About
Joel Westheimer is Professor of Democracy & Education at the University of Ottawa and one of the leading voices on the role of education in democratic life. A former New York City public school teacher, his writing and public engagement focus on citizenship education, political polarization, democratic participation, authoritarianism, and the role of schools in preparing young people for public life. He is also an education columnist for CBC Radio.
His books include What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good (2nd edition), Pledging Allegiance: The Politics of Patriotism in American schools (forward by Howard Zinn) and Among Schoolteachers. His current research examines how young people understand democracy at a time of growing political polarization and rising populist nationalism.
Professor Westheimer received his PhD from Stanford University and his BSE from Princeton University. Before joining the University of Ottawa, he taught at Stanford University and New York University and co-founded Democratic Dialogue, a research collaborative dedicated to the exploration of democratic ideals in education and society.
A frequent commentator in print, radio, and television media, Westheimer’s work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals, and he has been featured on CBC, NPR, C-SPAN, NBC News, TVO’s The Agenda, and numerous other programs. He has delivered more than 450 keynote addresses to educators, policymakers, and public audiences around the world.
Westheimer is a member of the National Academy of Education, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. He has received numerous honors for his contributions to education, including the Canadian Education Association’s Whitworth Award and a Knight Fellowship for Civic Engagement in Higher Education.
He lives in Ottawa where, in winter, he ice-skates to work.
You can follow him on Twitter @JoelWestheimer.