My Upcoming Presentations

I will be presenting at the 2013 NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in December, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC.

Below are the descriptions of my presentations:

Building Inclusive Communities for People of Color: Programs and Initiatives (Lecture)

Fraud, Theft and Violence in the Classroom: The Colorblind Dilemma: The notion that any of us should consciously seek to become colorblind in our society, and more specifically in our classrooms, is outdated.  By ignoring students’ unique qualities educators are committing a grave error. Participants of this workshop will understand the history of colorblind theory and how and why it should be replaced by more inclusive philosophy. We will explore how language directly affects behavior. Topics to be addressed: innate bias, intentional education, deliberate acknowledgment and false belief. All will leave knowing how to support a community that values diversity and welcomes, respects, empowers and connects all of its members.

Expanding Our Toolbox: Curricular and Professional Skills for Excellence (Interactive)

Making a Difference for Students of Color with Learning Differences: Participants of this workshop will become familiar with the different obstacles students of color with learning disabilities face in independent schools. Through interactive exercises and dialogue, participants will experience what it’s like to have a disability, explore the educational and social stigmas attached to being a student of color with a disability, and brainstorm ways to build a more inclusive community within their school. This presentation will deal mainly with grade 5-12 issues while highlighting methods, strategies and interventions that can assist these unique students’ transitions into independent schools and toward success.

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About the Conference

2013 PoCC Theme: The Capital’s Mosaic: Independent School Leaders Building an Interconnected World

2013 SDCL Theme: Foresight is 20/20: Capitalizing on Our United State

The mission of the NAIS People of Color Conference is to provide a safe space for networking and a professional development opportunity for people, who, by virtue of their race or ethnicity, comprise a form of diversity termed “people of color” in independent schools. PoCC serves as an energizing, revitalizing gathering for people who experience independent schools differently.

Who should attend POCC?

In 2001, the NAIS board affirmed that PoCC is “a conference by and about people of color and inclusive of all.” What does that mean as you decide who from your school will attend? This decision is up to you, and all participants will be welcome, but its primary purpose is for people of color (and experienced allies and practitioners of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities). We encourage you to see PoCC as different from a diversity conference for newcomers to diversity work. (NAIS offers other opportunities for the whole gamut of diversity training, beyond race, at the Summer Diversity Institute, the diversity track at the Annual Conference, and now the Summer H.E.A.D.S. institute for heads and other members of the leadership team to deepen their commitment to and knowledge of strategies to advance all types of diversity at their schools.) The purpose of PoCC is to help participants understand their roles in advancing in their schools equity and justice around racial and ethnic identity. The affinity group work offers a safe environment where these conversations can happen effectively.

In November 2006, the NAIS board reaffirmed the mission and purpose of PoCC by stating: “PoCC should be designed for people of color as it relates to their roles in independent schools. Its programming should include offerings that support people of color as they pursue strategies for success and leadership. Its focus should be on providing a sanctuary and networking opportunity for people of color and allies in independent schools as we build and sustain inclusive school communities.”

-For more information click here.