Michelli, Nicholas M. Interview 24 April 2025
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Download Michelli IAPC Oral History Interview Transcript.pdf (300 KB)
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Description
In this interview, Nicholas M. Michelli, former Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University and a leading advocate of critical thinking, civic education, and education for democracy, reflects on his career and his involvement with the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC). He describes his early encounters with Matthew Lipman and Ann Margaret Sharp, and key moments in the founding, expansion, and internationalization of the IAPC, including teacher-training initiatives, state and federal recognition, graduate and doctoral programs, and international partnerships. Throughout the interview, Michelli emphasizes the inseparability of philosophy, critical thinking, and civic education, framing them as essential to democratic life and social justice. He also reflects candidly on tensions between philosophers and educators, the challenges of institutional politics, and the contemporary urgency of democratic education amid national and global political instability.
Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Interview
Publisher
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
City
Montclair
Keywords
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, critical thinking, democratic education, civic education, Matthew Lipman, Ann Margaret Sharp
Disciplines
Education | Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Michelli, Nicholas M.; Gregory, Maughn Rollins; and Laverty, Megan Jane, "Michelli, Nicholas M. Interview 24 April 2025" (2026). All IAPC Oral Histories. 11.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_oral_histories/11