DEI 2022 Summer Symposium (Optional)

See full flyer: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Optional Summer Symposium

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Optional Summer Symposium 2022-23
Building a greater understanding of our students, staff, and community Staff can choose either day to attend sessions
Opening Remarks by Dr. Francisco Durán and Dr. Jason Ottley Time: 8:00 A.M. – 8:30 A.M.

August 23, 2022 sign-up in Frontline. August 24, 2022 sign-up in Frontline.

August 23 & 24, 2022
Building DEI Communities Coltrane Stansbury 8:40 A.M. – 9:30 A.M.
In our everyday interactions, we are used to working within teams and organizational frameworks with the expectation to drive change for the stakeholders we serve. The impact of our work is under constant threat of eroding without considering the role that community plays in strengthening the relationships that span the organizational structures we work within. This session will explore the concept of community building and seek to understand the challenges and opportunities that come from empowering people to connect and contribute through the power of community.
After attending this session, participants will: Gain an appreciation for the challenges we collectively face in building communities Understand our unique role in creating opportunities for others to thrive within a community Identify our own personal behaviors that limit our ability to contribute effectively within a community Create purpose and understanding using resources available to us to accomplish our goals as a community

August 23 & 24, 2022
Pathways To Equity and Leading Change Bart Bailey 9:40 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.
This session focuses on basic understandings of equity and one’s role in leading through change. For people to gain a better understanding how our personal beliefs, systems and structures impact our leadership style and our ability to create a sense of belonging for students. The purpose of this session is to prepare participants to recognize barriers to equity that hinder belonging for students and colleagues.
After attending this session, participants will: Identify and understand their relationship with oppressive structures and systems. Gain a better understanding how to foster belonging Understand the 4 levels of racism Understand the impact of power and decision making

August 23 & 24, 2022
Fostering Connection: Developing a Social Justice Identity Dr. Shekila Melchior 10:40 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
Participants will gain a better understanding of how meaningful connections and critical consciousness can aid us in our journey of developing a social justice identity. Participants will also have the opportunity to identify social issues of interest and ways to support the students they serve. Additionally, the presentation will provide practical skills for increasing a relational connection in advocacy and to begin developing their own relational approach.
After attending this session, participants will: Identify strategies to address systemic barriers in their school Identify a social justice issue of interest and develop an advocacy plan Gain an understanding of social justice identity development

August 23 & 24, 2022
Broadening the Lense: How Technical Education and Apprenticeship Enhance Student Learning and Preparation for Successful Careers Katherine S. Newman 12:30 P.M. – 1:20 P.M.
Although the United States embraced technical/vocational education in the years that followed World War II, in more recent decades, the emphasis has been on preparing high school students for admission to colleges and universities. The vocational sector lost resources and saw respect for what it yields plummet. Other countries, especially Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, moved in a different direction: they maintained a “dual education” approach that saw more than half of their teenagers engage in programs that blended classroom education with “shop floor” apprenticeships in companies that provided master teachers with deep experience in industrial production. These competitors have now expanded the dual model to include white collar occupations like health care, information technology, hospitality, and the like. In this session, we will review what that dual approach has done to create a highly skilled workforce and consider what it would mean for the United States to follow suit. We will look at states (like South Carolina) that have done so in order to serve the employment needs of German companies that have located auto plants in these regions and now need to import the same training system in order to have a steady supply of skilled labor. We will consider the ways in which technical education complements (and can lead back into) higher education.
After attending this session, participants will: Understand the history of technical education and apprenticeship in the US and Europe. Review the evidence that this kind of blended education leads to higher levels of skill and employability. Consider what would be needed to create these opportunities in the US. Understand the registered federal apprenticeship system. Recognize that universities and colleges are facing similar demands from students and families who want experiential education to help prepare young people for the labor market. Consider the ongoing complementarity of traditional liberal arts education (in high school and college) and workplace experience.

August 23 & 24, 2022
From Trauma to Triumph: Fostering Resilience through Trauma Informed Practices Dr. Brooksie Sturdivant 1:30 P.M. – 2:20 P.M.
In this session with educator and author Dr. Brooksie B. Sturdivant, participants will explore adversity and common challenges that many students face, understand trauma responses and resilience factors, and discuss instructional strategies for relationship building and student engagement.
After attending this session, participants will: Understand adversity and common challenges that many students face Recognize trauma responses and promote resilience factors Apply instructional strategies for relationship building and student engagement

August 23 & 24, 2022
Empowering Teachers and Students: Action Steps to Anti-racist Teaching Ellen Smith, Crystal Moore, and Sally Donnelly 2:30 P.M. – 3:20 P.M.

Participants will learn the steps intentionally taken by staff at DHMS to become antiracist teachers which include: Become self-aware Find allies Keep learning Apply your learning Engage and empower others Reflect regularly Continue the work

  • Become self-aware
  • Find allies
  • Keep learning
  • Apply your learning
  • Engage and empower others
  • Reflect regularly
  • Continue the work