The University of Pittsburgh’s Justice Scholars Institute enrolls high school students and teachers in courses promoting social justice activism. Critics warn the program blurs the line between college prep and ideological indoctrination.
The Justice Scholars Institute, launched in 2016 under Psychology Professor Esohe Osai, now offers high school students from Pittsburgh Public Schools college‑level classes in subjects such as argumentation, U.S. history, applied statistics, and an “Introduction to Social Justice” course. Enrollment has grown from an initial 13 students to over 230 participants.
One curriculum module includes discussion of defunding the police and readings from Race to Incarcerate, alongside case studies of high‑profile police incidents involving Black Americans. Another class uses the “five pillars of historically marginalized people”—truth, oppression, resistance, resilience, resolution—to frame American history through an ideological lens.
Pittsburgh educators are also the target of training at the CUE Summer Educator Forum held June 25–27, 2025, titled “Critical Pedagogy in Action: Urban Education as a Tool for Justice.” Workshops promote math and science as platforms for social justice advocacy and describe education as a tool for liberation. Some speakers referenced being “woke” and have published on Critical Race Theory in education.
Defending Education’s Paul Runko criticized the vagueness of “social justice” terminology as a vehicle for advancing radical ideas. Runko questions whether public education should equip students as activists. “If I were a parent in Pittsburgh Public Schools, I’d want my child’s teachers to run from this event,” he stated.
University media relations declined to respond to requests for clarification of the institute’s mission and funding, and state legislators contacted about the program offered no comment.
This case highlights a broader concern: taxpayer‑funded institutions may be embedding ideological training under the guise of higher education outreach. Conservative observers argue public schools and universities should focus on academic rigor and civic principles rather than activism.
