Getting Started: Why do schools need to do social justice work?

Workshop Length: ½ Day or Full Day
Audience: Administrators, Teachers, Counselors, School Staff

​Description: This workshop is designed to help encourage and support schools as they begin or redouble their efforts to make social justice work a part of their school culture.  Participants will: Explore why social justice work must be part of a school’s culture Learn how social justice work enhances and improves a schools mission and focus Understand how to expand social justice work in your school community, and how to overcome roadblocks that might impede progress. Taking the first steps, or starting fresh in any initiative can be challenging. The goal of this workshop is to help frame this work in the context of daily schooling, and to help schools take the needed steps to begin this work in earnest.

What’s next? Programs and practices to begin or enrich social justice work in school    

Workshop Length: ½ Day or Full Day
Audience: Administrators, Teachers, Counselors, School Staff

Description:  This workshop is designed to help schools take the needed steps to turn their social justice values and beliefs into actionable steps. 
Participants will:

• Explore how curriculum enhances or siliences issues of social justice in our classrooms
• Learn about models for professional development and staff training and how to leverage that for sustainable change in your school
• Learn about various student programming options and how supporting and encouraging student voice and agency improves the climate and culture of school
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The workshop will be a mix of sharing of best practices along with a review of successful existing programs in other schools.  Participants will evaluate and assess their school’s social justice work, and create an action plan to improve or enhance the work that is already being done.

Who does the work? Student/Advisor Trainings

Workshop Length: ½ Day or Full Day(s)
Audience: Students, Adult Advisors
Description:  This workshop is designed for students and adult advisors who will be the point people for social justice work in your school. 
Participants will:

• Examine how their own identity shapes their perspectives and biases 
• Explore how racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. impact all of our lives and what we can do in school to challenge these forces 
• Develop skills that will be used when working with other students and community members in social justice work

Students and adult allies will work together to not only better understand the components and importance of social justice work in schools, but will also review what this work might look like in their own community.