Twin Cities Experimental College: Community Education Across the Americas
In 2006, Macalester students protested a change in admission policy that prioritized prestige over access. The protests sparked conversation about access to education that grew into a project called the Experimental College of the Twin Cities, aka EXCO. Rather than watch as competition among institutions of education cut off access, we built a community school that encouraged our community to share our own skills and experiences through free classes. This journey has been Inspired by the work of Brazilian educator Paolo Friere, by popular education in Central America, whose advocates have taught organizing skills in rural communities, and by community education initiatives in the United States. Learn how to get involved in EXCO or to incorporate education into other efforts for social change.
