and community. To that end, the committee opted for an asynchronous model to maximize accessibility and reflection. Committee members rotate monthly as moderators, curating conversation prompts and sharing facilitation duties. Dr. Sumpter launched the forum in February 2025 through the NLN’s members-only online community, NLN Connect, with a welcome video and an invitation to co-create a community agreement. Participants responded to questions about how they would like to be supported and how to address potentially harmful comments. From that collective input, the group crafted its Community Agreements as a living document reflecting shared values of curiosity, accountability, and brave engagement. With the agreements established, one to two chapters are assigned each month, along with entry points into the discussion such as videos, articles, and images. The Teaching to Transform (T3) forum includes three interactive threads: 1) Reading Discussion, monthly conversations centered on assigned chapters, with multiple entry points for those who may not have completed the reading; 2) The Growth Zone, practical application exercises designed to help educators translate theory into action with learners and colleagues; and 3) The Magic Wand Thread, a real-time “pulse check” where members share what they wish they knew or knew how to do in order to better facilitate equity-focused learning. Each thread encourages reflection, experimentation, and mutual support. Participants challenge themselves and one another to embody the principles of equity, justice, and transformation, not just talk about them. The online community also offers a library of evidence-based resources that continues to grow. Educators can join at any time through December 2025. Look for the T3 Community on NLN Connect (https://nln.connectedcommunity.org/home). COMING TO THE NLN SUMMIT This fall, Teaching to Transform will come to life at the NLN Education Summit in a special in-person session titled “Beyond the Book: From Conversation to Transformation — Putting Equity & Justice Into Practice.” The session will feature T3 community members sharing personal stories of how the book club has transformed their teaching and outlook. Attendees will also learn about the history and evolution of the club, engage in practical application exercises, and explore strategies for building brave learning spaces in their own institutions.