Happy Saturday, humans! It’s starting to feel a little bit more like spring here in New England, we’ve reached the rainy and steamy portion of April and Corrie is dreading the forthcoming wave of pollen. We are thrilled to be able to help Shelby spread the word about her most recent project: Little Justice Leaders! Shelby is incredibly hardworking, and we hope you all enjoy learning more about the incredible number of things she’s working on!
The Tiny Activist: Introduce yourself!
Little Justice Leaders: I’m Shelby, and I’m the creator of Little Justice Leaders, a subscription box to help parents and teachers teach their kids about social justice. I am also working on my Ph.D. in Urban Schooling at UCLA. My work has always centered on social justice and education, and I am passionate about many issues of social justice. In 2012, I co-founded a non-profit organization called 1girl that provides leadership development opportunities for middle school girls and college women. I also spent years working in schools directly with parents, teachers, and students in a variety of roles. As a graduate student, my research focuses on the connection between the juvenile justice system and the education system. Specifically, I work with youth who are transitioning out of incarceration and back into educational spaces.
TTA: What are you passionate about?
LJL: I am passionate about education and social justice! I’ve always worked in the field of education, and I love working with kids and seeing them grow. I think it is so important for us to teach compassion, acceptance, and love. I want to help raise a generation of kids who are going to care about humanity. I would love to help create a world where all young people want to get involved with their community, give back to society, and support each other.
For me, giving back and working towards social justice has been part of everything I’ve done – in terms of my work with non-profits, schools, my own schooling, and now through Little Justice Leaders. I think it is so important for us to bring together morality and education. I hear so much about what is wrong with schools, but it is always focused on things like math, literacy, and graduation rates. These are important, but what about humanity? What about morality? I’m passionate about getting people talking about how we infuse education with morality and love.
TTA: Tell us about a project you’re currently working on! LJL: My main project right now is raising excitement for our Little Justice Leaders boxes. I sent out our first boxes in August of last year, and we started our teacher box subscription just a couple months ago in January. Now it is starting to gain some traction and attention from parents and teachers! I am super excited about the potential of getting these boxes out to more parents and teachers across the US and beyond. Each month, I have a new project of creating a box that is fun, interesting, and informative for parents, teachers, and kids. On top of my working on my dissertation, this is quite a project each month! But I absolutely love doing it and hearing from the people who receive the boxes.
TTA: How can people support you on your journey?
LJL: Spreading the word is a huge help! Most of the growth has been through word of mouth – teachers and parents sharing Little Justice Leaders with fellow teachers and parents. That has been incredibly helpful for me. People can also join our mailing list. That way, they can stay up to date with all the fun stuff we have going on.
In addition, I’m always looking for recommendations of what could go in the boxes. Specifically, I would love to connect with small business owners, artists, entrepreneurs, and teachers who want to work with me to help provide something for upcoming boxes.
LJL: This is such a hard one for me because I read a lot and I love books. One of my favorites that I read in 2018 was When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele. This book is an honest, real look into some parts of the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement. I highly recommend it for anybody who cares about social justice and supporting Black communities.
LJL: In this coming year, I’m going to be launching a middle school version of our boxes! This year, we only offer boxes for elementary students, so I’m super excited to expand and reach more young people! We’ll be launching the middle school version in the fall. Stay tuned!
Stay Connected with
Little Justice Leaders:
Little Justice Leaders Website
Little Justice Leaders Mailing List
Little Justice Leaders on Facebook
Little Justice Leaders on Instagram
1girl