Exemplars of Justice: Supporting College Students’ Critical Consciousness Development Through Crossinstitutional Engagement

We examine a novel intervention inspired by events in the Civil Rights Movement that was designed to create a cross-institutional college program engaging students from different universities with moral exemplars and other strategies that support character development and intercultural understanding. We describe how a critical consciousness framework aligns with the program design and analyze how using multiple pedagogical approaches, including compassionate listening, working towards a common goal, and engaging with moral exemplars, may have the ability to support students’ character development, particularly growth in the virtue of justice. After offering a detailed account of the various events included in the week-long program, we present some preliminary evidence for their impact based on in-depth reactions to the experience from select participants. Observations of students during the program and participant reflections afterward suggest that cross-institutional, community-based initiatives designed to promote critical consciousness and intercultural understanding among university students seem effective. Understanding the design, function, and potential impact of this program may promote similar experiences in other institutions.