For three decades, DR. ERICK GORDON’s unique brand of project-based education has impacted students and teachers worldwide. He served as Senior Fellow for Innovation at Teachers College, Columbia University, as the director of the New York City Writing Project, and as a teacher of teachers and high school students alike. In his work as a social entrepreneur, Dr. Gordon founded the Student Press Initiative, the Rikers Island Oral History Project, and co-founded the multimodal learning program, Literacy Unbound.
Erick Gordon’s projects are designed not only to teach academic content and communication skills, but to foster social-emotional learning, character development, and a deeper sense of community. He uses publication, performance, and creative inquiry as tools for connection—encouraging students to reflect on their experiences and perspectives, collaborate meaningfully, and engage with the world around them.
Many of these projects continue to thrive today at the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) at Teachers College, Columbia University.