Center for Urban and Multicultural Education (CUME)

Joshua S. Smith, Ph.D., Director
School of Education
ES 2114; IUPUI
902 West New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 274-6843
(317) 274-6864 FAX
cume@iupui
http://education.iupui.edu/CUME/index.aspx

The Center for Urban and Multicultural Education (CUME) is the research arm of the Indiana University School of Education at IUPUI. CUME’s mission is to create connections between research, theory and practice with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of education throughout the P–20 continuum — from early childhood through graduate school levels, and including formal, alternative and community-based education. The mission is furthered through sustainable partnerships created with schools and other educational organizations in communities around Indiana. Our work seeks to support inquiry, facilitate public discussion, and critically challenge stereotypes about diverse students, families, and schools. Together with our community partners and faculty affiliates, CUME continues to engage in research and evaluation leading to improved practices, assessment, leadership and policy within and across diverse educational settings.

Currently CUME is affiliated with over 20 partners including public schools, community centers, and other academic units in Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Faculty and staff in CUME are rethinking and redefining how educational research interacts with and ultimately impacts critical issues generated within P–16 education and its surrounding communities. We are extending the Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) paradigm by entering meaningful partnerships, co-creating research questions, and employing various methodologies to address important educational issues confronting our schools. We share and interpret the findings of the research with partners and carefully consider options for how the findings can inform future practice.