The Naylor Workshop: Research for Social Justice

What is the Naylor Workshop?

Incepted in York, PA, at York College of Pennsylvania (YCP) in 2014, the Naylor Workshop for Undergraduate Research in Writing Studies helps undergraduate students connect with fellow scholars and develop their social justice research. Made possible through the Naylor Endowment via Irvin and Diane Naylor, the workshop has hosted over 300 students and 200 mentors, with attendees from nearly every state and even other countries. The workshop’s structure is founded on purposeful “mutual mentoring,” where students can meet on equal footing with the other scholars in attendance, regardless of age or experience.

Organizing the annual workshop is Dr. Dominic DelliCarpini, Naylor Endowed Professor of Writing Studies at York College of Pennsylvania. The purpose, says DelliCarpini, is to not only provide “a space for students who are interested in writing studies, [but also] anybody who’s interested in the power of language and how it can shape who we are.” Having observed a lack of research workshops for undergraduates, DelliCarpini developed the Naylor Workshop to invite students to refine their ongoing research, with the objective of helping them to ultimately publish or present their work.

For DelliCarpini, writing studies and social justice go hand-in-hand. In fact, he says, advancing social justice is the crux of the Naylor Workshop: “Writing is the way that people become free. Writing is what keeps people free.”

How did students approach the workshop?

The Naylor Workshop has supported undergraduate social justice research across a wide range of topics. For example, YCP sophomore Ashley Donahue is examining the differences between written poetry and ASL poetry—namely, the idea that emotion in one’s native language is what is “transmitted, [understood, and connected to] best.” As a Secondary Education major, she would like to see how ASL poetry can be incorporated into mainstream curriculums.

So far, she has only conducted secondary research, but she intends to reach out to members of the D/deaf and hard-of-hearing community to build out her research. Donahue appreciates that the workshop enabled her to speak with different scholars from across the country, helping her with new angles and connecting her with new resources. This March, she will be presenting her work at the Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)’s 57th Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, PA.

Meanwhile, Clayton State University’s Juan Angarita, a senior English major, and Mya Arnett, a senior psychology major, are exploring whether the form of literacy acquired through social media can be used to teach students how to write in different contexts, such as in academic or professional environments. The project was inspired by a fellow student, who was passionate about legal advocacy but struggled with college-level reading and writing. “[We] wanted to find a way to bridge that gap and help people actually accomplish their dreams,” says Angarita, “and that basically starts with being able to communicate effectively, right?”

Angarita and Arnett cite their most useful takeaway from the workshop as being new insights for their data collection methods. Post-graduation, they hope to continue their research and have it approved by the International Review Board (IRB). About the workshop, Angarita says and Arnett agrees, “Being there in a room full of a few dozen other people who were all there for the betterment of their own communities… It was an energetic vibe, a vibrant energy. It was impressive.”

How did mentors approach the workshop?

Acting as both a mentor and scholar was Nidhi Gandhi, a 2019 alumnus of the workshop and now Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Writing Center Coordinator at the City College of New York. Her research focuses on “student-centered curriculum design,” addressing “academic trauma” in particular regards to immigrant, first-generation, and multilingual students.

In her ideal curriculum, Gandhi seeks to “create an equal playing field” between students and their professors, inviting students into the process of pedagogy while giving them agency. “In a way,” says Gandhi, “that’s what social justice is about: inviting people that aren’t normally seen, and understanding that they do have their own ideas and their own interests and their own expertise.” In that vein, her favorite part about the Naylor Workshop as an undergrad was being treated as a peer: “It was the first time I felt like someone really took me seriously. …To be able to have someone perceive me as a serious, competent person was incredible.”

To future Naylor scholars, she says, “We’re here for you—this is your research, this is your time to shine. …At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what you want to take [from your experience] and what you don’t. But you’re the leader, you’re in charge. Somebody else can guide you, but don’t let them take over.”

What is social justice in writing studies?

The Naylor Workshop is open to anyone with an interest in language, linguistics, and communication: Donahue’s study of ASL poetry, Angarita and Arnett’s investigation into social media-era literacy, Gandhi’s student-centered pedagogy. But most principal of all is that each and every scholar is driven by a desire to understand others, to build bridges, and to cultivate a better world. To them, social justice is defined as compassion.

As is underscored by the tenets of the workshop, DelliCarpini iterates that, “Writing studies isn’t about teaching people to produce pristine, perfect, standardized [writing], because that’s the opposite of what I think is free speech. [We] need to consider students’ right to their own language. And the most important [consideration] is to do good, to do social good.”

The most recent Naylor Workshop was held from September 26 to 28, 2025, hosted at the Center for Community Engagement in York, PA.

For more information about the Naylor Workshop, click here for YCP’s webpage on the program.

Want to know more about the importance of diversity initiatives in education? Read Daffen Perez’s Why It’s Important to Encourage Diversity in Education.

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