Events
Women with Disabilities in Accra, Ghana: Driving Social Impact Via A Textile Upcycling Initiative for Environmental Sustainability, Health Justice, and Economic Empowerment. Webinar presented by Julia DeVoy. October 31 10 am ET
Please join us for our Grants and Research IniTiative (GRIT) seminar/webinar series sponsored by the Research Program on Children and Adversity at Boston College School of Social Work. The RPCA GRIT seminar series aims to increase regional knowledge base and capacity for implementation research; build a stronger mutual learning network; and provide training and learning opportunities for partners tied to training grant objectives to receive formal training on data and implementation science.
About the webinar: At the forefront of transforming textile waste from the Global North into vibrant, upcycled products, the MFC/MFI project provides job training programs and employment for artisans—particularly women with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities. This initiative not only diverts waste from open-air landfills but also champions health justice by addressing the environmental and social impacts of the fast fashion industry. Through advocacy, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, the project empowers marginalized voices in the creative economy, fostering a sustainable future that prioritizes both environmental health and economic justice at the vital intersection of art, activism, and social justice.
About the speaker: Dr. Julia DeVoy, MBA University of Oxford, MTS Harvard University, PhD Boston College, is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Students at Boston College, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and Director of the Experience, Reflection & Action (ERA) First-Year Program. She co-designed and co-launched the Boston College ‘Design for Impact’ undergraduate initiative with colleagues from Clemson, Virginia Tech, and NC State Raleigh, which has produced several winning teams in international design-thinking and innovation competitions. She works across interdisciplinary areas of restorative justice & practice, ethics, design-driven thinking, strategy, and environmental health & human development. DeVoy focuses on developmental impacts upon marginalized and lower socioeconomic class global citizens with regards to environmental and health justice concerns. In her courses, embedded with social impact projects and core reflection practices, she uses human-centered, design-informed, restorative justice practices and principles to explore ethical interventions for environmental and health initiatives. DeVoy's scholarly work and interests concern developmental psychology, ethics, and restorative and environmental justice. In the field, she advises on the design of social impact enterprise initiatives as interventions for helping address systemic social class inequities.