Building Inclusive Learning Environments: Research in Action

Catalog description

What does it take to create truly inclusive learning environments? This course explores six core themes from the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education's Research Agenda for Building Inclusive Learning Environments: educator capacity, inclusive mindsets, learners in refugee settings, families & communities, measurement, and the role of AI in advancing inclusion. Guest experts from Yale, Harvard, AIR, Brookings, and Special Olympics will share real-world insights and research. Students will work in teams to design research projects aligned with one of the themes. Fieldwork is central, with 12 hours of hands-on engagement to inform each team’s inquiry. Possible experiences include partnering with Special Olympics athletes to co-create inclusive spaces, working with a local school implementing Special Olympics Unified Sports programming that brings together students with and without disability, or engaging with a community-based inclusive education program. Grounded in the UAE's global leadership, this course highlights the vital link between research, policy, and practice - and the role of evidence in advancing more inclusive education systems. This course will be offered in January-Term 2026.