Antiracism Learning Studio
Join the Next Steps Antiracism Learning Studio
and:
recognize patterns of resistance to equitable policies;
organize with fellow parents to push for anti-racist change;
build truly anti-racist schools in Evanston that live the values we espouse.
Evanston is beautiful, liberal, diverse…and racist.
Despite our best intentions, practices and policies in Evanston disproportionately harm our Black and Brown community. The current pandemic is exploiting the systemic inequalities that have persisted in our Evanston schools and our own district administrators and school board members are receiving racist and threatening emails for centering equity. Knowing this:
What have you done?
Have you done enough?
Are you setting an example for your children and future generations?
overview
Next Steps is using an application and cohort model this year. We invite individuals and diverse & demographically representative school teams to apply. Here is a PDF of the flyer in both English and Spanish. You can also share the English PNG and Spanish PNG.
Program Description
In early 2021, Next Steps is offering a four-session Learning Studio so participants can translate the learning from the last two years into deeper action. We will discuss concepts and strategies that support individual school projects. Through affinity spaces conducted during each session, participants will tackle different aspects of identifying, addressing and dismantling racist policies and practices in their school community. Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with school and district personnel to develop and maintain antiracist practices.
During all four sessions, participants will:
Explore white supremacy and colonial ideology, both internally and externally, to understand how these concepts impact individuals and communities.
Learn how to think broadly and offer flexibility when patterns of oppression appear.
Develop a mindset of altruism by centering the key concept of building solidarity versus offering charity.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Session 1: Building a Coalition and Realigning Goals
School groups will learn how to create equitable and inclusive spaces and opportunities for collaboration with an intentional focus on establishing a diverse coalition of peers.
Session 2: Data Collection and Interpretation
School groups will learn how to collect, identify, and use data, both qualitative and quantitative, to understand student and family experiences and dispel the “utopian” myth.
Session 3: Strategic Planning and Accountability
School groups will develop a strategic plan(s) to take action and address the data and experiences uncovered.
Session 4: Commencement – Culminating Presentation
School groups will track progress to present findings to the entire cohort and for continued growth in dismantling racist policies.
Coaches
Mirza Campos
(she/her/ella)
Coach
Mirza Campos is a Mexican immigrant, who arrived in the United States at the age of 16. She is a cis mestiza (the mixture of different races as a result of Spanish colonization of Mexico) woman and the mother of two Afro Latino sons ages 7 and 16. Mirza has been teaching at D65 for 12 years, one year in the TWI program and the last 11 years in the Head Start bilingual classroom. She has been part of the School Climate Team, SEED and the District Equity Leadership Team. She has also been trained on the framework of Anti-bias Education Goals, and Culturally Relevant Teaching practices.
Atena Danner
(she/her)
Coach
Atena O. Danner is a Black, queer creative, parent, educator, organizer. She has facilitated learning for children and adults in classrooms, workshops, peer learning communities, and in the streets. Atena currently works professionally as a literacy learning facilitator, as a volunteer organizes community care and liberation work for Black people. She is an enemy of oppressive learning spaces, and is motivated by love for her people. Her core values are authenticity, creativity, and justice.
CARMEN FRANCELLNO
(SHE/HER)
Coach
Carmen Francellno is a Black cis woman. She is a lifelong Evanston resident who attended D65 schools and graduated from Evanston Township High School. She is a member of the Evanston Public Library’s internal EDI committee and serves as one of four staff members on the library’s community based Racial Equity Task Force.
She is also a mentor with Evanston Scholars. She has participated in SEED, Beyond Diversity and Leadership Evanston. Her background is in education and she has experience working in the social service and public service sectors.
Emilie Hogan
(SHE/HER)
Coach
Emilie Hogan is a white, cis woman. Emilie has completed Beyond Diversity, SEED and Unpacking Whiteness training, and she participates in a white, anti-racism affinity group in Evanston.
Emilie has been involved with many Evanston organizations and was a founding Board member of Books & Breakfast. She is an attorney, a grassroots political activist, and a writer.
She is the mother of four daughters, one in college, two at ETHS, and one in District 65.
Kathy McGroarty Torres
(she/her)
white accountability group co-facilitator
Bio coming soon.
ANYA TANYAVUTTI
(SHE/HER/ELLA/THEY)
Coach & series Co-Facilitator
Anya Tanyavutti is a Black cis queer woman with over 20 years of experience working in the fields of education, non-profit leadership, and community engagement.
She has been a D65 school board member and leader for 4 years and was on the Navigating Real Life Diversity planning committee for two years and Next Steps planning for 3.
Lastly she is the mother of 3 children, two of whom are D65 proud students.