 | | April 2022 Update from Pollyanna | | April 2022 Dear Friend, Happy Spring! It’s the time of year for new beginnings and hope. With that in mind, we wanted to let you know we just introduced Pollyanna PD-X. We believe the most effective professional development happens when opportunities to learn are thoughtfully crafted, connected to each other, and deeply rooted in shared values. Read on to learn how we can work together to help achieve your DEIB goals. Our High School Racial Literacy Curriculum launches this month, and subject overview sessions begin on April 23 with Advisory and Health & Wellness. It’s had a tremendous buzz since it was announced in 2020. The Curriculum integrates topics of racial justice into rigorous content designed for high school instruction in eight different subject areas: (Advisory, Art, Biology, English, Health & Wellness, History, Math, Technology). Sign up for one or all of the sessions. Teen Pollyanna has two more free sessions this school year. This group consists of incredible 13 to 18-year-old student leaders, from NY to LA, who come together monthly on Zoom. The meetings run for 90 minutes and start with a Q&A with an invited guest. In April, Specialist at USAID Scott Warren will join us, and in May, YA author Bill Konigsberg will be our last guest of the school year. Guests join us for 20-30 minutes and the rest of the time is spent brainstorming ideas, debriefing school events and activities, and being together as a community. Please invite your teens to join us! Our first free event with RIISE is a special author evening. Join us for a conversation with Mark Robinson and Raymond Smaltz, III, who will talk about their book, "Place of Privilege." Mark and Ray are among the very first young Black men to attend The Dalton School. Their book tells the story about what happened to the Black boys placed into this strange new world without any support system or rules of engagement. Click here to reserve your spot on April 11 at 7PM on Zoom. As we were putting the finishing touches on this newsletter, we learned the state of Florida passed the Parental Rights in Education, better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law. Under this legislation, LGBTQIA+ children, teachers, and families in Florida would be prohibited from showing up as themselves in their school communities. They are being told that, under possible penalty of law, their identities do not belong in Florida schools. This was unacceptable when it was called “Jim Crow.” It remains unacceptable now. Please consider visiting the ACLU website to learn more about anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation being considered across the country. Warmly, | |  | | | | | | |  | | High School Subject Reviews Launch As we launch our High School Racial Literacy Curriculum, join us for our upcoming Racial Literacy Curriculum workshops reviewing our new Advisory and Health & Wellness lesson plans, today’s most pressing social issues. Taking place on April 23 at 12:30PM & 2:30PM ET. Click to register for the HS Review. | | | |  | | Bring a Coffee and Join Us on April 11 at Noon ET Join Jacqueline Nelson, former kindergarten teacher, DEIB educator, and mom of two as she creates community and supports participants in learning how to talk about race with each other and with their children. Click to register for MaPaGa. | | | |  | | RIISE & Pollyanna Host Author Night on April 11 Join us for a conversation with Mark Robinson and Raymond Smaltz, III. Mark and Ray are among the very first young Black men to attend The Dalton School. Their book tells the story about what happened to the Black boys placed into this strange new world, without support system or rules of engagement. Monday, April 11 at 7PM ET via Zoom. No cost to attend. | | |  | Teen Pollyanna's April 9 Meeting Share with the 13 to 18-year-olds in your life so they can join us for an in-depth Q&A with Scott Warren, the Youth Civic/Political Engagement and Leadership Specialist at USAID. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about advocating and advancing a cause you care about, followed by a group discussion on pledge projects. Teens sign up under Announcements. | | | |  | | We Kick Off a New Cohort on April 6 This 4-part series on race and racism will empower and support you to show up and stand up for racial justice in meaningful ways. It will support you to learn more about white people’s roles and responsibilities in working for racial justice. Click here to join Jay and Jessy. | | | |  | | LAST K-8 Curriculum Review of this School Year Join us on January 29, 2022 for the last session of the year to learn what our curriculum is all about, how to introduce it at your school, and how to invite parents into the conversation. This workshop is appropriate for K-8 faculty, curriculum advisors, and administrators. Click to register for the K-8 Review. | | | | | | | | | | Upcoming Workshops & Discussions 4-6-22 through 5-18-22 -- Showing Up and Standing Up with Jay Golon and Jessy Molina Join us for the 3rd cohort in this 4-part series: A Journey Towards Antiracism for White Adults. This series on race and racism will empower and support you to show up and stand up for racial justice in meaningful ways. Please click here for more information and to register. 4-9-22 -- Teen Pollyanna Free Monthly Discussion with Guest Scott Warren If you're 13-18 years old and would like to learn more about DEIB, please join us to meet Scott Warren the Youth Civic/Political Engagement and Leadership Specialist at USAID. Click here to learn more and register. 4-9-22 -- 3-Hour K-8 Racial Literacy Curriculum Overview PD with Jason Craige Harris - LAST ONE FOR SCHOOL YEAR Join us for an interactive 3-hour overview and in-depth discussion of Pollyanna's free K-8 Racial Literacy Curriculum. This session is a great introduction for faculty/admin or for new faculty/admin, if your school has already implemented the curriculum. 4-11-22 -- MaPaGa+ABCs of Race-Conscious Parenting with Jacqueline Nelson Join us at noon ET for a new workshop for parents/guardians of children four years and younger. Jacqueline Nelson, former kindergarten teacher, DEIB educator, and mom of a two-year-old, will create connections and community for families with young children and teach the group how to talk about race with each other and with their children. Click here to learn about the sessions and register. 4-11-22 -- RIISE & Pollyanna Host the Authors of "Place of Privilege" Join us for a free discussion with authors Mark Robinson and Raymond Smaltz, III. In the mid-1960s, Dalton reached out to previously unfamiliar communities of color and for the first time actively recruited minority students. Mark and Ray are among the very first young Black men to attend Dalton. “Place Of Privilege” tells the story about what happened to the Black boys placed into this strange new world, without any support system or rules of engagement. 4-23-22 -- High School Racial Literacy Subject Sessions Begin with Advisory and Health & Wellness The writers of Pollyanna’s High School Racial Literacy Curriculum are excited to offer a series of workshops covering each of their subjects in depth. During each workshop, the curriculum writers will walk participants through the scope of their subject-specific lessons, facilitate an activity from their curriculum, and answer educators’ questions. Join us for one or all! Please click here for subject reviews: Advisory – 23 April 2022, Health & Wellness – 23 April 2022, English – 7 May 2022, History – 7 May 2022, Technology – 4 June 2022, Art – 4 June 2022, Math – 11 June 2022, and Biology – 11 June 2022. Intra- and Multi-School Conferences Pollyanna offers two conference models that can be hosted at school or on Zoom: the Multi-School Conference and the Intra-School Conference. Each has the goal of creating a stronger community and generating Actionable Ideas. Click here for more information. St. Luke's School, New Canaan, CT, April 2022 Brentwood School, Los Angeles, CA, April 2022 Dalton School, New York, NY, May 2022 Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, NC, May 2022 Reach Out if We Can Be of Help and | | | | | | | | | MISSION Pollyanna advances systemic change by developing stronger communities. STRATEGY Pollyanna works with academic and other institutions to achieve their diversity, equity and inclusion goals. Through its unique conference models, discussion platforms, and racial literacy curricula, Pollyanna increases cultural competence. | | | | | | | | | | Pollyanna, Inc. is a NY not-for-profit corporation 501(c)(3). Louisa Wells: Design © 2022 Pollyanna | 10075, New York, NY 10075 | | | | | | | |
