| | | | | Dear Friend, As we step into this new year, everyone at Pollyanna is filled with hope and renewed purpose. January offers a chance to reflect on the road we’ve traveled and to envision the path ahead. At the heart of our journey is one simple and profound goal: Building Stronger and Kinder Communities. Every connection, every act of kindness, brings us closer to a world where compassion and collaboration are the norm. Over the past year, we’ve seen the power of these values firsthand and have laid the foundation for lasting change, and there’s still so much more we can do. In 2025, we invite you to continue this journey with us. Let’s create a future where kindness is not just an idea but a way of life. Wishing you a very Happy New Year! With gratitude and hope for the year ahead, | |  | | | | | New Workshop - Your Values Are Not Partisan: Honoring Your Mission Within a Divided Community The results of the election reveal a sharply divided country––with people managing that division in increasingly hostile ways. Join Jan Abernathy and Jason Craige Harris on January 14 to learn how to reinforce your community values and maintain civil discourse regardless of what students see in the wider world. Learn more and register here. This workshop is not part of our 2024-25 Series. | | | | Pollyanna Introduces New K-8 Lessons We're excited to introduce our 2025 Extension Lessons - nine new lessons, with ready-to-go slide decks and speaker notes for ease of teaching with lesson instructions, scenarios embedded at the end of each deck with guidance, and an FAQ on navigating challenging questions and scenarios. All of which are still free. Join Samantha Hosein on January 23 as she reviews these new materials which will plant seeds that will deepen cultural competence and encourage kindness, bravery, and empathy in our school communities. | | | | PTC January Meetup Calling on teens to join us for a meaningful conversation about the systemic challenges impacting education equity on January 26, with Jackson Collins, Interim CEO of Prep for Prep. Pollyanna Teen Council provides 13-to 18-year-old students with an unforgettable journey of discovery and connection through meaningful dialogue on important topics. Each monthly meetup on Zoom features a new special guest. Email us at info@pollyanna-us.org if you'd like to join! | | | | Pollyanna 2024-25 Workshop Series Kick off the new year with our line-up of outstanding January workshops. Explore strategies for addressing racial battle fatigue and cultivating joy with Janet Stickmon, learn how to ground your school’s strategic narrative in community voices with Jacqueline Nelson and Jay Golon, and discover the enduring importance of inclusive curriculum with Sam Hosein. Learn more and register here. | | | | | | PTC Highlights from Metaracism At our December Pollyanna Teen Council meet-up, Tricia Rose, author of Metaracism, emphasized the importance of understanding systemic relationships, highlighting how interconnected structures, rather than isolated events, drive larger societal impacts like metaracism. Rose encouraged teens to prioritize curiosity and depth in their learning over quick results or superficial achievements. She also advocated for staying true to one’s values and individuality, noting that authenticity leads to stronger relationships and better outcomes. | | | | | | Confronting History at The Jewish Museum Pollyanna welcomed a group of friends at The Jewish Museum for a tour of “Draw Them In, Paint Them Out.” Learning about our history is a core tenant of the work we do at Pollyanna. Our history certainly comes in many forms. Art being one. This art blends grotesque humor with raw emotion and challenges us to face uncomfortable truths about race, power, and society. The exhibit is open through March 30. | | | | | | Strategenius Sponsors Pollyanna Workshops Pollyanna is thrilled to welcome another outstanding organization as a 2024-25 Workshop Series sponsor—Strategenius! Strategenius helps schools find the best candidates to advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments and support their efforts to increase representation within faculty, staff, and leadership. Learn more about their work here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Would You Like Join Our Roster of Pollyanna Facilitators? The Pollyanna Workshop Series launched in 2023-24 and has offered over 30 workshops for schools across the country. The theme for our Summer Series 2025 is: Renewing Your Commitment to Your School’s Mission and Values. The workshops should be geared to faculty, administrators, development, communications or admissions departments. All workshops will take place beginning in July and ending in August 2025, between Tuesday and Thursday at noon ET / 9AM PT on Zoom and run one hour each. If you are interested in facilitating a workshop, please submit your proposal(s) by January 10. Thank you! Join Us in Alabama Pollyanna’s 2024 Strategic Plan calls us to “create more events that are educational, special, and intimate.” In this spirit, we are proud to invite you to the first Pollyanna Civil Rights Trip in Alabama. Even for those of us who have been raised with the lessons and stories of the Civil Rights movement, there is no substitute for walking in the footsteps of the people who sacrificed so much to change our country and our world for the better. The trip will take place from April 1-3 2025, will only be open to 20-25 people, and will be led by Pollyanna Speaker and Educator, Jason Craige Harris, and Pollyanna Trustee and Educator, Mia Burton. Each stop on the trip will provide opportunities for learning, discussion, and connection with how we might affirm and make relevant the themes of the Civil Rights Movement in our everyday lives. The lessons of the Civil Rights movement have never been more prescient. Click here to learn more about this trip and register. | | | | | | | | | We asked attendees of our Summer Series 2024 and Workshop Series 2024-25 to tell us what they thought. Here are a few of their comments: - Pollyanna never disappoints!
- I appreciated having the power of visual art included in this series.
- Thank you for the wide range of topics.
- Great series, very user-friendly and filled with actionable options and materials.
- Thanks for creating this Workshop Series!
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Pollyanna, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation 501(c)(3). © 2025 Pollyanna | New York, NY 10075 | | | | | | | |
