Jamal Cooks, Ph.D. (SFSU)
Associate Director Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Department of Secondary Education-Language, Literacy, and Culture, San Francisco State University
Dr. Jamal Cooks, originally from Oakland, CA., is a full Professor at San Francisco State University in the Department of Secondary Education, focusing on Language, Literacy, and Culture. Dr. Cooks has taught in middle and high school, community college, and university settings for over 20 years. His research focuses on building basic literacy skills, using popular culture as a teaching tool, incorporating language and literacy in STEAM education, and working with school in urban communities. He earned his B.A. from University of California at Berkeley and a M.A. in Social Studies Curriculum Development from the University of Michigan.
OVERVIEW
Currently, Dr. Cooks is working with incarcerated youth in the juvenile justice system. His writing program called The Writing Everyday Life for Lifelong Learning Program (WELL) is an innovative writing program specifically focused on working with incarcerated youth in juvenile hall. He builds basic literacy skills with incarcerated youth while using teaching them to express themselves in a safe space to present work to create the hope that their lives truly matter.