PREVIEW - 2016 NAIS People of Color Conference

29TH NAIS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE | 23RD STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
2016 NAIS PoCC | SDLC
PREVIEW DECEMBER 8–10 | ATLANTA
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER | OMNI CNN CENTER HOTEL
PoCC.NAIS.ORG #NAISPoCC #NAISSDLC
NAIS WELCOME
DONNA OREM
NAIS Interim President
CAROLINE G.
BLACKWELL
NAIS Vice President
for Equity and Justice
It is with great joy that we invite you to join us in Atlanta for the
29th annual NAIS People of Color Conference and Student Diversity
Leadership Conference, December 8–10. Planning for these events has
included months of thought-provoking conversations with our local
committee, SDLC faculty, and NAIS staff. We are excited to convene
our community once again to explore our theme, Advancing Human
and Civil Rights: Fulfilling the Dream Together, and the 2016 SDLC
theme, Dreaming Out Loud: Waking Up to a New Era of Civil Rights.
The mission of PoCC is to provide a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies
of all backgrounds in independent schools. PoCC thrives because
of its distinctive mission and the focused opportunity it offers to
examine and advance educational issues through the lens of people
of color and their unique experiences in the independent school
sector. The rich and complex diversity of location, background,
thought, knowledge, and perspective assembled at PoCC challenges
the status quo, drives professional and personal growth, and develops
and renews a culture of equity and inclusion in our schools. Your personal contribution is important because it takes a resounding chorus
to drive change — change that will help us fulfill the dream together.
Please use this virtual preview to plan your time at the conference
and choose pre- and post-conference activities to enhance your
experience. Get a sneak peek at our inspiring lineup of speakers and
learn more about other activities, such as the NAIS Equity Seminars,
Learning Labs, Spotlight on Tech and Equity, and PoCC Makerspace.
Don’t forget to keep checking pocc.nais.org for more details about
workshops, travel, and accommodations.
Let’s make our dreams our reality in Atlanta. We’re eager to see you there.
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
LOCAL COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIR WELCOME
HOPE. POWER. LOVE. DIGNITY.
OMAN FRAME
Junior High Diversity
Coordinator and
Homebase Teacher
The Paideia School (GA)
These are just a few of the many words that
came to mind when we began discussing
the 2016 NAIS People of Color Conference
theme, Advancing Human and Civil Rights:
Fulfilling the Dream Together. As we’ve
continued the work of bringing this conference to you, we’ve examined the intricacies
of the theme and felt the weight of the
words in preparation for hosting this singular
conference experience.
NISHANT N. MEHTA
Head of School
The Children’s School (GA)
With its deep ties to the American civil
rights movement, Atlanta is an evocative
setting for this year’s PoCC and SDLC. Please
join us here. Voice the words that resonate
most with you as we think, speak, reflect,
and act on what human and civil rights mean
to our independent schools.
MARCIA PREWITT
SPILLER
Vice President and Dean
for Academic Affairs
Woodward Academy (GA)
SYLVIA RODRIGUEZ
VARGAS
Assistant Head of School
and Academic Dean
Atlanta Girls’ School (GA)
CONFERENCE HISTORY
1989 1990
1988
The First National
Conference for Teachers
and Administrators of
Color in Independent
Schools
Common Ground
Unity in the Midst of
Diversity
1991
Each year, the
host city and
conference theme
have given PoCC
and SDLC a
unique character
and cultural
perspective.
1992
From Thought to Action
Vision 2020
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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OVERVIEW
THE DESTINATION
IMPORTANT DATES
OCTOBER 7
Early bird rates expire
NOVEMBER 4
Last day to cancel
REGISTRATION RATES
MEMBER INDIVIDUAL
$640 EARLY BIRD
$720 REGULAR
MEMBER GROUP
$620 EARLY BIRD
$680 REGULAR
NONMEMBER INDIVIDUAL
$920 EARLY BIRD
$980 REGULAR
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For 29 years, PoCC has nurtured and
sustained people of color in independent
schools. By accepting long-practiced
community norms, attendees, speakers,
presenters, and staff help create a space
that lifts up, protects, and affirms the
dignity and lived experience of people
of color in independent schools. In this
way, the conference becomes both a
sanctuary and a wellspring for those
who, by virtue of their race or ethnicity,
Los Colores de la
Educación — Continuing
to Build Environments
in Independent Schools
That Address the Needs
and Issues of Children
and Adults of Color
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
1996
To make the most of the conference,
PoCC’s norms invite you to lean into
discomfort and accept conflict as a
catalyst for self-reflection and change.
You are further asked to be fully
present, suspend judgment of yourself
and others, and listen actively before
speaking from your personal perspective. Community norms help establish
the context for full, authentic, and
mutually respectful engagement from
the start of the conference and allow you
to depart PoCC renewed, re-energized,
and recommitted.
1997
1995
Lighting the Way to the
A Vision for Building
Millennium: Our Selves,
New Alliances
Our Children, Our Schools
Journey to Spirit:
Solidarity and Voice
Through Dialogue
1998
Seeing Beyond — Becoming Advocates for
Creating Multicultural
Educational Institutions
MAKE THE MOST OF THE NAIS
PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE
1994
1993
PoCC programming will take place at the
Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC),
Building A, and SDLC programming
will be at the Omni CNN Center. We
encourage conference participants to
enjoy Atlanta’s attractions, including
the Center for Civil and Human Rights,
the Georgia Aquarium, the Martin Luther
King, Jr., National Historic Site, the
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library,
and more — all in downtown Atlanta.
experience independent schools differently. As a conference participant, you
will have the opportunity to embody
interactional principles that advance
equity, and to create connections
with others who remain committed to
building and sustaining independent
school communities in which people
of color can thrive.
Puerto Rico — The
Caribbean: Encounter
History, Culture, and Self
FOLLOW PoCC AND SDLC
ON TWITTER USING
# NAISPoCC AND # NAISSDLC.
PoCC WORKSHOPS
During the conference you can
select workshops in four time blocks,
including a condensed block on
Saturday morning. Workshops are
organized in the following tracks:
++Equity and Inclusion Exemplars:
Programs, Models, Best Practices
++Intercultural Dialogue, Facilitation,
and Conversational Leadership
++Leadership, Management, and
Organizational Change
AFFINITY GROUP WORK
AT PoCC
PoCC hosts affinity group sessions
to provide an opportunity for sharing
and exploring your life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces
defined by membership in a specific
racial or ethnic identity group. Led by
a team of trained facilitators, affinity
group participants celebrate identities,
share successes and challenges, and
engage freely. The overarching vision
for PoCC affinity group work includes
++Racial and Ethnic Identities:
++facilitating opportunities for affirming,
++Self-Efficacy and Empowerment:
++discussing issues related to racial/ethnic
nurturing, and celebrating lived
experience; and
Developmental Models,
Frameworks, Approaches
Mind, Body, Spirit
++Teaching to Transform: ClassroomBased Innovations
identity development in a safe environment where people who share that racial
or ethnic identity can generate community, fellowship, and empowerment.
DIALOGUE
Throughout the conference, you will
have several distinct opportunities to
engage in dialogue with your peers:
++Affinity Group Sessions
++State and Regional Meetings
++Adult-Student Dialogue
The Children Are
Our Business
Anita L. Sanchez will serve as the lead
facilitator for the affinity group work.
She is an organization development
consultant, trainer, and speaker focused
on diversity and inclusion, large system
change, team building, and coaching.
Affinity groups are designed specifically to encourage interaction among
2001
Connecting Cultures,
Connecting Worlds
2002
Mosaic: Connecting
Communities for Action
2000
1999
WHICH AFFINITY GROUP
DO I ATTEND?
members of the same racial or ethnic
background. Although each of us may
lay claim to multiple identities, affinity
group sessions call participants into
community based on their racial and
ethnic identity. You know you are in
the right affinity group if you can say
unequivocally, “I am
” and
speak to that group’s collective racial
or ethnic identity and experience from
the “I” and “we” perspective. To preserve the safety and integrity of the
affinity group space, you should attend
only those sessions that correspond
with the racial and ethnic identity to
which you belong. This is not a space
to learn about the racial or ethnic
identity of others, including that of a
child, spouse, or partner.
Bridging Cultures,
Sharing Stories
2003
2004
PoCC E Huaka’i Pū Kākou
PoCC Miami: Gateway
(Let’s Voyage Together)
to Multiculturalism
SDLC X Marks the Spot
SDLC Connecting to Self,
Connecting to Others
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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HIGHLIGHTS
FUN RUN/WALK/ROLL
AND WELLNESS CLASSES
LGBT SOCIAL HOUR
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
6:30 – 7:30 PM
FRIDAY
6:00 – 7:00 AM
Join fellow attendees for a refreshing
start to the day with a fun run/walk/roll,
Zumba, or yoga class.
CLUB POCC
PoCC NETWORKING COFFEE
BREAKS AND BOOK SIGNINGS
BLACK MECCA OF
THE SOUTH TOUR
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
WEDNESDAY
9:30 – 10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (TOUR #1)
1:00 – 3:00 PM (TOUR #2)
After the opening ceremonies and
general sessions, grab a cup of coffee
or tea and network before heading
off to the next conference activity.
FRIDAY
9:00 PM – 12:00 AM
SATURDAY
1:15 – 3:15 PM (TOUR #3)
TICKET REQUIRED $45
Each tour limited to 50 participants.
STATE AND REGIONAL MEETINGS
A local historian will lead attendees on
a comprehensive tour of historic sites
FRIDAY
around Atlanta. Attendees will visit the
3:45 – 5:00 PM
birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Take advantage of this dedicated time
Jr., the Sweet Auburn Avenue Historic
to meet with others from your state and
regional associations. Connect, meet, plan, District, the Alonzo Herndon Museum
network, and more. During these self-orga- and Mansion, and much more.
nized and self-directed gatherings, you
will have an opportunity to interact with
colleagues; learn more about diversity,
equity and social justice initiatives, and
programming taking place in your state
and regional associations; and collaborate
in service to improved outcomes for all.
2006
2010
2009
PoCC At the Crossroads:
Deepening Perspectives
of the Cultural
Kaleidoscope
PoCC Nourishing
Ourselves for the
Swim Upstream
PoCC Learning from
the Past, Leading
for the Future
PoCC Music for Life. Food
for Thought. Friendships
That Sustain.
PoCC Moving Mountains:
Mining Within
SDLC Collide-o-scope:
SDLC Upstream, Uphill,
SDLC The Time is Now
SDLC Preserving Self,
Up to Us
Ours: The Responsibility
to Navigate the Rapids
of Change
Twisting Lenses,
Seeing Change
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2008
2005
2007
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
Building Community,
and Sustaining Change
SDLC Mine, Yours &
PoCC Catching the Tides
of Change, Riding the
Waves of Opportunity
SDLC Coast 2 Coast,
Seek to See
MASTER CLASS WITH
DAVID JOHNS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
INITIATIVE
FRIDAY
The NAIS Equity and Justice Team has
created the Community Engagement
Initiative to establish a more permanent
relationship with the PoCC host city and to
advance each region’s specific educational
equity, diversity, and inclusion needs and
interests. Visit the Atlanta Community
Engagement Initiative booth in the PoCC
Hub, and learn more at pocc.nais.org.
10:15 AM – 12:15 PM
TICKET REQUIRED
The PoCC master class is an opportunity
for diversity professionals and other
change agents to engage with a noted
authority on critical and timely concerns
in equity, diversity, and social justice to
spur greater engagement and sustainable change throughout the independent
school sector. Join your colleagues for an
inspiring, provocative conversation with
Executive Director of the White House
Initiative on Educational Excellence for
African Americans David Johns. The
Initiative’s mission is to “restore the
country to its role as a global leader in
education” by reversing and disrupting
the policies, practices, and systems that
have stunted educational progress for
African American students. Take lessons from this master class back to your
school to improve outcomes for African
American and other historically underserved students.
ALL EVENTS TAKE
PLACE IN THE GEORGIA
WORLD CONGRESS
CENTER (GWCC) UNLESS
OTHERWISE NOTED.
SPONSORED BY
CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES
PoCC We the People:
Painting Our New Mural
of Community
SDLC Updating Our
Status: A Declaration of
Interdependence
PoCC Energizing Our
Future Through Refining
Our Shared Sense of
Community
2015
PoCC The Capital’s
PoCC Pit Stops and
PoCC Art, Science,
PoCC Advancing Human
Mosaic: Independent
School Leaders Building
an Interconnected World
Victory Laps: Going
the Distance, Driving
Change, Leading the
Race Toward Equity
and Excellence
Soul, and the Equity
Imperative
and Civil Rights: Fulfilling
the Dream Together
SDLC Learning to Listen
and Listening to Learn:
The Art of Dialogue
and the Science of
Living Justly
SDLC Dreaming Out
Loud: Waking Up to a
New Era of Civil Rights
SDLC Timeless Resources, SDLC Foresight is 20|20:
Renewable Energy
2014
2016
2011
2013
2012
Capitalizing on Our
United State
SDLC Leadership at the
Wheel Riding at the
Speed of Acceptance
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS
THURSDAY
BRYAN STEVENSON
8:00 – 9:15 AM
JOHN PALMER
10:15 – 11:30 AM
RINKU SEN
5:00 – 6:15 PM
DAVID J. JOHNS
3:30 – 4:45 PM
Bryan Stevenson is the
founder and executive
director of the Equal Justice
Initiative and one of the most
acclaimed and respected lawyers in the nation. His memoir,
Just Mercy, is the story of
a young lawyer fighting on
the front lines of a country in
thrall to extreme punishments
and careless justice.
John Palmer is the chair of the
department of educational
studies at Colgate University
and the author of The Dance
of Identities: Korean Adult
Adoptees Reflect Upon Their
Identity Journeys. His specialties include racial and ethnic
identity development and
social and cultural foundations of education.
Rinku Sen is the president
and executive director of
Race Forward: The Center for
Racial Justice Innovation, and
the publisher of the awardwinning news site Colorlines.
She is one of the leading
voices in the racial justice
movement, building upon
the legacy of civil rights by
transforming the way we talk
about race.
David J. Johns is executive
director of the White House
Initiative on Educational
Excellence for African
Americans. He has served
as an advisor on education,
low-income and minority
students, neglected youth,
and early childhood education
in both the U.S. Senate and
House of Representatives.
Committed to improving
literacy among adolescent
minority males, Johns has
been named to the Root 100
and the Ebony Power 100.
BOOK SIGNING
BOOK SIGNING
SPONSORED BY STRATÉGENIUS
BOOK SIGNING
SPONSORED BY EDUCATOR’S ALLY
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
FRIDAY
RICHARD BLANCO
8:00 – 9:15 AM
Richard Blanco is the fifth
inaugural poet in U.S. history — the youngest and also the
first Latino, immigrant,
and gay person to serve in
such a role. Born in Madrid
to Cuban exiles and raised
in Miami, he has created
a body of work concerning
the negotiation of cultural
identity and place.
BOOK SIGNING
SPONSORED BY
GENE BATISTE CONSULTING
SATURDAY
ZAK EBRAHIM
8:30 – 9:30 AM SDLC KEYNOTE
5:15 – 6:30 PM PoCC KEYNOTE
Zak Ebrahim is the author
of The Terrorist’s Son: A Story
of Choice. When Ebrahim
was a child, his father comasterminded the 1993
bombing of the World Trade
Center. Ebrahim spent the
rest of his childhood hiding
his identity from those who
knew of his father. He now
dedicates his life to speaking
out against terrorism and
spreading his message of
peace and nonviolence.
BOOK SIGNING
JOY-ANN REID
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Joy-Ann Reid is a national
correspondent for MSNBC
and the author of Fracture:
Barack Obama, the Clintons,
and the Racial Divide. She
was previously the host of
The Reid Report, a daily
program that offered analysis
and insight on the day’s news.
She was also the managing
editor of theGrio.com, a
daily online news platform
devoted to delivering stories
that reflect and affect African
American audiences.
BOOK SIGNING
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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PoCC HUB
HOURS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8
9:15 AM – 4:45 PM
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
9:15 AM – 5:30 PM
The PoCC Hub will serve as the central
meeting place for attendees. In the
Hub, you will have the opportunity to
participate in a variety of educational
programming and networking activities.
You can also visit with representatives
from various companies and nonprofit
organizations that value diversity and
social justice and offer a number of
solutions to meet your school’s needs.
Visit pocc.nais.org often for information
about new programs and events in
this year’s Hub.
NAIS MEMBER RESOURCE
CENTER
Visit the Member Resource Center to
learn about Data and Analysis for School
Leadership (DASL), Inspiration Lab, NAIS
Connect online communities, the NAIS
Career Center, and more. Get all your
questions answered and participate in
hands-on demonstrations.
PoCC BOOKSTORE
Take advantage of this great opportunity
to pick up books by many of the outstanding conference speakers as well as
publications related to social justice and
equity in education.
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
CELEBRATING YOU:
PoCC NETWORKING LUNCH
Join us for a complimentary lunch to
celebrate you and how important you
are to the mission and vision of NAIS!
LEARNING LABS
Programming will include workshops
and “Stop + Learn Presentations” — quick
sessions that offer tricks of the trade and
insider tips from experts in the field.
PoCC MAKERSPACE
Experience innovation and creativity in
action. This vibrant space hosts discussions, demonstrations, workshops, and
resources that support the creation and
use of makerspaces at your school.
WELLNESS ZONE
Take time to participate in important
screenings, such as blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. You can also take
related resources back to your school to
share with colleagues.
TECH SPOTLIGHT
Are you using tech equitably? How do we
leverage tech to create equity? How might
we increase representation of students
of color in tech in our schools? Join us to
learn and share!
PoCC AT A GLANCE SDLC AT A GLANCE
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM School Visits
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Pre-Conference Equity Seminars
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM PoCC Affinity Group Training
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Black Mecca Tour #1
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Black Mecca Tour #2
6:00 – 7:00 PM
PoCC First-time Attendee Orientation
6:00 – 6:45 PM
6:00 – 10:00 PM
9:15 – 10:00 PM
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016
7:00 – 7:45 AM
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016
Wellness Events
PoCC/SDLC Opening Ceremonies
with Bryan Stevenson
9:15 AM – 4:45 PM PoCC Hub
9:30 – 10:00 AM
Book Signing with Bryan Stevenson
and Networking Coffee Break
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Workshop Session A
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Featured Speaker: John Palmer
with Book Signing
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Affinity Group Session 1
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Afternoon Coffee Break
3:30 – 4:45 PM
Workshop Session B
3:30 – 4:45 PM
PoCC General Session with David Johns
5:00 – 6:15 PM
PoCC General Session with Rinku Sen
6:30 – 7:00 PM
Book Signing with Rinku Sen
7:00 – 7:45 AM
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2016
7:00 – 7:45 AM
8:00 – 8:30 AM
8:30 – 9: 30 AM
6:00 – 7:00 AM
8:00 – 9:15 AM
6:00 – 7:00 AM
8:00 – 9:15 AM
9:15 AM – 5:30 PM
9:30 – 10:00 AM
Wellness Events
PoCC General Session with Richard Blanco
PoCC Hub
Book Signing with Richard Blanco
and Coffee Break
10:15 – 11:15 AM
Featured Speaker
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Workshop Session C
10:15 AM – 12:15 PM Master Class
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM PoCC Networking Lunch
12:00 – 12:45 PM
Choir Rehearsal
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Affinity Group Session 2
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Afternoon Coffee Break
3:45 – 5:00 PM
State/Regional Meeting
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Choir Rehearsal
5:15 – 6:30 PM
PoCC General Session with Zak Ebrahim
6:30 – 7:30 PM
LGBT Social Hour
6:45 – 7:15 PM
Book Signing with Zak Ebrahim
9:00 PM – 12:00 AM Club PoCC
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2016
7:00 – 8:00 AM
8:30 – 9:45 AM
8:30 – 9:45 AM
10:00 – 11:00 AM
11:15 AM – 1:00 PM
1:15 – 3:15 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Affinity Group Session 3*
Workshop Session D
Student-Led Adult/Student Dialogues
(by State/Region)
PoCC/SDLC Closing Ceremonies
with Special Recognition of Atlanta-Area
Civil Rights Leaders and Keynote Address
by Joy-Ann Reid
Black Mecca Tour #3
(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
SDLC Chaperone Orientation I (Choose one)
SDLC Peer Facilitator Training
(Dinner provided)
SDLC Chaperone Orientation II (Choose one)
8:00 – 9:15 AM
9:30 – 10:45 AM
11:00 – 11:45 AM
12:00 – 12:45 PM
1:00 – 5:15 PM
3:00 – 3:45 PM
5:30 – 6:15 PM
6:30 – 8:15 PM
8:30 – 9:30 PM
9:45 – 10:00 PM
10:00 PM
11:00 PM
SDLC Peer Facilitator Training
for Wednesday Night Late Arrivals
SDLC Chaperone Orientation Session III
(Choose one)
PoCC/SDLC Opening Ceremonies
with Bryan Stevenson
SDLC Opening and Silent Movement
Family Group Opening
Student Luncheon
Family/Home Groups
Snack Break
Student Dinner
Family/Home Groups
Affinity Groups
Regional Groups
Students Dismissed to Chaperones
Hotel Curfew
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2016
Breakfast with Chaperones
Morning Clearing
SDLC Keynote Presentation
with Zak Ebrahim
9:45 – 10:30 AM
Talent Show
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM Affinity Groups
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Student Luncheon
1:45 – 3:45 PM
Family/Home Groups
3:45 – 4:00 PM
Snack Break
4:00 – 5:15 PM
Family/Home Groups Continue
5:30 – 6:15 PM
Student Dinner
6:30 – 8:15 PM
Family Groups
8:30 – 9:45 PM
SDLC Closing Ceremonies
10:00 – 11:15 PM
Student Dance (Games Option Provided)
11:30 PM
Students Dismissed to Chaperones
12:00 AM
Hotel Curfew
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2016
7:00 – 7:45 AM
8:30 – 9:45 AM
10:00 – 11:00 AM
11:15 AM – 1:00 PM
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Breakfast with Chaperones
Affinity Group Session 3*
Student-Led Adult/Student Dialogues
(by State/Region)
PoCC/SDLC Closing Ceremonies
with Special Recognition of Atlanta-Area
Civil Rights Leaders and Keynote Address
by Joy-Ann Reid
Closing Lunch
(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
*PoCC and SDLC combine for adult/student discussions
within race/ethnicity and gender groupings.
PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
FULL-DAY EQUITY SEMINARS
The PoCC Leadership Institute
for People of Color and Women
AMANI REED Head of School, The School
at Columbia University (NY)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
JOE-JOE MCMANUS Executive Director,
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Rootstrong
Full Day: $195 (includes a
light breakfast; lunch is on
your own)
Gain powerful strategies to help you
advance to the next level of leadership.
This seminar, tailored for people of color
and women, will employ the Everything
DiSC Work of Leaders Profile. The
profile is a premier research-based skills
inventory that will provide you with a
deeper understanding of your individual
leadership strengths and style.
This year’s seminar will also introduce
a dynamic session with Rootstrong,
an organization focused on excellence
in multicultural leadership education
and development. By exploring the
Rootstrong leadership model, you will
learn how your cultural roots inform your
strengths. You will also find out how
competencies ranging from professional
excellence to cultural humility prove
critical for local, organizational, and
global leadership.
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
This unique seminar offers state-of-theart leadership development strategies,
in-the-moment leadership coaching,
and peer exchange and feedback. The
encouraging atmosphere is designed to
nurture and propel a compelling vision
for fulfilling your career goals.
The seminar will include in-depth reflection on independent school leadership
and the specific differences for leaders
of color and women. You will engage
in facilitated dialogue with education
leaders who will share milestones from
their career paths as proven steps for
building a career of long-term leadership
and personal and professional growth.
Topics will include working effectively
with a mentor, acquiring the critical skills
heads of school wish they had before
assuming their positions, and developing
professional growth plans. You will also
come away with tips for incorporating
session takeaways to further your
own leadership development.
SPONSORED BY CALWEST EDUCATORS
PLACEMENT
Seeking Cultural Competence
in Hiring: Practical Methods
and Strategies for Identifying
the Administrators, Staff, and
Faculty Needed in 21st Century
Independent Schools
CRIS CLIFFORD CULLINAN
ALiVE: Actual Leadership in Vital Equity
RUTH JURGENSEN Francis W.
Parker School (IL)
KATHRYN KAISER The School
at Columbia University (NY)
STEVE MORRIS San Francisco School (CA)
BELINDA NICHOLSON The School
at Columbia University (NY)
Independent schools can no longer
afford to hire faculty, administrators,
and other staff who are not culturally
competent. Lack of cultural competence
directly affects the environment for
students; it leads to lower achievement
rates for underrepresented individuals
and miseducation and poor role
modeling for all. Hiring without cultural
competence in mind also leads directly
to problems with retention. Without
shared responsibility for inclusion
and equity, the overworked few who
possess the necessary skills will often
want to leave as soon as other opportunities become available.
should include ways to evaluate candidates’ actual knowledge, skills, and
abilities to work effectively, respectfully, and inclusively with all current and
future members of your school community — colleagues, students, parents,
alumni, and community members. Your
processes should also differentiate
knowledgeable candidates from those
who lack these critical skills.
initiatives. Diversity cannot just be about
admitting a diverse student body. It
must involve establishing truly equitable
programs that ensure success for all
students. How can your school leverage
different cognitive styles and cultural
backgrounds to create more successful
pathways to student success? Which
instructional practices best create
multiple pathways to that success?
This seminar is designed to provide
you with effective tools to adapt to
your own school. Working with other
participants, you will identify various
dimensions of cultural competence
and focus on the ones that represent
the most critical needs for positions
in your particular school. You will also
learn practical methods and strategies,
including ways to design appropriate
advertisements, improve paper screening procedures, and write effective
interview and reference questions.
This pre-conference experience will
leverage the diverse backgrounds
and expertise of Kapono Ciotti, CEO
and head of school at Wai’alae School,
and Jennifer Klein, director of professional development at the World
Leadership School. Bring your own
experiences, successes, and challenges
to the table as you engage in a design
thinking lab setting. You will explore a
new framework for education and apply
instructional strategies such as design
thinking and project-based learning
to create multiple pathways to student
success. You’ll also explore principles
related to cultural competencies
and learn how these critical skills
are foundational for every educator.
From Access to Success: Using
Cognition, Culture, Design
Thinking, and Instructional
Practice to Improve Equitable
Outcomes for Diverse Students
KAPONO CIOTTI Wai’alae Elementary
School (HI)
JENNIFER D. KLEIN World Leadership
For all these reasons, your school should
view hiring for any position as an opportunity to improve cultural competency
at every level. Your hiring processes
School (CO)
What does success for students look
like in an era of focus on student access?
This question is of vital importance as
schools begin and nurture diversity
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
FULL-DAY EQUITY SEMINARS CONTINUED
Not in My School! How White
Supremacy and White Privilege
Undermine Best Intentions
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
EDDIE MOORE, JR. The Privilege Institute
DEBBIE IRVING Educator and Author
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Full Day: $195 (includes a
light breakfast; lunch is on
your own)
How do current racial events and tensions drive school communities apart?
How can you use them instead as teachable, community-building moments?
In this seminar, you will explore a new
tool to analyze racial and other systems
of oppression; engage in activities to
deepen understanding of the origin of
differences, their manifestation in recent
events, and how they obstruct efforts
of equity; and expand your confidence
in engaging in systemic school change
to increase a positive school environment, particularly for students of color
in independent schools. You’ll also
prepare an action plan to create tangible
goals — short and long term, personal
and systemic.
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
HAZEL SYMONETTE University of
Wisconsin-Madison
The recent surge in highly visible racial
incidents and a deeply polarized hatefilled political landscape affects students
differently along racial lines. Your independent school has a unique opportunity
to deepen understanding and campus
engagement. This interactive and challenging session explores how today’s
headline stories relate to the impact
of power, privilege, and oppression on
student and family engagement, teacher
preparation, curriculum development,
and everyday campus interactions.
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Educators as BoundarySpanning Excellence Facilitators:
Maximizing Self-Efficacy for
Equity and Social Justice
This interactive workshop will introduce
the Integral Educator Model, a holistic
protocol for systematic inquiry and
reflective practice. This model facilitates
and supports boundary-spanning
communications and social relations
at multiple levels: self-to-self (intrapersonal), self-to-others (interpersonal),
and self-to-systems (social structures
and processes). The Integral Educator
Model enhances self empathy and
social empathy by helping you mindfully
discern and stand in your own perspectives while imaginatively standing in
and engaging others’ perspectives.
This seminar will benefit educators in
the classroom and beyond who are — or
want to become — more learner- and
learning-centered. Together with the
other participants, you will deepen your
understanding of yourself as an educator as you mindfully engage assessment
and evaluation practices to enhance
interpersonal validity — the soundness
and trustworthiness of the uses of self as
knower, inquirer, and engager of others
and systems.
Advancing Human and Civil Rights
Through Effective Listening: A
Social Justice Imperative
The Genius of Hip-Hop: Rhyme
and Reason in the Classroom
JOHN IGWEBUIKE Alcorn State University
Northern Arizona University
FREDERICK W. GOODING, JR.
Education for Transformation:
The Keys to Releasing the Genius
of African American Students
CHIKE AKUA Teacher Transformation
Institute
Educators spend extensive time and
resources instructing learners to read,
speak, and write. But how much time do
they devote to enabling students to truly
listen to and understand other human
beings with dignity and respect? This
seminar explores the rarely discussed
art, skill, and practice of effective listening. It acknowledges listening as a radical
social justice tool to advance human
dignity, understanding, and respect.
This seminar is for anyone interested
in doing a deep dive into radical listening
and start a listening revolution that
creates a just, empathetic, and respectbased society.
The session uses experiential activities
and exercises that focus on alertness,
awareness, and attention. You will
identify personal listening habits that
inhibit or enhance social justice; learn
to critically spot exclusive language,
stereotypes, and biases; and practice
amplifying the voice of others through
active listening strategies and techniques.
You will also co-construct policies and
solutions that spur listening equity within
organizations, including your school.
Have you ever listened to hip-hop? Or
watched a hip-hop video on TV? Have
you listened to someone recite rhymes
while they listened intently with their
headphones on — or even wondered why
they do? If so, you will love this session.
This dynamic workshop grows out of the
principle that hip-hop performs an important social function and, consequently, so
do the mental images hip-hop generates.
We start by examining why hip-hop holds
such an important place in our culture
and exploring its mass market global
appeal. We will also seek to understand
how something so controversial and
marginal could become so mainstream
and central. This session infuses historical
contextualization as a backdrop against
exploration of particular genres, artists,
styles, sounds, images, and rhetorical
techniques within the hip-hop movement.
By exploring the various literary, musical,
and methodological techniques hiphop uses, you will better hear and feel
the messages, meanings, and impact of
this artistic form. You will be introduced
to six primary themes that encompass
real hip-hop, or hiphopetypes, and use
case studies and applied analysis to
understand how to connect with today’s
students more effectively through this
powerful medium.
What methods do master teachers use
to reach and teach African American
students? What role do teachers’ and
students’ cultural knowledge play in
producing excellence in African American
students? How can you use culture as a
bridge rather than a barrier to produce
excellence in all students?
Educational research is clear and compelling: Culture is the key — the critical
mediating factor in increasing achievement for African Americans and other
students of color. This session is carefully
designed to help educators and leaders
move from cultural consciousness to cultural competence. You will be introduced
to proven strategies that connect culture
and learning and lead to greater student
interest, engagement, and achievement.
Your presenter is award-winning educator,
author, and international speaker Chike
Akua. He will draw on his best-selling
book, Education for Transformation: The
Keys to Releasing the Genius of African
American Students. Explore new ways of
engaging students that will make them
more critical, analytical, and reflective
about the world around them and within
them. You’ll leave with practical strategies
and resources to take your teaching to
the next level.
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
HALF-DAY EQUITY SEMINARS
Presenting Like a Boss:
What Every Novice Workshop
Presenter Needs to Know
Beyond the Why and into the How:
Inclusive Classroom Practices
ROSETTA LEE Seattle Girls’ School (WA)
ANGELA N. BROWN The Pike School (MA)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Half Day: $95
(includes a light breakfast)
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Despite numerous opportunities to
present at annual conferences, only a
small percentage of a school’s faculty
and staff submit workshop proposals.
Some educators don’t believe their
ideas are workshop worthy. Others’
fears of public speaking hinder them
from sharing their ideas. Still others
are interested but unsure about how to
get their supervisors’ support, navigate
the proposal-writing process, or design
compelling workshops that will engage
their audience. If you’re a first-time
presenter, this session will equip you
with the tools to address your public
speaking concerns, create compelling
workshop proposals, and design
interactive workshops that highlight
your expertise. Through small-group
discussions and partner sessions, you
will define your presentation goals
and complete a workshop proposal.
Then you’ll create and deliver your
three-minute “presenter stump speech”
to gain constructive feedback.
We know about the startling opportunity
gap in education and society. We’ve
learned about identity, culture, communication, and power and how they
bring privilege to some and disenfranchise others. We are convinced of why
diversity and inclusion are important.
But we are unsure about how intention
transforms itself into positive impact
on student lives.
How do we turn commitment into
action? What are some strategies and
best practices to help us become the
educators with whom all children thrive?
Come to this session and find out.
SCHOOL VISITS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
$50 (Departures will take place
from the GWCC, Building A)
School Visits allow independent and
special-focus schools to host conference
attendees for tours and conversation
about each institution’s unique mission
and culture. School visits also allow participants and hosts to engage in an idea
exchange about the ways in which equity,
diversity, and multi­cultural education
are manifested in school life and culture.
You may choose one school to visit.
Atlanta Girls’ School with Atlanta
Speech School (shared campus)
Atlanta Girls’ School’s curriculum and
culture emerge from a distinct vision of
what girls must learn, individually and
collectively, to become thoughtful and
capable leaders. The school achieves
this by using proven and emerging
educational techniques tailored to
how girls learn, and by integrating bigpicture thinking, high expectations, and
leading-edge technologies.
Positioned at the intersection of brain
science and social science, the Atlanta
Speech School brings about transformative change in the lives of children and
adults through research-based practices,
innovation, advocacy, and partnerships
with other organizations. The goal is to
help each child at the school and every
child in Georgia acquire the language and
literacy abilities essential for deciding
their own futures.
Woodward Academy
Atlanta International School
Now in its second century of fostering
excellence, character, and opportunity,
Woodward Academy is the largest
independent school in the continental
United States. It has 2,700 students
spanning two campuses on 133 acres in
metro Atlanta. Students develop a deep
respect for difference as they collaborate
with peers from more than 100 ZIP codes
and a broad array of religious, ethnic,
and cultural backgrounds.
Atlanta International School sets out to
meet the challenges and opportunities of a
fast-changing world. It develops students
to be responsible citizens and to have
flexible intellectual competence, self-discipline, and a global outlook. AIS provides
an independent, international, and multilingual education within the framework
of the International Baccalaureate (IB)
curriculum. The school offers STEM- and
STEAM-endorsed and bilingual diplomas in
addition to the prestigious IB diploma.
The Children’s School
This is a progressive school serving
students from age 3 through sixth grade
in a diverse community in midtown
Atlanta. Grounded in principles of
excellence, innovation, and play, the
school believes a diverse community
is an educational imperative. It also
believes that children value the multiple
perspectives they receive from peers
who bring experiences shaped by
differences in race, ethnicity, family
structure, socioeconomic status,
religion, and other cultural identifiers.
Lovett School and Trinity School
(combined visit)
The Lovett School serves children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Lovett takes
advantage of its proximity to the city of
Atlanta by providing students with a range
of curricular and co-curricular avenues to
engage with the people and institutions
that contribute to the city’s rich diversity.
Trinity School is a co-ed elementary school
serving children from age 3 through sixth
grade. Integrated throughout the curriculum, diversity is celebrated year-round.
Students are encouraged to bring their full
selves to school, to ask questions, and to
be accepting of each other’s differences as
an integral part of a learning community.
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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SDLC LEADERSHIP
TEAM WELCOME
With excitement, warmth, passion, and purpose, we invite
you and your students to Atlanta for the 23rd annual NAIS
Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC).
RODNEY GLASGOW
Head of Middle School
and Chief Diversity Officer
St. Andrew’s Episcopal
School (MD)
SDLC Chair and Lead
Curriculum Facilitator
OSCAR GONZALEZ
Director, Teacher and
Program Development
Generation Teach (CO)
SDLC Lead Logistics Facilitator
COLLINUS NEWSOME
Policy Advisor, Office
of the Superintendent
Aurora Public Schools (CO)
SDLC Lead Faculty Facilitator
Throughout the school year, students in independent schools
work hard to educate their peers around issues of equity
and justice. You support them in that work, and SDLC is an
extension of that support. SDLC is known for its positive
impact on the students who participate and the schools they
represent. They use the techniques of dialogue, experiential
learning, and cross-cultural and interpersonal exchange that
have characterized SDLC over nearly a quarter of a century.
In Atlanta, our theme Dreaming Out Loud: Waking Up to a
New Era of Civil Rights will call us to explore the rich history
of civil rights as inspiration for grappling with the modern
issues of inclusion that face our schools, our nation, and
our world today. SDLC stands in strong partnership with the
common mission of all of our schools: to educate students
for global citizenship and ethical leadership. By developing
students who practice empathy in action and seek wisdom
from meaningful interaction across multiple perspectives,
SDLC’s faculty of adult educators and college activists
(who are also SDLC alumni!) are pleased to serve your
student delegates over our three days together.
More than 80 years ago, Atlanta gave birth to Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., and his legacy of motivating youth to take
positive and peaceful action. We now go to that place and
seek the source of that energy, reminded of Dr. King’s famous
adage, “The time is always right to do what is right.” We
look forward to our time together.
We hope to see you there.
Find SDLC forms, rules, and
regulations at pocc.nais.org.
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
SDLC is a multiracial, multicultural
gathering of upper school student leaders (grades 9-12) from across the U.S.
SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming
allies, and building community. Led
by a diverse team of trained adult
and peer facilitators, participants will
develop effective cross-cultural communication skills and better understand
the nature and development of effective
strategies for social justice. They will
also practice expression through the
arts and learn networking principles and
strategies. In addition to large-group
sessions, SDLC “family groups” and
“home groups” allow for small-group,
often intense, dialogue and sharing.
You can find more information at
pocc.nais.org.
SDLC REGISTRATION
SDLC sells out quickly each year. Here
is important information to keep in mind
as you make your plans. All forms are
at pocc.nais.org.
Who is eligible to attend: SDLC is open
only to independent school students who
are part of a member-school delegation,
authorized by said school’s administration,
and chaperoned by said school personnel.
How many students attend SDLC: The
conference is limited to 1,600 studentparticipants. NAIS accepts registrants
on a first-come, first-served basis.
How many of your school’s students
may register: A maximum of six (6)
students may register from any given
school. NAIS strictly enforces this sixstudent registration limit.
What you must do to make sure your
students are correctly registered: All
necessary forms for your entire student
delegation must be completely filled out
and submitted together at the time of
registration. Otherwise, their registrations
will not be processed and their spaces
will not be reserved. Note that your
students’ forms are not complete without
required signatures from parents or
guardians, so obtain the signatures before
you get ready to upload your forms.
REMINDERS:
++All students attending must be
enrolled at the school listed on their
documents, and they must all be
chaperoned by faculty personnel from
that school.
++If your school brings fewer than six
students to the conference, you may
not give, share, or otherwise attempt to
delegate so-called “unused spaces” to
other schools.
++Any transgression of the six-students-per-school limit — or any other
violations of the terms of the SDLC
participation agreements between
NAIS and delegate school, parent, or
guardian — will nullify your school’s
(and student’s) participation in the
conference.
++If your students’ forms are not complete, your students’ spaces are not
reserved.
DIVERSITY 201
Returning students who are not serving as peer facilitators may join an
advanced family group called Diversity
201. Diversity 201 is a specialized
experience designed to allow returning participants to dig deeper into
issues of identity, power, privilege, and
allyship. Diversity 201 is limited to 100
participants, with no more than two (2)
participants from the same school.
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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HOTEL AND TRAVEL
INFORMATION
HOTEL INFORMATION
GETTING TO THE
CONFERENCE CENTER
Omni CNN Center Atlanta
Headquarters Hotel
GWCC Building A is centrally located
in the heart of downtown Atlanta. It is
accessible via car, shuttle, and taxi from
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
It is also within walking distance of the
conference hotels.
100 CNN Center, Atlanta, GA 30303
Single/Double: $201
MORE
INFORMATION
For more detailed directions
and information about the
Georgia World Congress Center,
please visit gwcc.com.
For more details about hotel
rates and bookings, please
visit pocc.nais.org/registration.
Embassy Suites Atlanta — Centennial Olympic Park
267 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30313
Single/Double: $189
Westin Peachtree Plaza
210 Peachtree Street, NW,
Atlanta, GA 30303
Single/Double: $169
GETTING TO THE CONFERENCE
Getting to and traveling around Atlanta
is easy, convenient, and affordable.
All PoCC programming will take place
at the Georgia World Congress Center
(GWCC), Building A. All SDLC programming will take place at the Omni CNN
Center Hotel.
Georgia World Congress Center
(GWCC), Building A
285 Andrew Young International
Boulevard, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Omni CNN Center Hotel
100 CNN Center, NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
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#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
INFORMATION
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
Transit Authority (MARTA) is Atlanta’s
public transportation system. MARTA
is made up of a bus and rail system that
connects all parts of Atlanta. A single
$2.50 fare covers one-way bus or train
trips, including transfers.
The station for GWCC Building A
is the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/
CNN Center Station.
If you are coming from HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport,
MARTA has a rail station located at the
north end of the airport, near baggage
claim. This service offers the quickest
and least expensive way to get to and
from the airport to downtown Atlanta.
CONFERENCE
SPONSORS
GOLD
BRONZE
COPPER
#NAISPoCC | #NAISSDLC
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