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An Incredible Start to 2024
Many thanks to the incredible individuals and organizations that I have the privilege to collaborate with around the world to advance this critical work of deepening belonging and fostering communities of dignity and respect.
Meaningful & Instructive Visit With Escola Concept
I had another meaningful and instructive visit with Escola Concept, in São Paulo, Brazil.
I can’t wait to return in September to continue our efforts to deepen belonging by fostering a community of respect and dignity.
Many thanks to the entire EC community, and a special thanks to Priscila Torres.
Leveraging the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
This week marked my 8th visit to Graded: The American School of Sao Paulo in Brazil. The primary focus of this consultation was to measure and enhance intercultural competency among the key architects of the school's belonging initiatives.
Our approach was rooted in the Intercultural Competency Continuum (ICC), utilizing both individual and collective insights derived from senior leaders, counselors, and members of the Diversity Committee through the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).
From my personal experience, I've found the IDI to be an effective tool for fostering meaningful introspection and dialogue to provide insights that often are challenging to access through self-directed learning and/or workshops and seminars.
Day 1 was dedicated to processing results and exploring implications for personal growth, identifying collective strengths and areas for growth, and informing the design and execution of our Belonging strategy.
On Day 2, I led discussions with the DEIB Committee to plan upcoming student assemblies and design strategies for the 2024-25 academic year.
As we embark on Year 4 of our collaboration, I look forward to continuing our efforts in nurturing and sustaining a culture of Belonging and Respect within the Graded community.
Many thanks, in particular, to Richard Boerner, superintendent; Ana Allen, AP of lower school; and Shannon Hobbs-Beckley, chief learning officer.
Cultivating Belonging and Intercultural Competency at Uruguayan American School
Building on consultation insights from last year’s visit, this year's consultation at Uruguayan American School focused on data collection, building constituent intervention capacity, and Belonging strategy iteration. Over two days, we achieved several key objectives:
1. Case Studies
Building on focus group data that I have collected over the past two years, I designed UAS specific belonging case studies. During the sessions, constituents leveraged my DEIB Action Protocol to scaffold empathy and restorative justice, design impact constituent maps, and reflect on potential effective interventions specifically for the UAS community.
2. Student and Counselor Focus Groups
I conducted five focus groups to gain deeper insights into student and counselor perspectives on belonging and belonging uncertainty.
3. Administrative Strategy Design
We culminated the consultation with senior administrators, where I shared my site observations, focus group theme analysis, and provided recommendations for ongoing belonging strategy.
Gratitude to Matt Beata and the entire UAS Community for their thoughtful, courageous , and sustained efforts to foster belonging for all. Looking forward to our ongoing collaboration next year!
Strategic Planning at Randolph School
I am thrilled to share highlights from my recent visit to Randolph School, where we are charting a course for an meaningful 2024-25 academic year.
12th Consultation Day
Reflecting on the incredible journey of the past three years, our focus remains steadfast on cultivating a sense of belonging for all members of the Randolph School Community. It was a day filled with insightful discussions, collaborative planning, and a commitment to excellence.
Board Update
I had the privilege of updating the Board on our 2023-24 Belonging goals, providing a comprehensive analysis within the broader context of current trends, best practices, and challenges in independent schools. It is always an asset when the board has an authentic commitment to these efforts.
Senior Leadership Team Capacity Building
Building Capacity of the Senior Leadership Team is crucial to executing the school's strategy. Leveraging a compelling case study, we delved into real-world scenarios, utilizing my DEIB Action Protocol to identify, frame, and generate effective interventions through a Restorative framework.
Belonging Strategy Retreat
The day concluded with a dynamic Strategy Retreat involving members of the Diversity Committee. We engaged in a SWOT analysis, reviewed Belonging data from the past two years, and critically examined current Belonging strategies. The outcome? A provisional 2024-25 strategy that will evolve through collaborative iteration over the semester.
As we continue to advance Randolph's mission of "Seeking Truth. Building Character. Nurturing All," I am energized by the shared commitment to ongoing growth, Belonging, and excellence. Here's to an inspiring journey ahead, making strides in fostering and sustaining a culture where every member of the Randolph School community feels seen, heard, and valued. Many thanks for your leadership and partnership, Adam Dubé.
Enfoque de exalumnos del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana
Es un honor para mí recibir el reconocimiento de mi alma mater, la Escuela de Música Merit, donde estudié en el conservatorio gratuito todos los sábados de 8.00 a 16.00 desde el 8º al 12º curso.
Como estudiante de Merit, aprendí piano, viola, voz clásica, orquesta, ópera, coro, cuarteto de cuerda, teoría musical, habilidades auditivas, composición, dirección y mucho más.
Igualmente importante, aprendí habilidades que me posicionaron estratégicamente para tener una vida llena de opciones.
Y ahora se cierra el círculo al formar parte de la Junta Directiva. Muchas gracias a mi mentora de toda la vida, Duffie Adelson, por su inquebrantable apoyo a mí y a decenas de otros estudiantes de Merit durante más de cuatro décadas, y a mi más reciente amigo y colega, Charles Grode, por su liderazgo reflexivo y estratégico como actual director ejecutivo.
Black History Month Alumni Spotlight
I am honored to be recognized by my alma mater, Merit School of Music, where I was a student in the tuition-free conservatory every Saturday from 8am-4pm from 8th-12th grades.
As a Merit student, I learned piano, viola, classical voice, orchestra, opera, choir, string quartet, music theory, aural skills, composition, conducting, and more.
Equally important, I learned skills that strategically positioned me to have a choice-filled life.
And now it comes full circle as I proudly serve on the board. Many thanks to my lifelong mentor, Duffie Adelson, for her unwavering support of me and scores of other Merit students for more than four decades, and to my newer friend and colleague, Charles Grode, for his thoughtful and strategic leadership as current executive director.
The End of Inclusion?
I had the pleasure of speaking with Katherine Mangan at The Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month about strategies universities can leverage to sustain efforts to foster belonging on campus amid the continuing attack on DEIB efforts nationwide. To be sure, efforts have always needed to iterate as a function of ongoing resistance, so the notion is not new.
Despite mounting challenges, the pervasive belief that everyone has the right to belong will ultimately carry this work forward. When belonging is not present, we are all compelled to action, and we are all accountable.
I recommend reading Katherine’s story chronicling the current strategy on university campuses: The End of Inclusion? Campus Leaders struggle to deliver on a core ideal.
Diversity, Love, Inclusion, and Belonging at Calvary Christian
I am excited to share highlights from my recent visit to Calvary Christian School in Pacific Palisades, California!
Our latest professional development session in February centered around fostering Diversity, Love, and Inclusion (DLI) while emphasizing the importance of belonging. Our work included:
Addressing Identity-Based Harm: The session focused on cultivating effective strategies to address identity-based harm, particularly regarding “jokes.”
Intercultural Competency Reflections: Utilizing the intercultural competency model, participants reflected on how their backgrounds shape their perspectives and influence the processing of identity-based harm.
DEIB Action Plan: The implementation of my DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Action Plan was instrumental in processing specially curated case studies—one designed for younger students (K-4) and another for middle school (5-8).
As always, I appreciate the thoughtful and sustained engagement from the staffulty (staff and faculty) and their willingness to live the Christian mission of the school.
Looking forward to Year 5 of our partnership engaging in this critical work!
Belonging Survey Analysis at Scarsdale Public Schools
I was thrilled to return to Scarsdale to analyze the robust data gathered from the recent district belonging surveys for students, staff, and parents/caregivers.
During February's consultation, I led building leaders and district administrators through an inquiry protocol to analyze the belonging survey findings at a district and building level, categorizing and prioritizing insights. Afterwards, we began developing a communications strategy to share survey results with Scarsdale students, staff, and parents.
At the end of the consultation, I co-facilitated as session for parent members of the various school diversity committees with Drs. Edgar McIntosh and Drew Patrick. The parents' thoughtful perspectives and experiences are critical as we continue to iterate the communications strategy and action plan.
The commitment to fostering a sense of belonging at Scarsdale Public Schools is truly inspiring, and I'm honored to be part of this transformative process.