We have known each other since 2019 when we both helped to organize the Free Minds, Free People conference in the Twin Cities. We were two of the founding members of the first ever state chapter of the national Education for Liberation Network--Education for Liberation Minnesota (EdLibMN). Since that time, we have engaged in ongoing conversations about schooling, liberatory education, abolition, data technologies, Ethnic Studies, and our positionalities and community histories.  The development and delivery of this course was supported by the Puzak Fund and the Provost’s Office at Carleton College and Project Pericles. As part of her teaching responsibilities at Carleton College, Anita teaches a senior seminar for students who are minoring in Educational Studies, and she can choose the topic for that course. She approached Marika about two years ago, asking her, “So what are you doing in Spring 2024?” We were excited about the possibility of co-planning and co-teaching a course for undergraduates. 

We started planning our course in August 2023 in a weeklong retreat at Marika’s house! Amidst multiple cans of sparkling water, gales of laughter, and thousands of non-sequiturs, we started talking about our hopes, fears, and concerns about the co-teaching model. We delineated our goals and objectives for the course before we started brainstorming content. If you are planning to co-teach, we highly recommend that co-teachers spend time getting to know each other before getting into the nitty-gritty of planning.