Virtual Speaker Series
January 24 – 28, 2022
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Rethinking Our “New Normal”: Centering Representation, Truth, and Access in Educational Spaces
Join us for lively, engaged conversations about equity and diversity in education!
About this event:
Monday, January 24th: Kickoff Event and Keynote Speech “Making Peace with Rainbows”
- Keynote Speaker: Izetta Thomas
- Description: Making Peace with Rainbows The rainbow is known as a symbol of hope in most cultures and most popularly in the U.S. as a symbol of pride. Rainbows tend to appear after a thunderstorm or when the environment is seemingly at its darkest. Our education system is currently in one of the darkest phases its seen in decades. We need a light at the end of this tunnel; a rainbow after the storm. The three main ingredients in a rainbow are light, air, and water. Through her experiences as both student and educator, the speaker will seek to guide her listeners on a journey toward radical equity in education where representation is the light, truth is the air and water is access.
Tuesday, January 25: “Hidden Silencing in Curriculum”
- Speakers: John Sands, Maya Shaaban, and Stella Villalba
- Description: This panel will discuss the multiple ways the silencing of marginalized peoples, cultures, and languages is woven into the curriculum and pedagogy of many schools and classrooms.
Wednesday, January 26: “Books as Beacons for Light and Truth”
- Speakers: Courtney Johnson, Tiffany Thomas and Allison Volz
- Description: This panel will address how to navigate and/or respond to policies, parents, and administrations that threaten to erase books and representation in our schools and communities.
Thursday, January 27: “Meaningful Representation in the STEM Classroom”
- Speakers: Allie McMannis, Schyvonne Ross, and Eric Valentine
- Description: In this session, panelists will discuss multi-layered and sustained representation in STEM classrooms and beyond.
Friday, January 28: “Critical Social Justice Educators Panel Discussion”
- Description: In this session, educators across multiple grade levels, experience levels, and content areas discuss how they have enacted pedagogies grounded in social justice. Bring your questions and gain insights from this dynamic panel.
