Maxine Greene and the Power of Imagination

Who was Maxine Greene and why is she an important educational philosopher? What did she say about the importance of imagination in education? Why did she believe imagination is important for students and teachers? What IS imagination? Greene was a pioneer in education philosophy, a teacher, author and activist as well as a trailblazer for women in higher education and philosophy. Greene loved the quote by the poet Emily Dickinson: ​“The possible’s slow fuse is lit by the Imagination.” ​Green believed imagination and wide-awakeness are necessary for us to critically and deliberately make choices that impact our world; she loved the idea that we could imagine things as if they could be otherwise and to encourage that in our students.

Learn about Greene’s philosophy of aesthetic education and the importance of imagination, how imagination, a key ingredient in creativity, and aesthetic education contribute to her ideas of social imagination and its relationship to social justice, and how these can inform our own education practice. Parts of the information shared came from a talk Maxine gave that was the seed for her 1995 book, Releasing the Imagination.

Sister Mary Paul Hickey Professional Development Series Workshops are free to area educators, students, and community members.