From Classroom to Community: Feminist Engagement in Practice

Developed by Kelsey Foster
Administrative Assistant
Office of the GWS Librarian
University of Wisconsin
December 2025

This bibliography is number 108d in the series “Bibliographies in Gender and Women’s Studies,” published by the University of Wisconsin System Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian. It was developed as part of “Rooted in Justice: Fifty Years of Feminist Scholarship and Community Engagement,” a set of bibliographies supporting the 2026 UW System Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium Spring Conference.

Introduction

Gender and women’s studies has its roots in grassroots feminist activism and community organizing. This bibliography explores what it means to be a feminist working in and with communities today and into the future. It includes stories that bridge classroom learning with local and virtual feminist action, whether through student-led initiatives, internships, alumni engaged in advocacy work, or digital spaces fostering collective global empowerment. Recognizing their essential role in shaping transformative feminist knowledge and action, we include the work of community partners, artists, and others who engage with feminist praxis and mentor students. Resources also examine the tensions that arise when activist work intersects with academic institutions, including challenges around maintaining diverse viewpoints and resisting institutional co-optation. We include reflections on past and present efforts to translate theory into practice, as well as ideas for revitalizing the field’s political roots across education, science, government, technology, the arts, and beyond—locally, nationally, and globally.