Community, Events & Contact

Join the Conversation

IGODO is built with and for a community of students, educators, practitioners, researchers, and anyone who has ever felt the weight of language in a classroom. Your voice belongs here.

Open to Everyone

Who Is This Community For?

You do not need credentials to belong here. IGODO is committed to a model where non-expert voices are as welcome and as valued as academic ones.

Students

Students

Whether you are navigating language expectations in school right now or reflecting on your own educational journey, your experience is relevant and valuable here.

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Educators

Educators

Teachers, professors, and school leaders grappling with language, inclusion, and identity in the classroom are central contributors to this project.

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Community Members

Community Members

If you have lived inside a multilingual community, navigated colonial language systems, or watched a family member do so, that knowledge matters here.

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Practitioners

Practitioners

Policy workers, curriculum designers, social workers, and others working in and around education systems bring insights that academic research often misses.

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Researchers

Researchers

Scholars working on language, colonialism, education, identity, and related fields are welcome to contribute, collaborate, and engage with the project themes.

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The Curious

The Curious

You do not need a title or a role. If you are curious about the questions IGODO is asking, you are exactly the kind of person this project is built for.

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Community Voices

What People Are Saying

Reflections and insights from students, educators, practitioners, and community members connected to the IGODO project.

Share Your Voice
“

This project helped me understand why I always felt like an outsider in the classroom. It was never about my ability. It was about whose language was centered and whose was erased.

Student Researcher Undergraduate, Education Studies
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I came in as a practitioner thinking I had the answers. The conversations in this project reminded me how much I still have to learn from the communities I work with every day.

Community Educator Practitioner Contributor
“

The question of language in schools is really a question about power. It is about who decides what counts as knowledge and who gets to speak it, and in which room.

Graduate Researcher PhD Candidate, Linguistics
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My grandmother spoke four languages. None of them were the one that mattered at school. IGODO is the first place I have seen that taken seriously as a loss worth studying.

Community Member First-Generation University Student
“

As a teacher working in a multilingual school, I spend every day navigating language gaps the curriculum pretends do not exist. This research names what I have been living for years.

Classroom Teacher K-12 Educator, 14 years
“

I appreciated that the project did not treat non-experts as data points. It treated us as people with genuine insight. That is rarer in research than it should be.

Community Participant Parent and Local Advocate
Events

Conferences, Lectures & Cultural Events

Upcoming and past events connected to the IGODO project, including academic conferences, public lectures, and community gatherings.

Upcoming

Jul 10

Richter Presentations

IGODO student researchers present their Richter-funded work at the Lake Forest College Richter Symposium. The presentations highlight research on language, colonialism, and education.

Lake Forest College

Past Events

Jun
2026
Past

Finalizing Student Discussion Videos

The IGODO team finalized the student discussion video series for release on YouTube, featuring student researchers reflecting on language, identity, and education.

May
2026
Past

New Richter Scholars Added to the Research

New Richter Scholars joined the IGODO project, expanding the student research team and bringing fresh perspectives to the project's ongoing work.

Apr
2026
Past

Conference in Ethiopia: African Teachers on Language and Education

Professor Odugu led a conference in Ethiopia on April 22 bringing together African teachers to discuss language, colonial education, and classroom practice. A significant milestone for the project's international reach.

Mar
2026
Past

Launch of the IGODO Website

The official IGODO project website launched, making the research, video library, and community resources publicly accessible for the first time.

Project Updates

What Is Happening with IGODO

Recent news and milestones from the project team.

Mar 2026

IGODO Website Launched

The public-facing IGODO website is now live, bringing together videos, resources, reflections, and community voices in one place for the first time.

Jan 2026

New Student Researchers Join the Team

Two new student research assistants have joined the IGODO project, bringing fresh perspectives and new energy to the themes of language, identity, and belonging.

Nov 2025

Conference Paper Accepted

A paper based on IGODO research has been accepted for presentation at the Annual Education Research Conference in August 2026.

Aug 2025

Library Expansion: New Videos Added

The IGODO video library has been expanded with new interviews, student discussions, and a public lecture. Visit the Library page to explore.

Dec 2023

IGODO Project Officially Launched

Professor Odugu launched the IGODO project with an inaugural research talk on campus, establishing the project's core themes and vision for public engagement.

Get in Touch

Contact & Participate

Whether you want to submit a reflection, ask a question, propose a collaboration, or simply find out more about the project, we want to hear from you.

Email
Igodo.official@gmail.com
Institution

Department of Education
Lake Forest College

Location

555 N Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Ways to Get Involved

Submit a short reflection for the library
Share a resource, paper, or reading recommendation
Propose a community conversation or event
Volunteer as a community voice contributor
Collaborate on a research question or video
Ask a question. Non-expert questions are especially welcome

Send a Message

Keep Exploring

Not Sure Where to Start?

Browse the library for videos and reflections, explore the research themes, or read about the people behind the project.

Explore the Library Read the Themes About IGODO