In 1916, Professor Llewellyn Phillips had the idea to create the Department of Education, which had originally been a part of the Department of Philosophy. Phillips served as department head and taught the majority of courses within the department.

To memorialize the department’s anniversary, several lunch discussions have been held during the academic year, centering around such topics as citizenship education and charter schools. These discussions will continue to be held throughout the spring semester.

The next lunch discussion is scheduled for April 4 at noon in Olin 268 and will center around the topic of recognizing imperfection and humanity in one’s own work. Additionally, there will be an event on March 7 at 7 p.m. in Academic West 210 to discuss John Dewey, a prominent educational philosopher. On March 22 at 7 p.m. in the Gallery Theatre, there will be a film screening of the documentary “Tested.” Filmmaker Curtis Chin will be present to answer questions and lead a discussion about the film, which focuses on opportunity gaps within our nation. On March 24 at noon, there will be an alumni panel in Walls Lounge.

The panel will “discuss their career trajectories and the ways in which the liberal arts has influenced the way they approach their work,” Academic Assistant for Education Patty Driver said. “Debate about public education continues today, especially in a changing landscape of charter schools, school choice, alternative teacher certification, and programs like Teach for America, which continues to be a lead employer of Bucknell undergraduates.”