Lauren Gonzalez is currently a master’s student at Teachers College studying International Educational Development with a concentration in International Humanitarian Issues. She is interested in the role education for promoting human rights, peace, and civic engagement play in creating safe, inclusive, and equitable spaces for students to grow and learn. Before Teacher’s College, Lauren worked as a teacher and research teaching specialist where she created and delivered curriculums in primary, secondary and adult education settings. She also completed her B.S. from Boston University

“Working on the I2P gave my class and me a fantastic opportunity to engage in a great professional development opportunity and create a meaningful and impactful project that we hope to sustain. Creating opportunities to promote peace through education has always been an interest of mine, and this project allowed us to delve into this topic” - Lauren

Students and today’s youth are growing up in an increasingly divided society. These divisions may contribute to othering, lack of understanding, and social disconnection. The VOICES project aims to create sustainable and continued interventions by empowering educators to create inclusive, open-minded, and socially connected schooling environments.By assisting educators to promote school environments where students feel like they belong, are free to share and celebrate their values and perspectives, and feel a strong sense of community with their peers, we aim to reduce instances of targeted violence among populations who work and learn in schools