2012 PanelistsAkeira Parker is the Educational Justice Co-Chair at the Boston Youth Organizing Project (BYOP). BYOP is an organization of youth, led by youth and supported by adults, who are united by a common purpose: to increase youth power and create positive social change. To do this, BYOP develops counter-cultural values, build relationships across differences, train and develop leaders, identify key issues of concern and take action for justice. Their goals are to improve the lives of young people, increase real political participation and build community.
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David Stovall is an Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His scholarship investigates four areas 1) Critical Race Theory, 2) concepts of social justice in education, 3) the relationship between housing and education, and 4) the relationship between schools and community stakeholders. In the attempt to bring theory to action, he has spent the last ten years working with community organizations and schools to develop curriculum that address issues of social justice. His current work has led him to become a member of the Greater Lawndale/Little Village School of Social Justice High School design team, which opened in the Fall of 2005 where he also serves as a volunteer social studies teacher.
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Lisa Patel is a researcher, educator, and writer. With a background in sociology, she researches and teaches about education, immigration, and language. She is an Associate Professor of Education at Boston College and works extensively with recently immigrated youth. Prior to working in the academy, Professor Patel was a journalist, a teacher, and a state-level policymaker. Across all of these experiences, her focus has been on the ways that education structures opportunities in society, and her daily work has been with youth who are marginalized through those structures. Dr. Patel is also a board member of the National Education for Liberation Network, which co-sponsors the biennial Free Minds Free People national conference.
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2012 Workshops
Morning Session 11:30 - 12:45
Circle Work
Youth from the Curley K-8 School will present the "Circle Work," an initiative which includes Restorative Justice discipline method, Emotional Literacy (content of addressing the whole child) and a format of sharing and community building. In the context of our practice of having no observers, only participants, students will conduct an exercise out of our compendium of indigenous, liberation-pedagogical-based mediations. The exercise will include our formal opening, our Popular Education content, and a traditional closing. As such all workshop participants will witness the Circle Work and its connection to a studied practice, and at the same time will experience the benefits of being in community - with students, their parents and teachers.
Presenters: Curley K-8 School Students
Democratizing Classroom Discussions
It doesn't matter how progressive the content is; if we are only hearing from the same voices in class discussions, what hidden message are we sending students about whose voices matter? How do we instill in ALL students a sense that they have the authority to weigh in on conversations? This workshop will explore three simple, concrete strategies for democratizing classroom discussions to support and empower students in using their voices. Two strategies are technology independent; one involves use of Moodle.
Presenters: Julie Craven, King Open School, 7/8 Humanities Teacher
Teacher-driven Professional Development: A Voice For Social Justice
Boston Public School teachers, part of a teacher study/book group started at English High School 1997, have written descriptions of their school day, capturing what happened in their classes that day--with their students, colleagues and instruction. The teacher-writers have also reflected on what they learned about themselves as teachers through the project. Sample "Writing Our Day" pieces will be distributed and read. Two teacher-writers, and the publication editors, will discuss the importance of this writing to teacher professional identity: how their writing asserts what they do and why; how through writing teachers can demonstrate their commitment to students and their profession, giving them voice to argue for social justice for teachers and their students. The authors and editors will ask the participants to respond to the texts and discuss the potential power in publishing these teacher pieces.
Presenters: Junia Yearwood, retired BPS, leader of teacher writing group of "Writing Our Day" and other "Writing our Day" contributors Gabriell Paye, Stephen Gordon, and Kristie McElhaney.
Arts and Social Justice
Art can be an amazing catalyst for integrating conversations and actions about social justice issues in our local communities and larger world. As Audre Lorde said "Art is a necessity, not a luxury." In this workshop Laura Evonne will share a few examples of projects she has been involved with including chalking hearts @ Dewey Square with Occupy Boston (OB), fabric collages with community members and building cities out of recycled materials downtown. After sharing these projects, everyone will have a chance to share projects they are currently working on and then we will create on the spot, a few projects that involve sewing, recycled containers and more! Part of this workshop will be hands on.
Presenter: Laura Evonne Steinman, Community-Based Art Educator/Activist, hand in hand arts www.handinhandarts.com
Be loud, be proud, be Genki!
Genki is a Japanese word that means happy, healthy, and full of LIFE. The Genki Spark is a multigenerational Asian women's performance troupe that uses Japanese taiko drumming, spoken word, martial arts, and personal stories to inspire creativity, build community, and advocate for a world that respects all people. This workshop is designed to provoke thought and reflection while experiencing the joy of taiko drumming. Open to everyone, Japanese taiko drumming is LOUD. Come use your voice, your mind, and your body to play some very cool games on 'gomikan taiko' (trash can drums) in a welcoming no-pressure environment. Then reflect on what it feels like to be loud and speak out on issues you care about. Bring your passion, an open mind, and a willingness to try. Shy people especially invited to attend!
Presenters: Karen Young and Payal Sharma, The Genki Spark
Learning From Each Other : A Discussion of Frida Kahlo's Work
What if we define teaching as “helping people learn and not standing and telling people what we know”? What if the role of the educator was to listen while the students speak? This workshop preconceives learning and teaching as the mutual interaction between the teachers, students and the subject matter. Unlike a “conventional” classroom setup, this workshop uses Critical Exploration, a Freirian approach with a student-centered discussion designed so learners have direct contact with the subject matter, rather than having the subject interpreted and filtered through the teacher. This session will start with the artistic work of Frida Kahlo; through her work, the topic of Latin American identity and the different aspects of this particular society will be discussed. This workshop is youth-led.
Presenters: Henry Pineda, Student Activist
Food for Thought and Action
This highly interactive and experiential workshop will focus on the impact of local and global food systems on the economy, environment and community. We will also explore how these systems impact worker's rights and what is in your food. The goal of this session is to promote practical and innovative ways to engage a wide range of community members in issues of food systems and food justice.
Presenters: The Food Project Staff member and 4 to 6 youth
How to Be an Adult Ally (LGBTQ Youth Technical Assistance Series)
LGBTQ youth are often excluded (either intentionally or unintentionally) from community-based organizations and school-based activities. This can often exacerbate the marginalization of youth already at risk and create tough life obstacles. This workshop will discuss some of the risk factors facing GLBTQ youth and strategies that youth workers can implement in their programs to combat these risk factors. The point of this workshop is to initiate a dialogue on how “we” as adults can be more supportive and inclusive to the youth in our lives, to help adult staff understand what a young GLBTQ person may be going through and provide support for that youth. We are aware that the subject of GLBTQ issues can be very disconcerting for some people. We ask that you come with an open mind and lots of questions; we are more than willing to engage!
Presenters: Gay Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS)
Breaking Down the System
This introductory workshop defines "juvenile justice system" and "racial disparities" using a system map and data which illuminates the unequal treatment of youth. The agenda features storytelling, analyzing data, and discussion to better understand myths and misconceptions about how just the system is. We break down stereotypes and address how racial disparities effect our community as a whole.
Presenters: Mallory Hanora and Cindy Printemps, Reflect and Strengthen
Parent Organizing for School Improvement
The International Parent Group at The Welcome Project How can parents, community-based organizations and schools collaborate to improve education for children in diverse communities? Much research shows that parent involvement in education leads to positive academic and social-emotional outcomes for children, and that schools can serve as sites of democratic engagement for involved parents; however children of low-income and immigrant families attend schools with fewer opportunities for involvement and show lower rates of school-based participation than their wealthier, native-born peers. These inequalities present an obstacle to democratic school governance and local reform efforts to improve education. In this workshop, parent leader Lupe Ojeda and the researchers will present their work organizing parents to advance the interests of children in East Somerville, MA. Come join a discussion on how schools and communities can collaborate across differences of race, class, and language to improve education and deepen local democracy.
Presenters: Maryann Vo, The Welcome Project; Russell Carlock, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Ana Nieto, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Here is Where We Take Our Stand - A Film made by Iraq Veterans Against the War
Selections from the film "Here is Where We Take Our Stand" will be viewed by participants as they gain perspective on the impact of serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through discussion, the workshop will focus on how veterans deal with conflicting feelings about serving their country, patriotism, and the impact of the war on Iraqis. Participants will also explore ways to use the film in their classrooms and communities.
Presenter: Abby Yanow, United for Justice with Peace
Unsung Sheroes: Womyn in the Movement
El Movimiento will be presenting a workshop to discuss the inequalities womyn faced and continue to face in the movement. Currently, the media overwhelmingly portrays negative images of womyn to perpetuate sexism. The media also creates an environment where society continues to use derogatory terms towards and about women. We will be discussing how these terms affect the representation of womyn not just in the media but in other realms as well. While many of us are familiar with men in the frontlines such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X not a lot of us are aware of the womyn who were actively involved in the civil rights movement. We will also be highlighting the work of three amazing women involved in the civil rights movement, Yuri Kochiyama, Assata Shakur, and Dolores Huerta.
Presenters: El Movimiento members Ada Bonilla, Emily Navarro, Sackona Fitts, and Fernando Rodriguez
Can we Talk? Learning from the Boston Busing/Desegregation Crisis
Can We Talk? is a film by media producer Scott Mercer. The film was commissioned by Union of Minority Neighborhoods (UMN) and offers powerful stories of the 1970’s busing/desegregation crisis that changed Boston forever. Most of those in the film have never publicly shared their stories. It documents how this crisis is still felt today. It aspires to prompt a long-overdue honest conversation about public education and racism, classism, and social injustices that have plagued not only the Boston public schools, but the city of Boston as a community. This workshop will include screening of a 20-minute segment of the film and reflection and discussion among participants. Participants will reflect upon their own and others' experiences and understanding of this critical time in Boston's history, and come away from this workshop with an understanding of the Boston Busing/Desegregation Project and how they can get involved.
Presenter: Meghan Doran, Boston Busing/Desegregation Project organizer, Union of Minority Neighborhoods
Youth from the Curley K-8 School will present the "Circle Work," an initiative which includes Restorative Justice discipline method, Emotional Literacy (content of addressing the whole child) and a format of sharing and community building. In the context of our practice of having no observers, only participants, students will conduct an exercise out of our compendium of indigenous, liberation-pedagogical-based mediations. The exercise will include our formal opening, our Popular Education content, and a traditional closing. As such all workshop participants will witness the Circle Work and its connection to a studied practice, and at the same time will experience the benefits of being in community - with students, their parents and teachers.
Presenters: Curley K-8 School Students
Democratizing Classroom Discussions
It doesn't matter how progressive the content is; if we are only hearing from the same voices in class discussions, what hidden message are we sending students about whose voices matter? How do we instill in ALL students a sense that they have the authority to weigh in on conversations? This workshop will explore three simple, concrete strategies for democratizing classroom discussions to support and empower students in using their voices. Two strategies are technology independent; one involves use of Moodle.
Presenters: Julie Craven, King Open School, 7/8 Humanities Teacher
Teacher-driven Professional Development: A Voice For Social Justice
Boston Public School teachers, part of a teacher study/book group started at English High School 1997, have written descriptions of their school day, capturing what happened in their classes that day--with their students, colleagues and instruction. The teacher-writers have also reflected on what they learned about themselves as teachers through the project. Sample "Writing Our Day" pieces will be distributed and read. Two teacher-writers, and the publication editors, will discuss the importance of this writing to teacher professional identity: how their writing asserts what they do and why; how through writing teachers can demonstrate their commitment to students and their profession, giving them voice to argue for social justice for teachers and their students. The authors and editors will ask the participants to respond to the texts and discuss the potential power in publishing these teacher pieces.
Presenters: Junia Yearwood, retired BPS, leader of teacher writing group of "Writing Our Day" and other "Writing our Day" contributors Gabriell Paye, Stephen Gordon, and Kristie McElhaney.
Arts and Social Justice
Art can be an amazing catalyst for integrating conversations and actions about social justice issues in our local communities and larger world. As Audre Lorde said "Art is a necessity, not a luxury." In this workshop Laura Evonne will share a few examples of projects she has been involved with including chalking hearts @ Dewey Square with Occupy Boston (OB), fabric collages with community members and building cities out of recycled materials downtown. After sharing these projects, everyone will have a chance to share projects they are currently working on and then we will create on the spot, a few projects that involve sewing, recycled containers and more! Part of this workshop will be hands on.
Presenter: Laura Evonne Steinman, Community-Based Art Educator/Activist, hand in hand arts www.handinhandarts.com
Be loud, be proud, be Genki!
Genki is a Japanese word that means happy, healthy, and full of LIFE. The Genki Spark is a multigenerational Asian women's performance troupe that uses Japanese taiko drumming, spoken word, martial arts, and personal stories to inspire creativity, build community, and advocate for a world that respects all people. This workshop is designed to provoke thought and reflection while experiencing the joy of taiko drumming. Open to everyone, Japanese taiko drumming is LOUD. Come use your voice, your mind, and your body to play some very cool games on 'gomikan taiko' (trash can drums) in a welcoming no-pressure environment. Then reflect on what it feels like to be loud and speak out on issues you care about. Bring your passion, an open mind, and a willingness to try. Shy people especially invited to attend!
Presenters: Karen Young and Payal Sharma, The Genki Spark
Learning From Each Other : A Discussion of Frida Kahlo's Work
What if we define teaching as “helping people learn and not standing and telling people what we know”? What if the role of the educator was to listen while the students speak? This workshop preconceives learning and teaching as the mutual interaction between the teachers, students and the subject matter. Unlike a “conventional” classroom setup, this workshop uses Critical Exploration, a Freirian approach with a student-centered discussion designed so learners have direct contact with the subject matter, rather than having the subject interpreted and filtered through the teacher. This session will start with the artistic work of Frida Kahlo; through her work, the topic of Latin American identity and the different aspects of this particular society will be discussed. This workshop is youth-led.
Presenters: Henry Pineda, Student Activist
Food for Thought and Action
This highly interactive and experiential workshop will focus on the impact of local and global food systems on the economy, environment and community. We will also explore how these systems impact worker's rights and what is in your food. The goal of this session is to promote practical and innovative ways to engage a wide range of community members in issues of food systems and food justice.
Presenters: The Food Project Staff member and 4 to 6 youth
How to Be an Adult Ally (LGBTQ Youth Technical Assistance Series)
LGBTQ youth are often excluded (either intentionally or unintentionally) from community-based organizations and school-based activities. This can often exacerbate the marginalization of youth already at risk and create tough life obstacles. This workshop will discuss some of the risk factors facing GLBTQ youth and strategies that youth workers can implement in their programs to combat these risk factors. The point of this workshop is to initiate a dialogue on how “we” as adults can be more supportive and inclusive to the youth in our lives, to help adult staff understand what a young GLBTQ person may be going through and provide support for that youth. We are aware that the subject of GLBTQ issues can be very disconcerting for some people. We ask that you come with an open mind and lots of questions; we are more than willing to engage!
Presenters: Gay Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS)
Breaking Down the System
This introductory workshop defines "juvenile justice system" and "racial disparities" using a system map and data which illuminates the unequal treatment of youth. The agenda features storytelling, analyzing data, and discussion to better understand myths and misconceptions about how just the system is. We break down stereotypes and address how racial disparities effect our community as a whole.
Presenters: Mallory Hanora and Cindy Printemps, Reflect and Strengthen
Parent Organizing for School Improvement
The International Parent Group at The Welcome Project How can parents, community-based organizations and schools collaborate to improve education for children in diverse communities? Much research shows that parent involvement in education leads to positive academic and social-emotional outcomes for children, and that schools can serve as sites of democratic engagement for involved parents; however children of low-income and immigrant families attend schools with fewer opportunities for involvement and show lower rates of school-based participation than their wealthier, native-born peers. These inequalities present an obstacle to democratic school governance and local reform efforts to improve education. In this workshop, parent leader Lupe Ojeda and the researchers will present their work organizing parents to advance the interests of children in East Somerville, MA. Come join a discussion on how schools and communities can collaborate across differences of race, class, and language to improve education and deepen local democracy.
Presenters: Maryann Vo, The Welcome Project; Russell Carlock, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Ana Nieto, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Here is Where We Take Our Stand - A Film made by Iraq Veterans Against the War
Selections from the film "Here is Where We Take Our Stand" will be viewed by participants as they gain perspective on the impact of serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through discussion, the workshop will focus on how veterans deal with conflicting feelings about serving their country, patriotism, and the impact of the war on Iraqis. Participants will also explore ways to use the film in their classrooms and communities.
Presenter: Abby Yanow, United for Justice with Peace
Unsung Sheroes: Womyn in the Movement
El Movimiento will be presenting a workshop to discuss the inequalities womyn faced and continue to face in the movement. Currently, the media overwhelmingly portrays negative images of womyn to perpetuate sexism. The media also creates an environment where society continues to use derogatory terms towards and about women. We will be discussing how these terms affect the representation of womyn not just in the media but in other realms as well. While many of us are familiar with men in the frontlines such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X not a lot of us are aware of the womyn who were actively involved in the civil rights movement. We will also be highlighting the work of three amazing women involved in the civil rights movement, Yuri Kochiyama, Assata Shakur, and Dolores Huerta.
Presenters: El Movimiento members Ada Bonilla, Emily Navarro, Sackona Fitts, and Fernando Rodriguez
Can we Talk? Learning from the Boston Busing/Desegregation Crisis
Can We Talk? is a film by media producer Scott Mercer. The film was commissioned by Union of Minority Neighborhoods (UMN) and offers powerful stories of the 1970’s busing/desegregation crisis that changed Boston forever. Most of those in the film have never publicly shared their stories. It documents how this crisis is still felt today. It aspires to prompt a long-overdue honest conversation about public education and racism, classism, and social injustices that have plagued not only the Boston public schools, but the city of Boston as a community. This workshop will include screening of a 20-minute segment of the film and reflection and discussion among participants. Participants will reflect upon their own and others' experiences and understanding of this critical time in Boston's history, and come away from this workshop with an understanding of the Boston Busing/Desegregation Project and how they can get involved.
Presenter: Meghan Doran, Boston Busing/Desegregation Project organizer, Union of Minority Neighborhoods
Afternoon Session 3:00 - 4:15
Growing Roses in Concrete: Moving Urban Youth from Surviving to Thriving
This workshop will present attendees with a video produced by a youth/adult collective that explores the impact of the social toxicity of an oppressive urban environment. Building on this reality, we explore the agency of youth and youth support networks to confront and overcome these challenges with tenacity. The workshop explores the ways that teachers and youth workers can work with the youth to develop the conditions in their classrooms and community that promote healing and resiliency. In part, this is fostered through a pedagogy of trust, which builds strong interdependent communities working for social transformation.
Presenters: Members of the Youth Empowerment and Activism Team and High School Students in Worcester, Massachusetts: Vanessa Alvarez, Katrese Anderson, Israel Fernandez, Richie Isom, Anthony Le, Karen Martinez, Ymari Pyatt, Kandis Santiago. Youth Empowerment and Activism staff: Raquel Castro, Joe Corazzini, Eric DeMeulenaere, Marianna Islam, Angelique Gonzalez-Webster, Isabel Gonzalez-Webster, Andrew Le.
An Inside View of the Boston School Committee
In this session, Susan Naimark will share her insider knowledge from serving as a member of the Boston School Committee from 1997-2005. Susan came to the school committee as a BPS parent who was active in School and Citywide Parent Councils, and one of the founders of the Boston Parent Organizing Network. The session will cover powers and responsibilities of the school committee and explore how to have the most impact on school committee decision-making. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about how the Boston School Committee "really" works.
Presenter: Susan Naimark, Boston Parent Organizing Network board member, former member of Boston School Committee, author of The Education of a White Parent: Wrestling with Race and Opportunity in the Boston Public Schools (publication June 2012)
Youth Power and the Fight for Jobs
Young people in Boston are mobilized and fighting back against a political and social environment that discriminates against youth, leaves them with few job options, and regularly silences youth voice. Come learn about "adultism," effective adult ally roles, and how young people are engaged in the struggle for justice in Boston.
Presenters: The City School and Boston Youth Organizing Project (BYOP)
Gender Oppression and Violence
Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on how they identify gender and where they learned about gender. Most of us have been socialized to identify with one of two genders, which determines how we dress, how we talk, how we act, and who we are. Through interactive activity and discussion, participants will begin to break down the social construction of gender and how it perpetuates sexism and violence. We will also discuss that through understanding this connection, how to prevent violence in our communities.
Presenters: Trisha Mah, Youth Program Assistant and Sozi Nguyen, program alum 2011, Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)
Education Radio and Disrupting the Dominant Discourse of Education Reform
The neoliberal discourse on education, which glorifies the market, privatization, competition, and preparation for the ‚"global economy" emerges from corporate policymakers and is reinforced by the mainstream media, which regurgitates narratives of failing schools, bad teachers, and dangerous youth. This workshop explores how to speak back to this discourse and claim the school and community as a place for education as transformation. Specifically, we will work with participants to develop strategies for speaking back to this dominant narrative, and parts of this collective work may be used to develop a show for broadcast on Education Radio.
Presenters: Deborah Keisch Polin, UMass-Amherst; Barbara Madeloni, UMass-Amherst; Chris Herland, Amherst High School; Kate Way, Northampton High School; Tim Scott, UMass-Amherst; Dani O'Brian, UMass-Amherst
Anti-Racism Educator Tools
Speak Up! A Personal Stories Project, combines youth voice with a careful analysis of structural racism. Full of activities, stories, and discussion questions, this anthology is inspiring educators and youth around the country. This workshop will use popular education techniques to share the Speak Up! story and help you learn how to bring the Speak Up! Anthology to your classroom or community group. We hope you will also gain inspiration from engaging with a youth-conceived, youth-designed, youth-voice publication. And, pick up some simple tips for offering a structural analysis of racism to your classroom or community. Plus we'll have great conversation.
Presenter: Chris Messinger, and others, community-based educator and organizer, Boston Mobilization
From Dehumanization to Rehumanization: Using Film to Explore Genocide and the Perils of Othering
We will watch scenes from Coexist, an award-winning documentary about post-genocide Rwanda that was made as 60,000 perpetrators returned from prison to the communities where they murdered, raped, and terrorized their neighbors during the 1994 genocide. Coexist and its four-lesson Teacher's Guide are being used around the country to teach about genocide, colonial legacy, and Rwanda's path toward personal and social healing, while also creating space for a conversation with youth about we see and deal with difference. Using learning activities from the Teacher's Guide, we will do a short simulation that involves textual analysis and listening circles. Workshop participants will get a free copy of the Coexist DVD and a link to the four-lesson Teacher's Guide. Coexist is taught from 8th-12th grade, and in post-secondary classrooms.
Presenters: Dr. Mishy Lesser, learning director, "Coexist"
Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Student Rights and Responsibilities workshop will be a youth-led workshop about the importance of having students know their rights in their schools. The Boston Student Advisory Council/Youth on Board has been working on various campaigns related to student rights over the past ten years. Examples of these campaigns include the right to have 90 hours of physical education every year, and the right to not be locked out of school. Next school year, BSAC will begin a major campaign to raise awareness about student rights and responsibilities in the Boston Public Schools. To that end, this workshop will go over BSAC's student rights campaign and teach the importance of engaging students in their educational experiences. BSAC will also present on a workshop that was piloted this year by educators in the Boston Public Schools on "knowing your rights." This workshop aims to encourage dialogue between teachers and students.
Presenters: Jenna Stark, Tina-Marie Johnson, Heaven Reda, Dan Chu, and Melinda Wang; The Boston Student Advisory Council/Youth on Board
The Transformative Power of Music
A panel of youth from La Piñata will discuss their work using music and critical analysis of lyrics to transform how youth see themselves in the world. We will discuss how the music industry dictates how children and youth see ourselves and heavily influences many of the actions we take. We consider the power of music and how we use it to transform the way we see ourselves and the world around us. After panelists speak and discuss these questions with the workshop participants, breakout sessions will look specifically at music that has led to social transformation, such as the lyrics of Calle 13, a Puerto Rican rap group. Participants will have the chance to interact with each other and work on a creative production of their own.
Presenters: Youth from La Pinata-The Latin American Cultural Family Network; Rosalba Solis, Rafael Hernandez School Music Teacher & Artistic Director, La Piñata
Community Organizing, Courage and Compassion: How to Engage Peer Groups
The goal of the workshop is two-fold. The first goal is to encourage youth of different backgrounds to develop relationships with one another--to break down social barriers that divide and to develop leadership that crosses these barriers. The second and the overarching goal is to develop youth leadership through youth designed and led activities. We want to show people that when youth have all of the tools they need to connect with one another, that powerful and complex relationship are formed. These relationships are the cornerstones of all social justice work.
Presenters: DaShawn Saunders, Anna Rodriguez, Pedro Cardoso, Priscilla Alcantara, St. Stephen's Youth Programs
Constructions of Hardened Beings: Impacts of the School to Prison Pipeline on Youth and Their Communities
The 1980s introduced numerous state and federal policies that created a link between public education and the criminal justice system, a trend that is known widely as the school-to-prison pipeline. Several critical elements are involved in the production and maintenance of the school-to-prison pipeline, including: zero tolerance policies, surveillance cameras and metal detectors on public school grounds, and discipline practices that have increased the overuse of suspensions and expulsions. This workshop consists of various hands-on activities that: invite personal reflection, examine the historical roots of current school safety and discipline practices, review current disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates, seek solutions to the over-securitization of public schools, and identify current national and local youth- and educator-led campaigns.
Presenters: Patricia Krueger-Henney (University of Massachusetts Boston) and Jasmine Porter (Harvard University)
Interactive Workshop on Restorative Justice Practices
Circles are a value based process based on indigenous teachings and practices. The circle by its very design helps us to move from wherever we are towards the direction of our best self or core self. This workshop will introduce people to the value that circle can bring to a school community. Circles help build strong and positive relationships between students and adults, among students. Circles build community; forge shared agreements and expectations of that community; create a positive peer climate and lay a solid foundation for school behavior. Circles enhance individual and collective ability to practice emotional awareness and literacy. Restorative circles can also be used when rules are broken; in situations of conflict and to right a wrong. Restorative discipline can be far more effective than traditional forms of discipline, punishment, detention, suspension, expulsion. Using actual examples used already in some BPS schools; this workshop will explore circles as relationship and community building processes that then create an atmosphere to deal with the hard stuff in situations where discipline is called for.
Presenter: Janet Connors, Just Circles Trainer, Facilitator & Circle Keeper
Support for the 2012 conference
We are very grateful to the following for providing food and donations to the conference: