CARLA’s Social Justice in Language Education initiative aims to improve teachers’ understanding and application of critical pedagogies as they teach social justice themes. The initiative has three components: research, resources, and professional development.

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota has provided high-quality professional development for language teachers for over two decades. Launched in 1996, this internationally known program reflects CARLA's commitment to link research and theory with practical applications for the classroom. Each institute is highly interactive and includes discussion, hands-on activities, and networking.