In th 19-20 school year, more than 40 participants from 21 DCSC member schools gathered in our Communities of Practice (CoP) to develop resources for the field of diverse-by-design education practitioners.
Without intentional strategies to foster a sense of belonging, diverse-by-design schools run the risk of reproducing inequities we see in society — communities pushed to the margins in favor of the dominant group. Educators recognize that schools must meet the universal human need of feeling valued and respected. Yet more than 40% of teachers in an EdWeek survey reported that it is “challenging” or “very challenging” to make students feel like they belong in the classroom. So now what?
We are excited to share the You Belong Here Toolkit, developed through a Community of Practice led by Dr. Nicole Evans and Sara Cotner, from DCSC member, Montessori For All. Participants from Compass Charter School and Brooklyn Prospect Schools also collaborated to create this resource. None of us predicted the pilot year of Communities of Practice to face a global pandemic, but we learned about the sustaining resilience and strength in a community as unique as DCSC members.
BRANDING • DESIGN • DEVELOPMENT BY Atelier LKS