---
title: Rise up for free software in schools!
osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/conferences/seagl2020/program/proposals/726
beginning: '2020-11-13T10:10:00.000-08:00'
end: '2020-11-13T10:40:00.000-08:00'
resources:
  internet_archive_identifier: SeaGL2020-Mariah_Villarreal-Rise_up_for_free_software_in_schools
presenters:
- name: mariah villarreal
  affiliation: Wonder Freely
  osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/users/599
  gravatar_id: 608a21547f924be297b6f2fce99ebef8
  biography: I'm mariah. I’m passionate about learning and software freedom. I like
    to work with people who are for the liberation of the oppressed.
---

U.S. public education systems are failing students and teachers in our digital world. Increasingly, teachers and students are told to use proprietary software, so they do, without much of a choice and without enough resources to consider the repercussions or alternatives. Unfortunately, this negatively impacts Black and Brown young people the most and our community needs to better address this.

This talk will briefly introduce why free software is important in education, give examples of how proprietary software is rapidly deployed in schools and credit people who are rising up against this injustice, big and small.

It is imperative to reach out to the education community about these issues. There are real, actionable solutions!

Learn about this ongoing crisis and how YOU can join the effort in a meaningful, inclusive way. Time and resources will be acknowledged for skill sharing as well.
