College of Education and Human Development
Spirit of King Award Presented to Shelley Wong
July 7, 2014
Associate Professor Shelley Wong receives the 2014 Spirit of King Award from Dr. Shaoxian Yu, associate director of ODIME.
The College of Education and Human Development congratulates Shelley Wong, associate professor of education in the Graduate School of Education, on her receipt of the 2014 Spirit of King Award
The award is presented annually by George Mason University's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education. It recognizes members of the faculty who make an exceptional contribution to the development of an inclusive learning environment through his or her teaching, research, or advocacy work for equality and social justice.
One could say that Dr. Wong's entire career has centered around the development of an inclusive learning environment. She has taught English as a Second Language in adult, high school, community college, university intensive English programs, and teacher education programs in California, Ohio, New York, and the Washington, D.C. area. She also has taught ESL/Bilingual classes for community organizations, churches and trade unions.
Wong has been involved in collaborative literacy research projects with Reading Recovery, elementary and ESOL teachers in Arlington, Prince George's, and Fairfax counties, and peace and teacher education in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Palestine.
Wong noted that she is particularly honored to receive this award, named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., because she worked for many years on the Greensboro civil rights case—brought on behalf of the widows and family members of five labor organizers and civil rights workers who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis on November 3, 1979.
Dr. Wong serves on the advisory board for the MASON DREAM Project. She explained her role, “I have worked with DREAM student activists to pursue their dream for a college education and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students and their families.”
Dr. Wong received the Spirit of King Award on April 24 at an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event where she presented “Support the Dream Act: Why Immigration is Also an Asian-American Issue.”
About CEHD
George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education.
For additional information:
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- Graduate School of Education
- Teaching Culturally & Linguistically Diverse & Exceptional Learners
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