Workshop Sessions
Morning Sessions
10:30 - 11:45am
PILOT payments: Are Boston residents getting their fair share?
Session will explain what the PILOT payment program is, whether institutions pay their fair share, and what we can do as Boston residents to hold the major hospitals and universities accountable and responsive to community needs.
Enid Eckstein, PILOT Action Group
ROOM 170
Youth Voice Matters
Learn how to empower youth and highlight the ways in which they can find their voice and how they can use it to advocate for issues and causes that they believe in. It's unacceptable that we live in a society where youth voices are often disregarded, deemed as “unimportant,” and set aside. Our workshop aims to train adult allies, such as teachers and other adult stakeholders, on how to empower youth and highlight to them the ways in which they can find their voice and how they can use it to advocate for issues and causes that they believe in. We will also highlight some of the outlets where youth can use their voices such as social media, community organizations and public forums to create the change they want. Lastly, we will highlight how youth can leverage support from adult allies to strengthen the reach of their voices. We are better together!
Alexis Gonzalez, Sophia Kenneally, Anna Zhao, Boston Student Advisory Council
ROOM 230
Yes, You CAN Go to College: Assisting Undocumented Students Applying to College
Many people believe that undocumented students cannot attend college in the United States -- but they can. What they need in order to get there is support from a knowledgeable school support team that understands the nuances the college application process as it applies to undocumented youth. This session will give participants resources to better understand multiple facets of the college application experience, including submitting FAFSA, locating private scholarships, and understanding sanctuary campuses and "Undocumented-Friendly Schools."
Lena Papagiannis & Rebecca Mulligan, Boston Public School Teachers & BTU Unafraid Educators
ROOM 362
Transforming Schools Into Powerful, Just & Loving Learning Communities
This is a youth-led, intergenerational, interactive workshop, dealing with youth movements past and present, and focusing on issues of education, racial, and restorative justice in this time of crisis for the very survival of youth in our community. We seek to create a nurturing, mutually empowering space in which to share principles and practices in order to transform hierarchical school culture into mutually empowered, just and loving learning communities. Participants will be encouraged to continue this work within an array of community-based education change groups and initiatives.
Pheonix Printemps & Youth from the Boston Youth Organizing Project
Arthur Collins, Restorative Justice Coach for the Boston Public Schools
Mary Jo Hetzel, Code of Conduct Advisory Committee, Restorative Justice Organizing Committee & Boston Youth Organizing Project
ROOM 352
Deconstructing White Supremacy
We will be using videos and other primary sources to discuss the idea of white supremacy and how we as a collective / society can deconstruct it.
Trynity Strickland, Danaysa Vargas, Maya Torres,
Z Muhammad, Odongo Makokaj, Dre Deloria, Youth from Brattleboro Union High School
ROOM 312
Teaching Climate Change
Current carbon dioxide levels are higher than they've been in the last 3 million years. Between 2030 and 2050 climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 deaths. And yet, are schools teaching about climate change? The answer, in general, is no. To change this, young people at the Boston Student Advisory Council and Boston Public Schools teachers worked together to create the Climate Curriculum--a series of K-12 lessons on the science of climate change. Check it out at climatecurriculum.com and come to our workshop to learn how you can bring this important conversation into your classroom!
Youth Leaders of the Environmental Justice Subcommittee,
Boston Student Advisory Council and Youth on Board
ROOM 360
Developing Culturally Responsive Tasks in the Classroom
The purpose of this workshop is to provide K-12 teachers with instructional strategies that they can use to create lessons or tasks that are culturally responsive to the specific student populations they service in the classroom. By providing such lessons, students will develop agency within their learning experiences and be empowered to be change agents within their communities.
Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, Teacher
Joseph Lee School, Boston Public Schools
ROOM 270
Roots of Migration from Central America
Our session will incorporate popular education methodology in analyzing the root causes of migration to the U.S. from Central America. Participants will share their own family's migration histories, and look at the political, social and economic forces that uproot Central Americans today. Participants will see how these forces emerge from a legacy of U.S. intervention in the region.
Judenie Dabel, CSIO Youth Coordinator, Nasteho Ali, ACEDONE Youth Coordinator,
Yasmin Jama, Sairy Gonzalez, Bryan Castro, Youth Ubuntu Project Core Leaders
Kevin Whalen, CSIO Co-Director & Adult Ally
ROOM 370
Re-thinking the Spanish as a Heritage Language Curricula as Ethic Studies
Following the research that shows the need for culturally sustaining models of education in the context of bilingual Latinx students’, this interactive presentation shares the work of Latinx students in a Spanish as Heritage Language class, which followed critical frames around language, culture, and power using an ethnic studies curricula and Youth-PAR methodology. The students and their teacher will present some of their ongoing work reflecting on the impact of this class on their academic performance, community engagements, cultural identity construction, and overall wellbeing. This presentation will reflect on the challenges and limitations of the Spanish as a heritage language curricula in the context of institutionalized whiteness in schools.
Rocío Sánchez Ares, Boston Public School Teacher,
with Immigrant Youth from the Program
ROOM 282
Unleashing Youth Power Through Action Civics
Generation Citizen is one organization that promotes and supports action civics -- civics learning experiences that center around students actively participating in and influencing politics. This process includes young people identifying problems they face, researching the root causes of those issues, and then designing and leading a campaign to address them. In this workshop, students and educators who are part of Generation Citizen's Student Leadership Board and Teacher Leadership Board, will share experiences from past campaigns we've been part of and will lead participants through part of the process of designing their own campaign to support student-centered learning, action civics, or youth leadership in their school. Young people and adults are both welcome!
Julian Viviescas, Student Leadership Board member; Elizabeth Sanchez, MA Program Manager;
Molly McKay Bryson, Teacher Leadership Board member, Generation Citizen
ROOM 172
Surveillance of Muslim Students: Fighting Back as Educators and Allies
This session will introduce the topic of surveillance of Muslim students in Massachusetts, specifically under the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program, through a few interactive learning activities and discussions. It will cover the general theories and assumptions underlying CVE, and highlight its centrality to Islamophobia and anti-Muslim state violence in recent years. We will also cover the specific ways in which these programs affect school students in Massachusetts in particular, and its connections to surveillance and policing of students from other communities as well. Muslim Justice League’s current organizing work with teachers and youth in schools to fight back against these programs will be discussed, as will be concrete next steps for educators and other participants to take in the movement for education justice for Muslim students and for all.
Jarib Rahman, Muslim Justice League
with Boston Public School high school student co-presenter
ROOM 272
AbunDANCE: a meditative dance song community initiative
We build community abundance by sharing pathways to help us stay in our bodies. Being in our bodies is the root form of resistance when threats of violence constantly work to pull us out. Join us in AbunDance: share messages you have for your community in song and celebrate the joy of being in our bodies through a dance designed to be done together. In playful togetherness we build ourselves up. We will be making songs for our #right2remain!
Aparna (Pampi) Das, In Divine Company
ROOM 140
Session will explain what the PILOT payment program is, whether institutions pay their fair share, and what we can do as Boston residents to hold the major hospitals and universities accountable and responsive to community needs.
Enid Eckstein, PILOT Action Group
ROOM 170
Youth Voice Matters
Learn how to empower youth and highlight the ways in which they can find their voice and how they can use it to advocate for issues and causes that they believe in. It's unacceptable that we live in a society where youth voices are often disregarded, deemed as “unimportant,” and set aside. Our workshop aims to train adult allies, such as teachers and other adult stakeholders, on how to empower youth and highlight to them the ways in which they can find their voice and how they can use it to advocate for issues and causes that they believe in. We will also highlight some of the outlets where youth can use their voices such as social media, community organizations and public forums to create the change they want. Lastly, we will highlight how youth can leverage support from adult allies to strengthen the reach of their voices. We are better together!
Alexis Gonzalez, Sophia Kenneally, Anna Zhao, Boston Student Advisory Council
ROOM 230
Yes, You CAN Go to College: Assisting Undocumented Students Applying to College
Many people believe that undocumented students cannot attend college in the United States -- but they can. What they need in order to get there is support from a knowledgeable school support team that understands the nuances the college application process as it applies to undocumented youth. This session will give participants resources to better understand multiple facets of the college application experience, including submitting FAFSA, locating private scholarships, and understanding sanctuary campuses and "Undocumented-Friendly Schools."
Lena Papagiannis & Rebecca Mulligan, Boston Public School Teachers & BTU Unafraid Educators
ROOM 362
Transforming Schools Into Powerful, Just & Loving Learning Communities
This is a youth-led, intergenerational, interactive workshop, dealing with youth movements past and present, and focusing on issues of education, racial, and restorative justice in this time of crisis for the very survival of youth in our community. We seek to create a nurturing, mutually empowering space in which to share principles and practices in order to transform hierarchical school culture into mutually empowered, just and loving learning communities. Participants will be encouraged to continue this work within an array of community-based education change groups and initiatives.
Pheonix Printemps & Youth from the Boston Youth Organizing Project
Arthur Collins, Restorative Justice Coach for the Boston Public Schools
Mary Jo Hetzel, Code of Conduct Advisory Committee, Restorative Justice Organizing Committee & Boston Youth Organizing Project
ROOM 352
Deconstructing White Supremacy
We will be using videos and other primary sources to discuss the idea of white supremacy and how we as a collective / society can deconstruct it.
Trynity Strickland, Danaysa Vargas, Maya Torres,
Z Muhammad, Odongo Makokaj, Dre Deloria, Youth from Brattleboro Union High School
ROOM 312
Teaching Climate Change
Current carbon dioxide levels are higher than they've been in the last 3 million years. Between 2030 and 2050 climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 deaths. And yet, are schools teaching about climate change? The answer, in general, is no. To change this, young people at the Boston Student Advisory Council and Boston Public Schools teachers worked together to create the Climate Curriculum--a series of K-12 lessons on the science of climate change. Check it out at climatecurriculum.com and come to our workshop to learn how you can bring this important conversation into your classroom!
Youth Leaders of the Environmental Justice Subcommittee,
Boston Student Advisory Council and Youth on Board
ROOM 360
Developing Culturally Responsive Tasks in the Classroom
The purpose of this workshop is to provide K-12 teachers with instructional strategies that they can use to create lessons or tasks that are culturally responsive to the specific student populations they service in the classroom. By providing such lessons, students will develop agency within their learning experiences and be empowered to be change agents within their communities.
Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, Teacher
Joseph Lee School, Boston Public Schools
ROOM 270
Roots of Migration from Central America
Our session will incorporate popular education methodology in analyzing the root causes of migration to the U.S. from Central America. Participants will share their own family's migration histories, and look at the political, social and economic forces that uproot Central Americans today. Participants will see how these forces emerge from a legacy of U.S. intervention in the region.
Judenie Dabel, CSIO Youth Coordinator, Nasteho Ali, ACEDONE Youth Coordinator,
Yasmin Jama, Sairy Gonzalez, Bryan Castro, Youth Ubuntu Project Core Leaders
Kevin Whalen, CSIO Co-Director & Adult Ally
ROOM 370
Re-thinking the Spanish as a Heritage Language Curricula as Ethic Studies
Following the research that shows the need for culturally sustaining models of education in the context of bilingual Latinx students’, this interactive presentation shares the work of Latinx students in a Spanish as Heritage Language class, which followed critical frames around language, culture, and power using an ethnic studies curricula and Youth-PAR methodology. The students and their teacher will present some of their ongoing work reflecting on the impact of this class on their academic performance, community engagements, cultural identity construction, and overall wellbeing. This presentation will reflect on the challenges and limitations of the Spanish as a heritage language curricula in the context of institutionalized whiteness in schools.
Rocío Sánchez Ares, Boston Public School Teacher,
with Immigrant Youth from the Program
ROOM 282
Unleashing Youth Power Through Action Civics
Generation Citizen is one organization that promotes and supports action civics -- civics learning experiences that center around students actively participating in and influencing politics. This process includes young people identifying problems they face, researching the root causes of those issues, and then designing and leading a campaign to address them. In this workshop, students and educators who are part of Generation Citizen's Student Leadership Board and Teacher Leadership Board, will share experiences from past campaigns we've been part of and will lead participants through part of the process of designing their own campaign to support student-centered learning, action civics, or youth leadership in their school. Young people and adults are both welcome!
Julian Viviescas, Student Leadership Board member; Elizabeth Sanchez, MA Program Manager;
Molly McKay Bryson, Teacher Leadership Board member, Generation Citizen
ROOM 172
Surveillance of Muslim Students: Fighting Back as Educators and Allies
This session will introduce the topic of surveillance of Muslim students in Massachusetts, specifically under the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program, through a few interactive learning activities and discussions. It will cover the general theories and assumptions underlying CVE, and highlight its centrality to Islamophobia and anti-Muslim state violence in recent years. We will also cover the specific ways in which these programs affect school students in Massachusetts in particular, and its connections to surveillance and policing of students from other communities as well. Muslim Justice League’s current organizing work with teachers and youth in schools to fight back against these programs will be discussed, as will be concrete next steps for educators and other participants to take in the movement for education justice for Muslim students and for all.
Jarib Rahman, Muslim Justice League
with Boston Public School high school student co-presenter
ROOM 272
AbunDANCE: a meditative dance song community initiative
We build community abundance by sharing pathways to help us stay in our bodies. Being in our bodies is the root form of resistance when threats of violence constantly work to pull us out. Join us in AbunDance: share messages you have for your community in song and celebrate the joy of being in our bodies through a dance designed to be done together. In playful togetherness we build ourselves up. We will be making songs for our #right2remain!
Aparna (Pampi) Das, In Divine Company
ROOM 140
Afternoon Sessions
12:30 - 1:45pm
When We Fight We Win: Organizing For the Schools Our Students Deserve
In January 2019 how did LA get to the point of 50,000 teachers, students, parents, and allies in the streets demanding more funding for public schools? What did they win? Join a discussion on how community-labor alliances historically have been crucial to winning justice for our students and schools. We will look at what can be learned from the #RedForEd movement and the power we build when unions, parents, students, and neighbors organize and fight for our schools and communities.
Khalida Smalls, Director of Organizing, Boston Teachers Union
Marcelle Grair, Organizer, Boston Teachers Union
Natalia Cuadra-Saez, Organizer, Boston Teachers Union
ROOM 170
Boston HUB Schools Planning and Action
Hub Schools (also known as community schools) offers a framework for supporting positive youth and community development with schools as a place to gather, learn and empower change.We will do an asset mapping activity, overview of community school frameworks, and facilitated discussion on how youth, community and union organizing are all essential to community school development in Boston
Katrina Brink and Ruth Wong, Hub Schools Planning/Action Group,
with a panel from a Boston School
ROOM 232
Supporting Undocumented Students: Youth Leaders and Educators on Leading a Week of Action at Your School
Unafraid Educators is organizing our annual Week of Action for the week of April 29th. The Week of Action's goal is to send a message to students, staff, and families in Boston and beyond that our undocumented immigrant students are welcome and will be supported in our schools. In the past, the Week of Action has included public displays of support (photo-shoots, posters), knowledge-building activities (lessons, know-your-rights sessions, handouts, and briefings for staff) and community mobilizations (assemblies, marches). In this workshop, both student leaders and educators will share their experiences planning past Week of Action activities. They will offer guidance and concrete tools for other students and educators to empower their communities and organize actions at their own schools.
Rebekah Judson and Daniela Petuchowski, McKay K-8 School, Unafraid Educators
Cindy Alfaro, Veronica Rosa, Keily Rosa, Katherine Moreno, Brian Amador Blanco, youth from McKay K-8 School, Boston Public Schools
ROOM 362
Schools as Freedom Spaces: Liberating Classrooms and Community through Centering Queer & Trans Youth
This session will deconstruct traditional approaches to making schools “safer” through “inclusion” efforts, offering alternatives that involve confronting anti-black fear, practicing authenticity, and reimagining school as a place where all young people can be free.
Bethany M. Allen, Program Director; Geo Hernandez, Program Manager; Peer Health Exchange
ROOM 360
Learning, Supporting and Educating Ourselves and our Community
This is a youth-led discussion. We will explain the process we've gone through to form our racial justice and diversity group (Aware). We will discuss organizing community events, its influence on our own and our community's perception of " What is racism?" We will also discuss our experiences speaking truth to power, and trying to lead the way in educating ourselves, our peers and our teachers.
Zoe, Makaila, Faraz, Aware, Springfield, Vermont, High School
ROOM 312
Ubuntu: “I am because you are”
Our session will be focused on the Bantu concept Ubuntu, which means, “I am, because you are.” Through this session, we will provide ways to bring Ubuntu into each of your communities as a means to build up the capacity of youth. Our school holds Ubuntu as a core value because we feel that if we are helping each other and giving each other support to succeed then we’ll all find success together. Some examples of Ubuntu in our community are harambee, which is a circle we begin each day with where we all stand in a circle and break down a morning quote that the leader has chosen from a historical or present community leader of color and connect it to our lives and the world around us. In addition, we have weekly self-awareness groups where we are able to connect further to each other by talking about issues impacting our communities and each of us. Self-awareness and Ubuntu are important to schools globally because they are impactful ways to encourage students to come together and work as a community, increasing academic and socio-emotional development and success. We will provide tools for educators and students to develop these skills in their own communities.
Netera Mitchell, Bryan Gonzalez, Sinyia Small,
Tiara Kirton, Hector Sanchez, Leylaa Haji, Alma Leiva,
Dorian Andrews, Isaac Price, Khalil Gates,
Xavian Rodriguez and Amaj Mays,
Youth Advisory Board, Diploma Plus, Charlestown High School
ROOM 282
What can educators do to counter Islamophobia? Listening to the voices of Muslim youth
Studies show that Muslim youth experience bullying at twice the national average. The normalization of Islamophobia through media, political discourse, and religious illiteracy contributes to identity-based bullying, harassment and discrimination of Muslim students. Furthermore, some adults responsible for creating inclusive learning environments may themselves be influenced by widespread assumptions, stereotypes, and misconceptions. What can educators do to support Muslim students and reduce anti-Muslim bias? By interacting with counter-narratives written by Muslim youth, participants will deconstruct monolithic portrayals of Muslims and discuss strategies to promote positive school climate and a sense of belonging for students of all identities.
Barbara Sahli, Project Director of Muslim Youth Voices
ROOM 272
Building Consent Culture in Schools
This session will focus on imagining possibilities for a culture of consent in school environments, focusing specifically on adolescent spaces. We will think about strategies for integrating anti- oppression work around rape culture awareness into various classroom and school settings, and consider school- based adult roles in building a culture of consent. We will also look at a youth- created video series for The Uncomfortable Conversation as a way to model the critiquing of rape culture and modeling of consent culture, for the purpose of youth leading their community in a culture shift.
Anneke Reich, Harvard Graduate School of Education & Former Boston Public School Teacher,
with Youth from the Margarita Muñiz Academy
ROOM 332
Youth Leadership and the PROMISE (Act) of Better Education
This session will elaborate on the detriments of the budget not being updated in the past twenty five years, and how we as youth leaders can contribute to the change in the legislature within our communities. We will do this by focusing on: - Education funding within the State - The Promise Act (which updates the Foundation Budget and advocates for money to be allocated for English Language Learners, Lower Income students, Healthcare [for teachers], and Special Education). - Motivating youth to reflect on their experiences of underfunding, and develop methods in preventing those moments for future generations to come.
Ahria Ilyas, Fiona McManus, Faith Tarpley,
Boston Student Advisory Council & Youth on Board
ROOM 230
We’ll Make it Possible: Youth Changing the Politics of Climate
Members of the Sunrise Movement - a national group of young people fighting for climate and social justice - share their methods of intentionally putting young people at the center of the climate movement. Through peer support and listening practices, we will examine adultism and ways we are all hurt by a society that does not take young people seriously. We will discuss best practices for organizing with and following the lead of young people, and how youth-adult partnerships can be powerful and enjoyable.
Rosie McInnes, Sunrise Boston Outreach Director,
Sam Dreyfus & Nick Rabb, Sunrise Boston Outreach Member,
Saya Ameli, Sunrise Boston Member & Brookline High School Student
ROOM 330
"It's Not Just for Students:” Building Restorative Communities of Adults
The Boston Teacher’s Union Restorative Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC) exists to advocate for and cultivate restorative practices in Boston's schools and broader community. This workshop focuses on building restorative communities of adults both because the wellbeing and connectedness of adults in schools matters in it's own right and because it inevitably affects the young people we get to work with. We believe this is a crucial part of creating the truly restorative schools that all young people deserve. During this workshop, participants will hear from educators and support staff who have engaged in this work in Boston's schools. We will also experience circle practice together focused on exploring questions of what we need from each other to bring our whole selves to work, to build warm and real relationships, and to stay in healthy connection with each other when conflicts arise.
Keyona Aviles, Wediko Children Services Program Consultant
Betsy Bowman, Dearborn Restorative Justice Coordinator
Molly McKay Bryson, BPS SEL Instructional Coach
Othniel St-Ulme, BPS Educator
BTU Restorative Justice Organizing Committee
ROOM 352
Disrupting the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline – and implementing Ch. 222 – in Boston
Boston Public Schools (BPS) was an early adopter of Chapter 222, Massachusetts’ school discipline reforms, and has lower rates of school suspension than most other Massachusetts cities and Boston-area charter schools. However, like many districts, BPS has long used “informal” suspensions, or removals from school that do not show up on students’ records. While the intention behind some of these removals may be benign, their repeated use is not, with students missing school - and parents missing work – without the discipline law’s protections or alternatives. BPS recently entered a settlement agreement with Greater Boston Legal Services to end this practice and improve discipline in general. This session will review BPS’ new policies to improve discipline and explore the use of restorative justice as an alternative to suspension, as well as identifying resources for its implementation.
Monique Symes, ELA Teacher, McCormack Middle School
Elizabeth McIntyre, Greater Boston Legal Services
Susan Maze-Rothstein, BPS Code of Conduct Advisory Committee & Northeastern Law
Matt Cregor, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
ROOM 370
Decolonize Your Classroom: Film and Lessons Teach You How
Deepen your understanding of settler colonialism, decolonization, genocide and forced removal of Indigenous children by watching award-winning film, DAWNLAND, and exploring lessons of the First Inquiry of the Teacher’s Guide.
Adam Mazo, Upstander Project director
Josue Sakata, Assistant Director History & Social Studies for Boston Public Schools
ROOM 270
Authentic Parent Engagement: A Case Study and Applications from the Blackstone School
Active parent engagement is critical not just for student outcomes, but for building a movement for educational equity. In this workshop, parent representatives from Boston's largest group of organized Latinx parents will share how they've built leadership, developed campaigns, and made change at the Blackstone Elementary (Boston Public Schools), and across the City of Boston. We'll discuss strategies your school community can use to foster authentic parent engagement, build parent power, and create stronger connections between parents and educators.
Ariel Branz, Senior Parent Organizer at St. Stephen's Youth Programs;
Rafaela Polanco, Parent Organizer at St. Stephen's Youth Programs and Blackstone parent,
with other immigrant Blackstone School parent organizers
ROOM 172
In January 2019 how did LA get to the point of 50,000 teachers, students, parents, and allies in the streets demanding more funding for public schools? What did they win? Join a discussion on how community-labor alliances historically have been crucial to winning justice for our students and schools. We will look at what can be learned from the #RedForEd movement and the power we build when unions, parents, students, and neighbors organize and fight for our schools and communities.
Khalida Smalls, Director of Organizing, Boston Teachers Union
Marcelle Grair, Organizer, Boston Teachers Union
Natalia Cuadra-Saez, Organizer, Boston Teachers Union
ROOM 170
Boston HUB Schools Planning and Action
Hub Schools (also known as community schools) offers a framework for supporting positive youth and community development with schools as a place to gather, learn and empower change.We will do an asset mapping activity, overview of community school frameworks, and facilitated discussion on how youth, community and union organizing are all essential to community school development in Boston
Katrina Brink and Ruth Wong, Hub Schools Planning/Action Group,
with a panel from a Boston School
ROOM 232
Supporting Undocumented Students: Youth Leaders and Educators on Leading a Week of Action at Your School
Unafraid Educators is organizing our annual Week of Action for the week of April 29th. The Week of Action's goal is to send a message to students, staff, and families in Boston and beyond that our undocumented immigrant students are welcome and will be supported in our schools. In the past, the Week of Action has included public displays of support (photo-shoots, posters), knowledge-building activities (lessons, know-your-rights sessions, handouts, and briefings for staff) and community mobilizations (assemblies, marches). In this workshop, both student leaders and educators will share their experiences planning past Week of Action activities. They will offer guidance and concrete tools for other students and educators to empower their communities and organize actions at their own schools.
Rebekah Judson and Daniela Petuchowski, McKay K-8 School, Unafraid Educators
Cindy Alfaro, Veronica Rosa, Keily Rosa, Katherine Moreno, Brian Amador Blanco, youth from McKay K-8 School, Boston Public Schools
ROOM 362
Schools as Freedom Spaces: Liberating Classrooms and Community through Centering Queer & Trans Youth
This session will deconstruct traditional approaches to making schools “safer” through “inclusion” efforts, offering alternatives that involve confronting anti-black fear, practicing authenticity, and reimagining school as a place where all young people can be free.
Bethany M. Allen, Program Director; Geo Hernandez, Program Manager; Peer Health Exchange
ROOM 360
Learning, Supporting and Educating Ourselves and our Community
This is a youth-led discussion. We will explain the process we've gone through to form our racial justice and diversity group (Aware). We will discuss organizing community events, its influence on our own and our community's perception of " What is racism?" We will also discuss our experiences speaking truth to power, and trying to lead the way in educating ourselves, our peers and our teachers.
Zoe, Makaila, Faraz, Aware, Springfield, Vermont, High School
ROOM 312
Ubuntu: “I am because you are”
Our session will be focused on the Bantu concept Ubuntu, which means, “I am, because you are.” Through this session, we will provide ways to bring Ubuntu into each of your communities as a means to build up the capacity of youth. Our school holds Ubuntu as a core value because we feel that if we are helping each other and giving each other support to succeed then we’ll all find success together. Some examples of Ubuntu in our community are harambee, which is a circle we begin each day with where we all stand in a circle and break down a morning quote that the leader has chosen from a historical or present community leader of color and connect it to our lives and the world around us. In addition, we have weekly self-awareness groups where we are able to connect further to each other by talking about issues impacting our communities and each of us. Self-awareness and Ubuntu are important to schools globally because they are impactful ways to encourage students to come together and work as a community, increasing academic and socio-emotional development and success. We will provide tools for educators and students to develop these skills in their own communities.
Netera Mitchell, Bryan Gonzalez, Sinyia Small,
Tiara Kirton, Hector Sanchez, Leylaa Haji, Alma Leiva,
Dorian Andrews, Isaac Price, Khalil Gates,
Xavian Rodriguez and Amaj Mays,
Youth Advisory Board, Diploma Plus, Charlestown High School
ROOM 282
What can educators do to counter Islamophobia? Listening to the voices of Muslim youth
Studies show that Muslim youth experience bullying at twice the national average. The normalization of Islamophobia through media, political discourse, and religious illiteracy contributes to identity-based bullying, harassment and discrimination of Muslim students. Furthermore, some adults responsible for creating inclusive learning environments may themselves be influenced by widespread assumptions, stereotypes, and misconceptions. What can educators do to support Muslim students and reduce anti-Muslim bias? By interacting with counter-narratives written by Muslim youth, participants will deconstruct monolithic portrayals of Muslims and discuss strategies to promote positive school climate and a sense of belonging for students of all identities.
Barbara Sahli, Project Director of Muslim Youth Voices
ROOM 272
Building Consent Culture in Schools
This session will focus on imagining possibilities for a culture of consent in school environments, focusing specifically on adolescent spaces. We will think about strategies for integrating anti- oppression work around rape culture awareness into various classroom and school settings, and consider school- based adult roles in building a culture of consent. We will also look at a youth- created video series for The Uncomfortable Conversation as a way to model the critiquing of rape culture and modeling of consent culture, for the purpose of youth leading their community in a culture shift.
Anneke Reich, Harvard Graduate School of Education & Former Boston Public School Teacher,
with Youth from the Margarita Muñiz Academy
ROOM 332
Youth Leadership and the PROMISE (Act) of Better Education
This session will elaborate on the detriments of the budget not being updated in the past twenty five years, and how we as youth leaders can contribute to the change in the legislature within our communities. We will do this by focusing on: - Education funding within the State - The Promise Act (which updates the Foundation Budget and advocates for money to be allocated for English Language Learners, Lower Income students, Healthcare [for teachers], and Special Education). - Motivating youth to reflect on their experiences of underfunding, and develop methods in preventing those moments for future generations to come.
Ahria Ilyas, Fiona McManus, Faith Tarpley,
Boston Student Advisory Council & Youth on Board
ROOM 230
We’ll Make it Possible: Youth Changing the Politics of Climate
Members of the Sunrise Movement - a national group of young people fighting for climate and social justice - share their methods of intentionally putting young people at the center of the climate movement. Through peer support and listening practices, we will examine adultism and ways we are all hurt by a society that does not take young people seriously. We will discuss best practices for organizing with and following the lead of young people, and how youth-adult partnerships can be powerful and enjoyable.
Rosie McInnes, Sunrise Boston Outreach Director,
Sam Dreyfus & Nick Rabb, Sunrise Boston Outreach Member,
Saya Ameli, Sunrise Boston Member & Brookline High School Student
ROOM 330
"It's Not Just for Students:” Building Restorative Communities of Adults
The Boston Teacher’s Union Restorative Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC) exists to advocate for and cultivate restorative practices in Boston's schools and broader community. This workshop focuses on building restorative communities of adults both because the wellbeing and connectedness of adults in schools matters in it's own right and because it inevitably affects the young people we get to work with. We believe this is a crucial part of creating the truly restorative schools that all young people deserve. During this workshop, participants will hear from educators and support staff who have engaged in this work in Boston's schools. We will also experience circle practice together focused on exploring questions of what we need from each other to bring our whole selves to work, to build warm and real relationships, and to stay in healthy connection with each other when conflicts arise.
Keyona Aviles, Wediko Children Services Program Consultant
Betsy Bowman, Dearborn Restorative Justice Coordinator
Molly McKay Bryson, BPS SEL Instructional Coach
Othniel St-Ulme, BPS Educator
BTU Restorative Justice Organizing Committee
ROOM 352
Disrupting the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline – and implementing Ch. 222 – in Boston
Boston Public Schools (BPS) was an early adopter of Chapter 222, Massachusetts’ school discipline reforms, and has lower rates of school suspension than most other Massachusetts cities and Boston-area charter schools. However, like many districts, BPS has long used “informal” suspensions, or removals from school that do not show up on students’ records. While the intention behind some of these removals may be benign, their repeated use is not, with students missing school - and parents missing work – without the discipline law’s protections or alternatives. BPS recently entered a settlement agreement with Greater Boston Legal Services to end this practice and improve discipline in general. This session will review BPS’ new policies to improve discipline and explore the use of restorative justice as an alternative to suspension, as well as identifying resources for its implementation.
Monique Symes, ELA Teacher, McCormack Middle School
Elizabeth McIntyre, Greater Boston Legal Services
Susan Maze-Rothstein, BPS Code of Conduct Advisory Committee & Northeastern Law
Matt Cregor, Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
ROOM 370
Decolonize Your Classroom: Film and Lessons Teach You How
Deepen your understanding of settler colonialism, decolonization, genocide and forced removal of Indigenous children by watching award-winning film, DAWNLAND, and exploring lessons of the First Inquiry of the Teacher’s Guide.
Adam Mazo, Upstander Project director
Josue Sakata, Assistant Director History & Social Studies for Boston Public Schools
ROOM 270
Authentic Parent Engagement: A Case Study and Applications from the Blackstone School
Active parent engagement is critical not just for student outcomes, but for building a movement for educational equity. In this workshop, parent representatives from Boston's largest group of organized Latinx parents will share how they've built leadership, developed campaigns, and made change at the Blackstone Elementary (Boston Public Schools), and across the City of Boston. We'll discuss strategies your school community can use to foster authentic parent engagement, build parent power, and create stronger connections between parents and educators.
Ariel Branz, Senior Parent Organizer at St. Stephen's Youth Programs;
Rafaela Polanco, Parent Organizer at St. Stephen's Youth Programs and Blackstone parent,
with other immigrant Blackstone School parent organizers
ROOM 172