https://www.empoweredpathways.org/

Jason Littlefield, M.Ed

Jason Littlefield is an educator passionate about personal well-being establishing a society of individuals at peace within themselves and others. He established EmpowerED Pathways in 2017 and co-designed the Empowered Humanity Theory; a framework for life, leadership, and learning. He served as a public educator for twenty-one years in multiple capacities.  From 2014 to 2021 he was a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist for the Austin Independent School District. Jason has also served students and families from around the world, including Taiwan, China, and Benin, Africa. He is an advocate for decreasing our current human division and increasing personal well-being by bringing awareness to the impact and intent of the emerging ideology dominating our institutions and permeating the zeitgeist. He does so through EmpowerED Pathways, Free Black Thought, and The Institute for Liberal Values.

The EmpowerED Pathways Approach to

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, SEL, and antiracism

Reimagining Inclusion

Mainstream diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives tend to categorize individuals and reinforce separation into groups based on fixed identities. This collectivist mentality limits empowerment and belonging.

In contrast, Empowered Humanity Theory cultivates value-centered, dynamic identities not confined by labels. Practices like adopting a dignity lens also build an understanding of our shared hopes and struggles.

The result is welcoming environments where people bring their whole authentic selves to foster innovation, not homogenized conformity.

Disrupting Racism and Bigotries

Many conventional anti-racism approaches vilify individuals based on group identities, exacerbating societal divides stemming from “us vs them” mentalities. This taps psychological tendencies for prejudice.

Alternatively, EHT’s practices of shared storytelling and compassion proactively diminish these harmful inclinations. Actively seeking commonality rather than confrontation addresses injustice at its roots.

This collaborative process connects our shared yearnings for safety, community, and purpose across all groups. It appeals to conscience and a higher nature, not condemnation rooted in power dynamics.

Enhancing Social-Emotional Wellbeing

Some social-emotional learning (SEL) models categorize students in ways that ignite psychological self-protective fear-based instincts. Judgment replaces understanding, while diversity gets minimized into assimilation.

Conversely, EHT aligns with scientific research on wellbeing by intentionally cultivating capacities like attention, resilience, generosity and positive outlook. It focuses on our universal hopes and struggles.

This empowers students to construct dynamic identities around their values and highest vision to impact the world. It awakens them to common humanity waiting underneath surface differences.