Equity, Diversity, and Belonging Committee

WHERE CAN EDB’S IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY BE SEEN?

Supporting Staff

• In 2020, EDB supported the faculty’s work by initiating a partnership with WEEAC (Western Educational Equity Assistance Center). The first steps included a course on Implicit Bias and facilitated conversations about next steps for our school.  As the  partnership continues in the 21-22 school year,  faculty will focus on three areas: policies and procedures, trauma-informed practices, and culturally responsive teaching.  For more information about WEEAC visit https://temp.msudenver.edu/weeac/

Creating a Sense of Belonging

• Student requests to change the school mascot to a more inclusive symbol were met with enthusiasm by EDB, which organized a campaign inviting the entire student body to contribute ideas and original art. As with many organizations, EDB saw the Black Lives Matter movement and other current events in 2020 as a catalyst for change and a chance to create more engagement with the students and staff. EDB provided teachers and parents with access to age appropriate resources to help start, expand and further the discussion of equity. 

• As a means of increasing the socio-economic diversity of the school, EDB also proposed to Horizons Council and Board a revision to the open enrollment preferences that would provide priority to families who qualify as low-income according to the Family Economic Data Survey. This preference was approved by the Horizons Council in May of 2021 and by the Board in August, 2021.

• EDB will continue focusing on expanding Open Enrollment outreach, launching the new Horizons Hawk mascot, and engaging the community in discussions surrounding what diversity and belonging looks like for them. 

Engaging Community

• EDB provided families with the opportunity to participate in an online course and facilitated conversations around implicit bias. Additionally, EDB hosted book groups, discussion forums, and workshops throughout the year. Please check out all of our reads here and here. Learn about all of our resources shared with our community here and events we have hosted here.

PARENT CORNER

Websites

Smithsonian National Museum of Native American Native Knowledge 360: Explore featured instructional and informational resources, below, or search all resources using the search tool.

Mobian: Mobian is a lifestyle site for lesbian moms and other LGBT parents.

Sociological Images: “Sociological Images is designed to encourage all kinds of people to exercise and develop their sociological imagination.” A wealth of observations about our dominant cultural constructs.

Learning For Justice: A place to find thought-provoking news, conversations and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools.

Gender Spectrum: Gender Spectrum provides education, training, and support to help create a gender sensitive and inclusive environment for all children.

Hispanic Heritage Month: The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.

All in Spirit: A creative voice for bridging community dialogues and relationships, for social justice and healing. Norma Johnson

Understanding Prejudices: A web site for students, teachers, and others interested in the causes and consequences of prejudice.

Blogs

http://whiteantiracistparent.blogspot.com This site is dormant but has very interesting observations from a white mother working towards anti-racism

http://cocoamamas.com/about  "Raising cocoa children in a bittersweet world."An on-going parenting blog for mothers of color.

http://socialjusticeparenting.blogspot.com  Discussing Diversity- blog for parents written by Josie

http://culturesconnecting.blogspot.com  Blog written by ilsa, WPC14 organizer and co-owner of Cultures Connecting.

Articles

PBS How to Talk Honestly with Children About Racism https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-honestly-with-children-about-racism 

Unicef Talking to Your Kids About Racism https://www.unicef.org/parenting/talking-to-your-kids-about-racism 

Parent Your Age by Age Guide to Talking About Race https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teaching-tolerance/talking-about-race-with-kids/ 

KIDS CORNER

Videos

Crash Course Black American History https://youtu.be/xPx5aRuWCtc?feature=shared 

Podcasts

Episode: But Why “A Discussion About Race and Racism  https://www.vpr.org/programs/2020-06-17/but-why-live-a-discussion-about-race-and-racism#stream/0 

The EmbraceRace podcast brings you the best and latest advice on how to guide kids around race through informative conversations with researchers, practitioners and community members. In this inaugural season, we counter long-standing myths about race and kids and talk about How Kids ACTUALLY Learn About Race. The podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace and is hosted by EmbraceRace cofounders, Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas. Thanks to the EmbraceRace staff and to our podcast production team (more on them below) for their contributions and magic making! https://www.embracerace.org/resources/embracerace-podcast 

Articles

Teacher explains equity tells students why they can’t be treated equally and it’s an eye opener https://scoop.upworthy.com/teacher-explains-equity-students-cant-be-treated-equally-kids-classroom-learning  

Books

http://coloringbetween.blogspot.com Coloring Between the Lines “looks at issues of race and culture in relation to creating and using children's literature, as seen by a white author-illustrator of multiracial, multicultural books.”

 http://oyate.org  “We review children’s literature and advocate for Native Americans/American Indians to be portrayed with historical accuracy, cultural appropriateness and without anti-Indian bias and stereotypes.”

http://www.culturesconnecting.com/docs/ResourceList.doc A book list from Cultures Connecting, a consulting group addressing race relations in the 21st century.

http://www.jamesmollison.com/wherechildrensleep.php  Where Children Sleep is a beautiful art photography book with images of children from around the world in their homes.