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DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort 1: Program Onsite in Panama
Felicidades and parabens to the 38 heads of schools, superintendents, and senior leaders representing over 14 LATAM countries who participated in last weekend’s DEIB Executive Leadership Onsite at International School of Panama. A special thanks to Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D. for inviting us to ISP's beautiful campus in Panama City.
Building on concepts that we explored during virtual sessions, the onsite objectives leveraged the Intercultural Development Continuum as a conceptual framework for introspection and developing Inclusive Leadership and Intercultural Competency.
Day 1
On Day 1, we reviewed individual Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) results and implications for personal growth. The IDI provides a cross-cultural and validated metric to understand the disjuncture between how an individual perceives how they understand and interact with others versus how they may be actually experienced by others. Participants were courageous, vulnerable, and appreciated the ability to learn from sharing personal stories and experiences.
Day 2
On Day 2, we leveraged Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which I typically use for my business clients, but soon realized that the strategies are equally instructive for any global organization. Dr. Rohini Anand PhD's transversal approach--which argues that global DEIB efforts must be flexible and adaptive while integrating local dynamics--was a meaningful framework to enhance country and school specific strategies. Afterward, we engaged in our second case study to build capacity specifically related to racism in international schools.
We ended our program by synthesizing learnings into actionable school plans, which will be iterated during our sessions, providing personal accountability and continuous progress.
The Power of Food
And let's not forget the power of food in fostering connections! I curated every meal, in collaboration with ISP’s chef, Jalil Mendoza, to showcase Panamanian cuisine-- from patacones to pixbae ceviche, corvina to empanadas de plátano, arepas de yuca to guyaba juice. We ate well.
We also enjoyed Afro-Panamanian cuisine from chef, Isaac Villaverde, whose restaurant, La Tapa del Coco, is a must-visit in Panama City. Isaac spent time with our cohort, sharing his personal journey to become a proud ambassador of Afro-Panamanian cuisine.
I am immensely proud of Cohort 1's growth and commitment to DEIB. I am thrilled about our ongoing efforts to deepen belonging in American and International Schools in LATAM.
Committed to Fostering a Better World
I am blessed to lead Belonging and Intercultural Competency efforts in so many incredible organizations, across industries, around the world, with so many individuals who are deeply committed to fostering a better world.
I have said it before-- and I'll say it again: I pinch myself every day that my passion is also my vocation. Thank you!
Fostering Belonging and Cultivating Student Upstanders
Rule #1 of being a consultant: sickness is not an option. Ever.
While I can't recall the last time I was too ill to consult, the upper respiratory demons finally got hold of me. But nothing that a day of hotel rest couldn't (somewhat) resolve!
After working with faculty and staff, administration, and board over the past three years at Lycée international de Calgary, I was thrilled to meet middle and upper school students to explore these critical issues around belonging.
Our interactive workshop leveraged unconscious bias as an entry point to explore stereotypes and the enduring harm of identity jokes. We also brainstormed strategies to mitigate and interrupt bias to become an upstandar.
Many thanks to Frederic Canadas and Françoise Bougaeff for their partnership. I look forward to working with parents, faculty and staff, and board later this year.
Seventh Year at Town School for Boys
I was thrilled to return to Town School for Boys for the 7th year, fostering a culture of belonging!
This three-day consultation was an incredible journey working across various student grade levels, parents, and the Board.
Students
We have designed a rotation that allows me to meet with all student homerooms in a two-year rotation. This year, I engaged with second and third graders around defining diversity and belonging. Belonging is a Town core value so students are quite familiar with the concept. I also appreciated the insightful discussions with the fifth and sixth graders around stereotypes and identity-based jokes. Finally, I connected with the student of color affinity groups in grades 5th-7th, learning about their experiences, and integrating their perspectives into advisory lessons, curriculum, assemblies, and other meaningful learning opportunties.
Parent Education
The parent-school partnership is critical to fostering belonging in a school. During our workshop, I shared insights regarding belonging trends in independent schools, specifically in lower and middle schools. Then, we brainstormed strategies, leveraging a belonging case study, to empower parents with specific language and tactics to navigate belonging challenges.
Board
I had the privilege of convening the Town Board Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee, synthesizing content and insights from this consultation, connecting learnings to over 7 years of data from previous consultation, sharing trends and best practices, and brainstorming implications to inform a comprehensive belonging approach.
I love establishing long-term relationships with school clients and participating in the learning and evolution of students. As I worked with the current Town seventh-grade boys, they recalled exercises, videos, insights, and case studies from fifth and third grade. When I discussed belonging with the second graders, they recalled, with impressive detail, the Sesame Street video that we watched together in kindergarten or the song that I sang a few years ago as part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
I must also confess that the Town boys are quite witty. Every year there is one comment that stands out-- and this year is no exception. During my discussion with the fifth grade, we were brainstorming the myriad of ways that individuals can be diverse. One student named hair, and the class proceeded to name all type of hair- braids, short hair, blond hair, red hair, etc. One student, as he looked directly at me, reminded the class that, "Bald is beautiful!" Smart student!
I look forward to Year 8 partnering with Town School. Many thanks, in particular, to Lorri Hamilton Durbin, Flora Mugambi-Mutunga , and Jennifer Liu for their sustained leadership and partnership in this critical work.
Scarsdale Public Schools Superintendent’s Day 2023
I returned to Scarsdale Public Schools yesterday to lead efforts during Year 3 of our partnership to drive belonging in the district. Building on content from Superintendent’s Day 2022 and subsequent work earlier this year, yesterday's objectives focused on three primary areas:
1. Belonging Survey
The district will conduct a comprehensive Belonging Survey this year to provide an opportunity for all constituents- students, employees, and parents- to share their perspectives and experiences as it relates to belonging in the district. The findings from the survey will inform ongoing district DEIB strategy and goals.
During Superintendent’s Day, I facilitated a workshop with staff to frame the belonging survey- highlighting goals, process, methodology, and alignment with the district’s mission to foster an inclusive learning and work environment for all.
2. Unconscious Bias in Hiring
I also facilitated an unconscious bias workshop for district leaders who manage hiring. During the session, we reviewed the latest research on unconscious bias, aligned on common language, learned the most salient forms of unconscious bias that undermine inclusive hiring, and reviewed best practices and strategies to mitigate unconscious bias to foster an inclusive hiring process.
3. Courageous Conversations
Finally, I led a conversation with a group of thoughtful teachers and administrators cultivating strategies to navigate courageous conversations about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
During the session, I highlighted the critical need to foster classroom deliberations instead of debates, ensuring that facilitated conversations scaffold empathy and compassion; to acknowledge and respect the very emotional nature of any conversation where some understandably perceive the stakes as intertwined with their humanity; and the importance of acknowledging one’s own positionality and how who we are informs how we enter these conversations.
Many thanks to all the incredible adults in the district for their ongoing efforts to support all students. I am deeply grateful for my ongoing partnership with Scarsdale Public Schools to foster a more inclusive and compassionate district.
And a special thanks to Dr. Drew Patrick, superintendent, and Dr. Edgar McIntosh, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction & assessment, for their ongoing leadership and authentic commitment to this critical work.
Honored to Deliver NESA Keynote
I was honored to deliver my second NESA keynote last week at the 2023 Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools Leadership Conference.
During my talk, I leveraged recent international school data to make the case to reframe traditional US-centered framings of diversity, which do not resonate outside of the US, to an intercultural competency framing to drive belonging in international schools.
You can hear the primary thesis in my most recent podcast below.
Many thanks to Search Associates for supporting the keynote and for their ongoing support of fostering inclusive learning environments for all students.
I am also deeply appreciative of Maddy Hewitt's leadership and commitment to prioritizing and sustaining this work in the NESA region.
Music Recital at Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogotá
As we close this week, I am reminiscing on a recent voice recital that I performed at Colegio Nueva Granada. In full disclosure, I was somewhat apprehensive as I had facilitated two full days of workshops, speaking for over 8 hours each day. Moreover, it was super cold in Bogotá- both inside and outside.
But the Spirit took over the voce and all ended well.
Barilla Announces New Parental Leave Policy
I am proud of my ongoing work with Barilla to support their Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy.
Their new parental leave policy simply states that ALL new parents will receive the same benefit of 12 weeks of full parent leave. Period.
ALL. New. Parents- without any distinction.
Floriana Notarangelo, Chief D&I Officer, writes,
There cannot be Gender Equality in the workplace, if there is not Gender Equality at home. At Barilla Group we acknowledge this, that is why as of January 1st, every new parent, without any distinction, and regardless of gender identity, marital status, and sexual orientation, will benefit from minimum 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, in every country we operate in.
To. Any. New. Parent.
Regardless of who you are and whom you love.
Turning intentions into actions! Proud to be Barilla People! We did it!
Thank you, Floriana, for your ongoing partnership and commitment to these critical efforts! Read the full announcement in Italian here and in English here.
DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort Session Two
Many thanks to the incredible international and American school leaders representing over 20 schools across Central and South America who joined Session 2 of our DEIB Executive Leadership Cohort to deepen inclusive leadership capacity.
During today's session, we explored a case study navigating misconceptions about autism and brainstormed strategies to support neurodiversity in schools.
I look forward to our next session ONSITE at the International School of Panama!
Graded - The American School of São Paulo
I recently returned to Graded for my sixth visit to work with DEIB Task Force and provide professional development to all faculty and staff in lower, middle, and upper schools. The focus of this visit was to provide concrete tactical strategies to support fostering an inclusive learning environment for all.
On Day 1, I convened the DEIB Task Force , comprised of employees spanning all three divisions. Together, we processed strategic models and frameworks to build capacity and integrate best practices and data from LATAM international schools to inform Graded’s school-wide strategy and goals to foster and sustain a safe and inclusive learning environment for all.
On Day 2, I facilitated divisional professional development for faculty and staff across the lower, middle, and upper schools. We reflected on the latest Brazilian international school belonging data and trends. We also processed student case studies that I designed, exploring real-world scenarios and strategies to address incidences when they occur at school- in the classroom, in the halls and cafeteria, or anywhere at school. The overarching goal was to support faculty and staff to be able to mitigate and intervene in non-inclusive behaviors while promoting belonging for all students.
Many thanks to the Graded community, and Richard Boerner, superintendent, and Shannon Hobbs-Beckley, director of teaching and learning, for their ongoing leadership and collaboration on these critical topics.