Askwith Education Forums: Spring 2026 Lineup Announced

This spring, the Askwith Education Forum will showcase HGSE’s leadership, research, and convening power through a series of timely public conversations that advance Dialogue Across Differences. Bringing together HGSE faculty, global scholars, and practitioners, the Spring 2026 line-up engages urgent questions at the intersection of education, democracy, and civic life from meritocracy and rural opportunity to civic education in a pluralistic nation.

These forums are designed to elevate HGSE scholarship, connect research to practice, and model constructive dialogue across perspectives. We hope you’ll join us and help share these conversations with colleagues, students, and partners.

An Evening with Michael Sandel 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | 5–6:30 p.m. ET 
Location: Harvard Graduate School of Education 

A timely and interactive conversation with one of today’s most influential public philosophers. Drawing on themes from The Tyranny of Merit and Democracy’s Discontent, Professor Michael Sandel will engage the audience in a discussion about meritocracy, education, and democracy and invite participants into dialogue around the moral questions shaping public life. Harvard Book Store will be on site. Book signing and reception to follow.

Speaker: Michael J. Sandel, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University 
Moderator: Nonie K. Lesaux, Dean of the Faculty, Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Register for An Evening with Michael Sandel.

College Access Starts at Birth: Lessons from Rural America

Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 5–6:30 p.m. ET 
Location: Harvard Graduate School of Education 

This forum explores what it takes to build, scale, and sustain cradle-to-career place-based partnerships that expand opportunity for rural children, youth, and families. Panelists will share lessons from cross-sector collaboration — including education, health, housing, and community development — and examine the conditions that support long-term educational attainment and economic mobility in rural communities. 

Moderator: Paul Reville, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Founder and Faculty Director, The EdRedesign Lab  
Panelists include: 

• Dreama Gentry, CEO and President, Partners for Rural Impact; 2025–27 By All Means Senior Fellow, The EdRedesign Lab
• Tauheedah Jackson, Ed.M.'22, Deputy Director and Director of the Institute for Success Planning, The EdRedesign Lab 

Register for College Access Starts at Birth: Lessons from Rural America.

Schools and America’s 250th: Patriotism, Pluralism, and Civic Education 

Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 5:30–7 p.m. ET 
Location: Harvard Graduate School of Education 

As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this Askwith Education Forum convenes scholars and practitioners for a timely national conversation on the role of schools in civic education. The discussion will explore how education can foster informed patriotism, pluralism, and dialogue across differences.

Moderator: Eric Soto-Shed, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education 
Panelists include: Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University; Director, Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Register for School's and America's 250th: Patriotism, Pluralism, and Civic Education.

All Askwith Education Forums are free and open to the public, with in-person and virtual attendance options available. Registration is required for each event.