Gutman Library Virtual Book Talk: Getting Real About Sex Ed
In Getting Real About Sex Ed, Shafia Zaloom offers educators, administrators, and caregiving adults concrete language and strategies for integrating sexuality education into daily practice, beginning with students in kindergarten and carrying through to high school graduation. Zaloom advocates Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), a holistic framework for K–12 classrooms that addresses the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical aspects of sexuality. The book highlights how CSE scaffolds the sexual development of students as it gradually layers in age-appropriate information, skills, and positive values to practice and prepare for safe and fulfilling relationships, as well as how students can take responsibility for their own sexual health and well-being.
Zaloom draws on the latest research and presents real-world scenarios from classrooms across the country that all educators face in developing students’ personal citizenship. With warmth, empathy, and insight, she guides teachers beyond the classroo…
Type of Event: Discussion. Community Programming. Topic: Equity and Access. Leadership. Policy. Schools. Teaching. Learning. Who can attend? Alumni. Faculty. General Public. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Myanne Krivoshey. Registration Required: Yes. RSVP Required: Yes. Featured Event: Gutman Library Book Talk.
Friday, March 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit calendar.gse.harvard.edu. Gutman Library Hybrid Book Talk: Beyond the Doll Tests
In Beyond the Doll Tests, Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy draws on decades of expertise as an educator, school counselor, and leader in equity to deliver compelling insights and practical strategies that address the impact of racism, trauma, and systemic inequities that shape Black students’ experiences in America’s schools. With powerful storytelling and evidence-based frameworks, this essential resource challenges educators to move beyond surface-level inclusion and become active partners in dismantling barriers to Black students’ well-being.
Through case studies, reflective exercises, and scalable interventions, Holcomb-McCoy reveals how the legacy of racial bias—exposed so vividly in Mamie and Kenneth Clark’s historic doll tests—continues to shape educational experiences today. The book offers actionable tools grounded in Black Psychology and culturally responsive practice, giving educators new language and strategies to affirm students’ strengths, foster self-efficacy, and nurture positive identity…
Type of Event: Diversity & Equity. Reception. Question & Answer Session. Community Programming. Topic: Equity and Access. Early Childhood and PreK. Leadership. Policy. Schools. Teaching. Who can attend? Alumni. Faculty. General Public. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Gutman Conference Center E1. Contact Name: Myanne Krivoshey. Registration Required: Yes. RSVP Required: Yes. Featured Event: Gutman Library Book Talk.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
Gutman Conference Center E1 and on Zoom.
For more info visit calendar.gse.harvard.edu. Study Group with Aimee Guidera: Hot Topics in Education and the Role of Advocates and Think Tanks
Join the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School for a study group with IOP Resident Fellow, Secretary Aimee Guidera!
Hear from one of the nation's thought leaders in the advocacy world, Derrell Bradford (President of 50Can), about some of the hottest topics around education, including choice and tailored/personalized learning, the role of parents, pathways to success and a meaningful life, education funding, and the importance of advocacy organizations to ensuring the education system serves communities and families.
AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address.
OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.
Type of Event: Discussion. Topic: Teaching. Schools. Policy. Who can attend? Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Zoe Anderson. Contact Email: zoeanderson@hks.harvard.edu. Registration Required: Yes. Admission Fee: Free. RSVP Required: Yes.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM.
Littauer 166, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK St. Cambridge, MA.
For more info visit iop.harvard.edu. Study Group with Aimee Guidera: AI, Cell Phones, & Technology in Education: Tool of Good or Evil?
AI is at the top of everyone’s feed. How is this revolutionary tool impacting education? How does it impact the process and the business of teaching and learning. What are the greatest potential benefits and risks to this tool? What are the guardrails that need to be put in place. Join IOP Resident Fellow and former Secretary of Education of Virginia, Aimee Guidera, to hear from a leading proponent and opponent of AI in education.
GUESTS: Janet Kelly (In-Person), Former Virginia Secretary of Health & Human Resources, John Bailey (Virtual), AEI Scholar and National Thought Leader on AI, AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address.
OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.
Type of Event: Discussion. Topic: Learning. Policy. Technology. Teaching. Who can attend? Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Faculty. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Zoe Anderson. Contact Email: zoeanderson@hks.harvard.edu. Registration Required: Yes. Admission Fee: Free. RSVP Required: Yes.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM.
Institute of Politics, Littauer 166, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK St. Cambridge, MA.
For more info visit iop.harvard.edu. Schools and America’s 250th: Patriotism, Pluralism, and Civic Education | Askwith Education Forum
REGISTER
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, questions about democracy, belonging, and civic responsibility are taking on renewed urgency. What role should schools play in preparing young people to engage thoughtfully with the nation’s history, its pluralism, and its democratic ideals, especially amid polarization and deep disagreement?
This Askwith Education Forum convenes scholars and practitioners for a timely national conversation on civic education and dialogue across differences, exploring how schools can foster informed patriotism, democratic participation, and mutual understanding in a complex civic landscape.
Moderator: Eric Soto-Shed, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Speakers include: Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University; Director, Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation , Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Residential Fellow Spring 2026, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School; former Secretary of Education,…
Type of Event: Community Programming. Discussion. Forum. Diversity & Equity. Lecture. Topic: Equity and Access. Leadership. Teaching. Learning. Schools. Policy. Program/Department: Askwith Forum. Who can attend? General Public. Alumni. Faculty. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Askwith Hall. Contact Name: Harvard Graduate School of Education. Contact Email: askwith@gse.harvard.edu. Registration Required: Yes. Admission Fee: Free and open to the public. RSVP Required: Yes. Featured Event: Askwith Education Forums.
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
Longfellow Hall, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more info visit calendar.gse.harvard.edu. Gender and Higher Education: Access, Impact, and Inquiry
Institutions of higher education today face unprecedented challenges, and these challenges frequently center around gender as a form of experience, a demographic category, or a field of inquiry. From gendered disparities in student enrollment and success to inequities in career advancement for faculty and issues of freedom of inquiry, colleges and universities must tackle new forms of contestation and intense scrutiny. This conference will explore the nexus of gender and higher education by examining students’ experiences, the perspectives of teachers and researchers, and the present and future of gender as a category of analysis and scholarly field.
Type of Event: Conference / Symposium. Topic: Equity and Access. Higher Education. Leadership. Policy. Who can attend? Alumni. Faculty. General Public. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Jaime Wendel. Contact Email: jaime_wendel@radcliffe.harvard.edu. Registration Required: Yes. Admission Fee: Free. RSVP Required: Yes.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00 AM – 1:45 PM.
Knafel Center OR Online on Zoom
10 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more info visit www.radcliffe.harvard.edu. Gutman Library Virtual Book Talk: Race, Class, and Affirmative Action
In Race, Class, and Affirmative Action, Julie J. Park offers deft analysis of the changes to college admissions and campus life since the US Supreme Court ruled to restrict race-conscious policies in two 2023 cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Park offers clear explanations of the rulings, their historical context, and their implications for higher education policy. She highlights how the Supreme Court still allows campuses to consider the role of race in students’ experiences and that numerous tools to advance diversity in admissions remain.
In this lively, timely work, Park points out the swift and stark post-ruling shifts in campus demographics and grapples with questions of how to push toward a more equitable admissions system. She investigates alternative initiatives, such as test-optional and test-free admissions, percent plans, and others, weighing their merits and drawbacks. She also examines inequality affecting college…
Type of Event: Discussion. Community Programming. Topic: Equity and Access. Leadership. Policy. Schools. Teaching. Higher Education. Who can attend? Alumni. Faculty. General Public. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Myanne Krivoshey. Registration Required: Yes. RSVP Required: Yes. Featured Event: Gutman Library Book Talk.
Monday, April 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit calendar.gse.harvard.edu. Gutman Library Virtual Book Talk: Mental Health in College
With concerns about student mental health on the rise, Alexis Redding and contributors draw on expertise across disciplines to offer practical strategies and deep insight for those on the front lines: student affairs professionals, faculty, advisors, counseling center staff, and families. This timely book addresses the most pressing mental health issues facing undergraduates, delivering an actionable blueprint to help colleges build caring, inclusive communities where all students can thrive.
Blending compelling student stories, expert analysis, and actionable strategies, Mental Health in College explores the full spectrum of the college experience: from the pressures of admissions and financial stress to challenges faced by student veterans, community college students, and those navigating post-graduate uncertainty. Each chapter features cutting-edge research alongside innovative “Voices from the Field” vignettes focused on experienced practitioners. The book moves beyond a clinical focus, offering instit…
Type of Event: Discussion. Community Programming. Topic: Equity and Access. Leadership. Policy. Schools. Teaching. Higher Education. Who can attend? Alumni. Faculty. General Public. Harvard Community. Staff. Students. Building/Room: Other. Contact Name: Myanne Krivoshey. Registration Required: Yes. RSVP Required: Yes. Featured Event: Gutman Library Book Talk.
Friday, May 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit calendar.gse.harvard.edu. University Holiday: Memorial Day
Holiday Calendar
University is closed.
Type of Event: Holiday. Registration Required: No.
Monday, May 25, 2026.