Students and Faculty Attend PoCC, SDLC, Women’s Conferences
A record number of Rivers students and faculty headed off in early December to Anaheim, CA for the National Association of Independent School’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference and People of Color Conference. The following week, four students spent the day at the Massachusetts Conference for Women in Boston. The conferences allowed the participants to share their personal experiences with others and to bring important lessons back to our own community, where promoting diversity and inclusivity is an important and ongoing focus.
The annual People of Color Conference (PoCC) gives educators the opportunity to “leverage the unparalleled opportunity for educational excellence that racial, ethnic, and cultural differences present in our schools and our communities.” This year's theme was “Voices for Equity and Justice Now and in Every Generation: Lead, Learn, Rededicate, and Deliver.”
Faculty members Melissa Dolan, Mike Kris, Tori Wilbur, Rachel Costello, Chris Love, Ben Liston, Jill McCulley, Chloe Yang, Yoshi Fujita, and Wen Sailer joined Director of Diversity and Inclusivity John Bower at the People of Color Conference where Mr. Bower led a workshop for fellow educators called “The ABCs of TRAs (Transracial Adoptees).” The workshop was designed to draw on the presenters’ backgrounds to open dialog about racial identity formation and adoptive experiences, as well as provide practical advice for best serving this population of students.
After the conference, Rivers teachers shared their favorite takeaways at December’s monthly faculty Critical Conversations meeting. Language teacher Jill McCulley attended a workshop focused on identifying multicultural themes for each grade level that could be incorporated into each academic discipline throughout the year. School Counselor Ben Liston talked about workshops on gender versus sexual identities as well as pronoun usage when speaking to and about transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to respect their gender identity.
The People of Color Conference ran parallel to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), which provided students with an opportunity to engage in a curriculum that deepened their own cultural perspective. This armed them with knowledge and a strong network of peers to bring back to their own schools to develop as leaders.
Six Rivers students—the maximum allowed per school—attended the conference this year: Louise Ambler ’18, Charlie Bondhus ’18, Iman McPherson ’18, Maggie Monaghan ’19, Adam Naddaff-Slocum ’18, and Chloe Pingeon ’18.
“The most valuable part of the conference for me was the black affinity group,” commented Iman McPherson. “With over 600 students, I had never been surrounded by so much black pride, or ‘black magic.’ I also found the discussions around religion and sexual orientation the most interesting—hearing the ways that these two identifiers impact people’s lives was eye opening.
“I hope to bring back to Rivers an understanding that one’s perspective may be different than another’s, but often both are valid in their own right. People need not agree on all fronts, but there needs to be mutual understanding. Controversy should not be perceived as always negative. If done respectfully, expression, critical thinking, and willingness to expand one’s perspective are some of the most valuable skills applicable to general life.
“My most significant takeaway from the conference is that you are never alone. Particularly in communities with little diversity, it can feel like a constant losing battle to be understood. This conference gave me hope that there are people out there who care—even more importantly, people willing to listen, despite any and all differences.”
The Massachusetts Conference for Women in Boston was equally inspiring. Callie Kamanitz ’19 applied for and secured tickets for the students last summer, and was accompanied by Natalie Hall ’19, Natasha McMillan ’19, Maggie Monaghan ’19, and Assistant Dean of Students Susanna Donahue. They attended the opening keynote session, breakout sessions, and lunch, and heard talks by Gloria Steinem, Meryl Streep, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Viola Davis.
“I loved going to the conference,” commented Natalie Hall. “It was incredible (if a little overwhelming!) to be surrounded by 12,000 other people who are working to make the world a more equal place for men and women. It was truly empowering.”
“Both SDLC and the Women’s Conference were amazing,” said Maggie Monaghan, who was able to attend both. “A takeaway from both was the power of stories. I was humbled by the stories I heard from both adults and kids my age. At the Women’s Conference, we heard Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet, tell her own life experience. At SDLC, much of the conference was about experiences and realities; through these, I learned the extent to which stories can provide connection and a basis for hard conversations involving social justice issues. Sarah Kay discussed her belief that anyone can write spoken word, and I took this point to mean that everyone has a story to tell. At the conference, there was an exceptionally diverse range of opinions and experiences. A key takeaway I had from SDLC was that differing perspectives should be welcomed rather than shied away from. Every individual’s truth is essential to having the most productive conversations.
“Due to the incredible opportunities presented to students at Rivers as well as other personal identifiers (sexual orientation, race, gender, etc.), many here do not have to consider issues relating to diversity and inclusion on a daily basis,” Maggie concluded. “I think it is essential to acknowledge the issues around diversity and inclusion in the country and community. It is imperative to care about these issues and take initiative to educate oneself. Through both conferences and after hearing the experiences of others, this belief was strengthened.”
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