Justice-Centered Teacher Preparation in Third Space Afterschool Programs
This journal article, published in the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, examines the World Explorers Club (WEC), an afterschool program built into a Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogy course. It responds to the need to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to engage with multilingual children and families in relational, justice-centered ways designed as a third space and informed by intersectionality. WEC offers immersive experiences that go beyond traditional teacher preparation. The findings show significant shifts in PSTs' beliefs and confidence in their ability to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students. They also point to meaningful changes in PSTs' pedagogical approaches: Sustained, child-centered, and community-based experiences immerse PSTs in the complex realities of culturally and linguistically diverse communities across the university classroom and the field setting. This resource may benefit teacher educators and preparation programs seeking practical, community-based models for helping future teachers build the confidence and pedagogical skills to support multilingual learners and their families.