 | | February 2021 Update from Pollyanna | | February 2021 We are excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Pollyanna website! We hope our streamlined look will help us advance our mission of developing stronger communities even more. The new website will give visitors clearer, more direct access to descriptions of our offerings, including conferences, workshops, assessments, and our K-8 Racial Literacy Curriculum. Many thanks to Kathy Chan, Anthony Kapp, and Chelsea Schuster for all of their hard work and creativity. We hope you will take a few moments to visit and acquaint yourself with the new site. This month also marks the release of Pollyanna Position Paper IV: “Looking for a Partner” - Successes, Challenges, and Leading the Way Towards Racial Justice in Schools. In the edition, DEI Directors assess the progress, obstacles, and way forward for schools at the midway point of this very unique school year. In the process, they also offer insightful advice about the importance of leadership and clear communication in the work of racial justice. We are grateful to the many DEI directors in the Pollyanna network who responded to our survey. We hope this paper finds its way to the center of conversations and efforts to move schools forward. It goes without saying that the first month of 2021 likely felt no less tumultuous than most of 2020. Still, amidst the violent insurrection and the continued spread of Covid-19, there was hope to be found in new leaders and promising treatments and vaccines. In these new developments, to say we were beyond thrilled to see a Black, Indian-American, woman sworn in as Vice President would be something of an understatement. Yet, in the spirit of racial justice and equity needing to be a fully multi-racial movement, we wanted to share an article by one of our favorite educators, Ali Michael, Ph.D., called Happy First Second Gentlemen’s Day! In all her joy about the inauguration of Vice President Harris, Michael also pauses to recognize the potentially enormous importance of our First Second Gentlemen, Doug Emhoff: “I want my white son to have lots of models of what it looks like to live in loving relationship, to have a partner he respects and supports, to feel respected and supported by his partner, to live for a community that is bigger than himself, to work to guarantee the rights of people who are different from him, to see the interconnectedness between himself and all other people. I am grateful for our First Second Gentleman today, in all his humble self-awareness. It gives me hope that more white boys will see Emhoff and similarly grow up to be part of healthy multiracial communities in which their role is crucial, even if it’s not the lead.” May Black History Month and the rest of 2021 be filled with respect, support, interconnectedness, and great role models. All best, | |  | | | | | | |  | | Pollyanna's 5-Part Series Join us for “Showing Up & Standing Up: A 5-Part Journey Towards Antiracism for White Families” series. Participants will understand race as a social and political construct, learn how whiteness was constructed in the US, and begin to unpack and understand their own racial identity in the context of US history. See information in Announcements below. | | | |  | | Schools Partners We are honored to have worked with these schools and associations in January. Thank you for the partnership! | | |  | | SAIS Sponsor We’re a proud sponsor of the SAIS Diversity Practitioners Institute, which brings together those doing the work of DEI at southern independent schools. Sessions will offer best practices and strategic discussions for both experienced practitioners and those new to the role. The Institute takes place virtually February 9-10. Learn more and register at sais.org/dpi | | | |  | | Pollyanna Intern Destynee's video on our Instagram shares why she's committed to advancing DEI with Pollyanna. We're so happy to have her! | | | | | | | | | | | Welcome to the Pollyanna Family! Join us in welcoming our new school partners: Presidio Hill School in CA, Seven Hills School in CA and St. Benedict's Episcopal School in GA. Professional Development Offerings with Lead Pollyanna K-8 Curriculum Developer Monique Vogelsang Click on the title for more information and to register. Please share! Showing Up and Standing Up: A 5-Part Journey Towards Antiracism for White Families with Pollyanna Facilitators Jay Golon and Jessy Molina 20 January 2021, 7PM ET, “I don’t really see race...” - Examining White Identity - completed 17 February 2021, 7PM ET, “I’m the least racist person…” - Unpacking White Privilege and Power 10 March 2021, 7PM ET, “I don’t want to say the wrong thing…” - Navigating Conversations about Race 14 April 2021, 7PM ET, “I feel like I don’t know how to help...” - What Does it Mean to be an Ally, Accomplice and Co-Conspirator? 12 May 2021, 7PM ET, “I just want to do the right thing...“ - Committing to an Antiracist Life We Can Be of Help in 2021 with the Following: Upcoming Virtual School Conferences April 10, 2021: Westover School in Connecticut will host its first Pollyanna Conference. April 24, 2021: Ravenscroft School in North Carolina will host its first Pollyanna Conference May 1, 2021: The Wheeler School in Rhode Island will host its second Pollyanna Conference. May 8, 2021: The Dalton School in New York will host its eleventh Pollyanna Conference. Pollyanna Pop-Up Forums: Based on the attendance and success of a recent forum for educators led by Monique Vogelsang entitled Processing January 6th, we are going to move our forums to a pop-up model. When an important issue or question arises, we will blast out an email to our network with details about how to take part in the conversation. We hope this model will allow us to be responsive and timely in a world of quickly evolving issues. As always, participation will be free. We hope to see you in a future conversation! | | | | | | | 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 © 2020 Pollyanna | 10075, New York, NY 10075 | | | | | | | |
