Inclusive Community Building: A January 2022 Update

Two students wearing glasses across from each other at a table, one on the left with a mask on and hand up ready to clap, on the right one unmasked smiling clapping

A January 2022 update from the School of Education's Director of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Tammy Ellis-Robinson:

Greetings School of Education Community,

As we begin the spring semester, we have a number of details to share about initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in the School of Education.

  • The School's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice work is now reflected on our website! Connect with us there, provide feedback, and continue to learn about faculty and student research projects, upcoming events and opportunities, and a new student blog, Catskill Voices.
     
  • Catskill Voices is a new student blog housed on the DEIJ section of the School’s website. We are looking for SOE student bloggers, so please share the call for student blog submissions with students across the School so we can all hear and learn from the unique voices that shape our community.
     
  • Book Club brings opportunities for discussion and reflection on our community, ourselves, and our work. This semester we will read Teaching for Community by bell hooks. SOE faculty, staff, and students are invited to engage with us. Meetings are monthly on Fridays 1-2pm on 2/4, 2/4, 4/1, 4/29. Learn more about the book club.
     
  • Town Hall Discussions provide an opportunity to discuss issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the fields of Education and Mental Health and the fostering of a Beloved Community in the School of Education among faculty, staff, and students. We will continue our discussions from last semester when we found several points of shared understanding and uncovered other questions and ideas related to emotional wellness and school practice, as well as exploring building a space where we care for one another and ideas for ways to do this. All voices are welcome and encouraged to participate. Upcoming Town Halls include Building a Beloved Community in the SOE on 2/2 at 7:30pm and 4/14 from 12-1pm; and Equity and Social Justice in Education and Mental Health on 3/10 from 12-1pm. Town Hall details are posted under Opening Listening Sessions.
     
  • In the spirit of our Beloved Community, Human Development Club and the Dean's Office DEIJ taskforce welcomed faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff to come create vision boards and get to know one another in a hybrid event on February 7 at 8pm.
     
  • The Touhey Family Fellows are gearing up for an active spring with school visits, connections with faculty and research. They will gather to further engage in the Freedom Dreaming Project and will begin leading sessions to explore Freedom Dreams with Human Development Club, local schools, and others in the School of Education in March.
     
  • New York State's Council for Exceptional Children (NYSCEC) Future Forward Student Conference will be held at University at Albany and presented in partnership with the Division of Special Education on 4/8-4/9. The goal of the conference is to create opportunities for pre-service education students to share learning outcomes from self-directed research projects, network with other professionals in NYS as well as connect with other pre-service teachers. The event will include sessions appropriate for all educators and CTLE credit available. Read the Call for Student Posters.