Equity & Inclusion Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Creating Safe Spaces in Activism

The political climate these days breeds a sense of activism in young people who want to rise up and make a change in their communities. This workshop aims to carve out time to truly be intentional when talking about issues of race, gender, or other issues facing activists. Safe spaces should be inclusive, free from harassment or criticism, and challenge those within them to new ideas. The workshop will equip attendees with ways in which to create safe spaces in their schools, after-school clubs, and communities.

PRESENTER: Julie Willig, Director, Impact and Programs | Girl Up, United Nations Foundation (USA), and Lisa O. and Tarina A., Class of 2019 | The Madeira School (USA)


Diversity By Design

This session will focus on creating an intentionally diverse student population—socioeconomically as well as racially. The session will offer ideas not only about creating an intentionally diverse school but also how to ensure that all students in a diverse school receive an equitable education at the school. It is not uncommon at diverse schools that a “school within a school” can be created in which some students have access to more programs and resources because of scheduling, transportation, and the demands of parents with traditional voices of power. Topics included in the session are: guiding elementary students to have open conversations about race in the classroom; creating a school climate in which teachers are aware of privilege and bias and how those can impact instruction and staff and student culture; and bringing parents from various cultures and socioecomonic levels together for the good of the school.

PRESENTER: Nancy Bernardino, Principal | Solar Preparatory School for Girls (USA)


Exploring Identity Through an Intersectional Lens: Race and Self in an All-girls’ Setting

Participants will hear from a collective of educators collaborating with a consultant, who created a curriculum exploring identity through race-based affinity groups for high-school girls. We will share our personal experience implementing this innovative program and offer strategies for creating meaningful cross-cultural dialogue. Learn about the dynamic ways this program offers affinity space and cooperative meetings for students to explore self, cultivate voice and bring students together to engage in cross-cultural community building. Central themes of the work include students’ shared identity as emerging young women and empowering girls to feel a greater sense of agency and belonging.

PRESENTERS: Jacqueline Nelson, Director of Diversity and Inclusivity; Arlene Padilla, Spanish Teacher; and Tegan Morton, Science Teacher | The Hewitt School (USA) and Naomi Katz, Author, Educator and Entrepreneur  | Her Wisdom (USA)


Identity Making, a Novel Approach

Exploring and constructing identity is an integral part of school life, and supporting agency throughout this identity-building process is a unique value that distinguishes Independent Schools for girls. Reading is an essential component, providing a space for girls to try on, try out, and build identity. We will present a research-based model for a PreK-12 reading environment that supports girls’ growth through inclusive choices—in libraries, in classrooms, and throughout the school. Attendees will come away with a foundation for inclusive reading and an action plan for building a reading environment that support identity exploration.

PRESENTERS: Lisa Lopez-Carickhoff, Director of Libraries and Information Services; Lauren Friedman-Way, Middle School Librarian; and Emily Woodward, Lower School Library Media Specialist | The Baldwin School (USA)


The Illusion Of Races and Equity

Principles of human diversity may be and should be introduced into K-12 curriculum sufficiently early to empower young people with the knowledge and analytical skills to successfully deconstruct pervasive racist notions in our society. In this session, we aim to share our experience of piloting such curriculum, “The illusion of races—development of positive identity through the critical challenge of racialism and emphasis on individual uniqueness,” at the Village School in Charlottesville, VA.

PRESENTERS: Eliza O’Connell, Head of School | Village School (USA) and Moshe Khurgel, Ph.D. | Bridgewater College (USA)


Respect Starts Here: Student Discussions to Nurture Empathy and Social Awareness

Respect Starts Here: Listen, Learn, and Act is a program focused on building student leaders, nurturing empathy and understanding by teacher-facilitated, student-led discussions to create informed and educated opinions of challenging real-world situations, events, and topics within a safe-space. Topics and themes involve social justice focusing on, but not limited to: current events, race, gender, class, immigration, sexual orientation etc. Lessons are constructed through a scientific and historical lens with an emphasis on definitions and vocabulary then evaluated using the Social Emotional Learning Standards and aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

PRESENTER: Maria Carrero, Director of Programs | Young Women’s Preparatory Network (USA); Diana O’Connor, Teacher Librarian | Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s School (USA); Esmerelda Martinez, Spanish and Leadership Instructor | Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s School (USA); and Samanths Casas, YWPN Alumna, Class of 2018/Class of 2022 | Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s School/Boston University (USA)


Respect Starts Here: The Value of Partners and Professional Development

Respect Starts Here: Listen, Learn, and Act partners with local organizations to bring Professional Development and Student Workshops to our participating schools. Partners are focused on bringing effective tactics to provide real, hands-on cultural experiences and tools for students and teachers that are in line with the Respect Starts Here and the YWPN mission. Partners focus on social justice, social emotional learning and literacy, personal organizational skills, self-love and compassion, and more. This allows the program to be multi-faceted and contributes to each individual’s growth towards a more understanding and anti-bias society.

PRESENTER: Maria Carrero, Director of Programs | Young Women’s Preparatory Network (USA); Diana O’Connor, Teacher Librarian | Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s School (USA); Esmerelda Martinez, Spanish and Leadership Instructor | Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s School (USA); and Will Richey, Founder & Creative Social Entrepreneur and Alejandro Perez, Creative Content Specialist | Journeyman Ink (USA)


Why Gender Matters

Gender inclusive schools recognize that gender impacts all students, interrupt binary notions of gender, and affirm gender diversity within their communities. As girls’ schools, we have an obligation to lead in this area and take responsibility for what matters: inclusivity and mission-alignment. Miss Porter’s School embarked on this journey through a partnership with Gender Spectrum, a leading resource in gender inclusivity for schools, organizations, and families. Join Porter’s and Gender Spectrum to engage in a discussion about the key questions and trade-offs of doing this work in all-girls’ settings and how we can weave gender inclusive practices into our institutions.

PRESENTERS: Liz Schmitt, Chief Enrollment and Student Affairs Officer and Susan Martell Jenkin, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer | Miss Porter’s School (USA) and Kim Westheimer, Director of Strategic Initiatives | Gender Spectrum (USA)


Youth Participatory Action Research: Asian Students’ Sense of Belonging at a Boarding School

Students engaged in Youth Participatory Action Research will present their research: question posing, data collection through surveys and focus groups, analysis, conclusions, and reporting to school for action. This year’s research involves looking at the experience of international students at a US boarding school—focusing on students from Asian countries—and at the connections between peer culture, student self-confidence, emotional well-being, school culture, and “belonging.”

PRESENTERS: Jessica Watkin, Academic Dean; Olivia Grommers, Class of 2018; and Lydia DiIulio, Class of 2018 | Miss Porter’s School (USA)


INSPIRE! Sessions

Creative Action: Equity and Inclusion Infusion for Long Term Sustainability in Schools

Engage in a creative process developing inclusion strategy that can be embedded into the fabric of your school’s ethos. Participants will engage in honest dialogue about how bias permeates the fabric of organizational culture by utilizing the Social Designs Equity & Inclusion Guide.  You will have a next steps blueprint and tools for starting difficult dialogue at your campus. Participants will learn about successful and creative equity and inclusion models within schools as well as how to leverage leaders, staff, student leaders, and dedicated parents to improve leadership development processes, drive student-success, forge relationships, and ensure alignment between business and equity outcomes.

PRESENTER: Jada Monica Drew, Lead Consultant | Social Designs Consulting  (USA)


Global Authorship: Adding Diversity to the Standard English Canon

Inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TedTalk entitled “The Danger of a Single Story,” I created a project that requires students to think outside of the Standard English Canon. While my curriculum requires that I teach standard texts in a British Literature class—the commonality among which is that they are predominantly written by deceased white males—I have asked students to complete an “Alternative Text Assignment” where they take the themes, lessons, issues, symbols, etc. that they find in common English texts and present a text written by a diverse author that has similar themes, lessons, issues, symbols, etc. The purpose is to show that these greater societal critiques and thematic ideas are not limited to writers of white, Anglo-Saxon heritage, and it allows students to take the opportunity to explore other stories written by authors of diverse backgrounds with a variety of perspectives.

PRESENTER: Allegra O’Neill, English Teacher | Villa Maria Academy High School (USA)


Using Data to Create Inclusive Classrooms

How often do you capitalize on the experiences and unique perspectives of your students? At the core of any inclusive classroom is the routine collection, analysis and response to data by teachers and students. This session will provide attendees with a brief overview on creative ways to use data to create classroom experiences that meet the cultural, linguistic, academic, and social emotional needs of every girl. Learn strategies for building student capacity around owning their data and teacher strategies for capitalizing on what students know to create timely interventions and enrichment opportunities.

PRESENTERS: Emily Zaeske, Director of Special Populations | Public Prep (USA) and Jana Katz, Learning Specialist | Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary (USA)


SNAP! Sessions

#GirlsCAN Make a Difference: Design Thinking that Empowers Girls to Serve

The Innovation and Design Lab at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, LA, has piloted and successfully implemented several service projects with roots in students’ English, Math, Science, Art, and Theology studies. These service projects raise awareness about needs and issues in our local community while also encouraging students to think globally and from multiple perspectives. Those who attend this session will leave with knowledge of how the engineering design process—with its focus on failure, constructive feedback, and iteration—inspires young women to extend their learning beyond the classroom and serve the dear neighbor in a powerful way.

PRESENTERS: Brianna Sommers, Director, Innovation and Design | St. Joseph’s Academy (USA)


Beginnings and the Continuing Journey of Restorative Discipline at Miriam College High School

In the Philippine school system, retribution has been an underlying philosophy in terms of disciplining the youth in which culture and tradition are significant factors. Throughout the years, such philosophy has been deemed ineffective even in terms of implementing the criminal justice system of the country. Hence, human rights advocates in the Philippines began the promotion of restorative discipline, an approach which was adopted by Miriam College’s high school department seven years ago and became the new discipline philosophy embraced by the Committee on Student Affairs. The girls’ individuality plays an important part in the decision making of the committee, especially in terms of helping the students realize their responsibilities or face consequences. The restorative discipline also focuses more on healing relationships more than imposing sanctions which is the core of a retributive discipline system. This session will present the challenges, processes, and directions of the Student Formation program of the school.

PRESENTER: Nancy Roman, Principal | Miriam College (Philippines)


How do Educators Ensure Disadvantage is not a Barrier to Student Achievement?

Many students come from socio-economically deprived backgrounds and can all too often struggle to access education. This session will look at how initiatives in England such as government funding and accountability measures have been put in place to support social mobility and how schools have developed their curriculums, extra-curriculum programmes, school days and routines, and counselling and mentoring to support these young people.

PRESENTER: Sue Higgins, Communications and Research Director | Association of State Girls’ Schools (UK)


One Success Story from Tanzania

The session illustrates vital program elements of the SEGA Girls School in Tanzania impacting the lives of vulnerable girls through bringing to life the experience of one student who was able to change the trajectory of her life through our five-year program. Salient features for reaching vulnerable girls will emerge.

PRESENTER: Susan Hannah, Board Member | Nurturing Minds and the SEGA Girls School (Tanzania)


A Student’s Personal Story of Sexual Identity

In this session Student A describes his transgender experience in an all-girls Middle, Junior and Senior High in England. This session has been co-created with the Student. It describes his perspective of the School’s culture, ethos, policies, procedures, philosophy, and curriculum and how they felt to him as he identified and lived as a male student in an all-girls school. He explains what worked, what challenges he faced, and how student and school staff impacted his journey. The School’s perspective and the personal, social, health, and statutory frameworks and their impact are also shared.

PRESENTER: Sharon Cromie, Executive Headteacher | Wycombe High School Academies Trust (UK)


Students Creating Change

Through stories, we will explore how different students found their voice, built genuine relationships with their local community, and created collaborative change.

PRESENTER: Laura Day, Director of Service Learning | The Hockaday School (USA)