 | | May 2022 Update from Pollyanna | | May 2022 Dear Friend, It is a joy to write to you this month from sunny California! I’ve had a wonderful time connecting with partner schools and friends over the last two weeks in Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of the highlights of this trip was attending the Pollyanna Conference held by the Brentwood School in Los Angeles. Seeing 1200 Brentwood community members engage with each other around the theme of “Creating a Culture of Belonging” was an incredibly uplifting and moving experience. After two years of almost exclusively holding events on Zoom, being able to connect in-person with each other under clear blue skies on Brentwood’s beautiful campus was particularly special. The keynote speaker was the incomparable Charles Vogl, author of The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging and other books that explore how together we can create community spaces that promote an authentic sense of belonging for all members. As Charles so aptly writes in his book: “The first goal [for all people] is to belong, to be welcomed somewhere, and to connect with others.” This idea of belonging, seemingly so basic and straightforward, is at the heart of the challenges school communities have been trying to address for years: How do we ensure there is space for every person and every identity to feel they authentically belong in our school communities? How do we eliminate identity-based marginalization and promote acceptance and inclusion? I am so proud of the Brentwood School, and all of our partner schools, for engaging in these questions and this important work, especially during a time when there are those who would argue that these kinds of conversations don’t belong in schools. I will admit that, over the past two years, there have been times when these arguments against the work of creating authentic belonging for students have been discouraging and painful. However, being present at Brentwood was a total reaffirmation of our conference models and our mission. It left me feeling energized and positive about Pollyanna’s role in helping to build stronger communities, communities of authentic belonging, in future years. Warmly, | |  | | | | | | |  | | High School Curriculum & PD Launch | | | |  | | High School Curriculum Review on May 5 with NYSAIS Julia Kingsdale, Project Manager & Editor for Pollyanna’s High School Curriculum, will lead attendees through the curriculum's structure, scope, and sequence and preview activities from each of the eight subject areas. Click here to sign up! | | |  | | Last Teen Pollyanna's Meeting on Meeting Teens, join us for our LAST group of the school year! We have special guest, Bill Konigsberg, the award-winning author of six YA novels, including "The Porcupine of Truth" and "Openly Straight." Teens s ign up under Announcements below. | | | |  | | We Kick Off a New Cohort on May 4 This 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. | | | | | | | | | | Upcoming Workshops & Discussions 5-4-22 through 6-15-22 -- 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. 5-5-22 NYSAIS High School Racial Literacy Curriculum Review Julia Kingsdale, Project Manager & Editor for Pollyanna’s Curriculum, will lead attendees through the curriculum's structure, scope, and sequence and preview activities from each of the eight subject areas. There will also be an opportunity for educators to ask questions about how to implement the curriculum in their classrooms. Please register here. And click here to download the free curriculum. 5-14-22 -- Teen Pollyanna Free Monthly Discussion with Guest Bill Konigsberg If you're 13-18 years old and would like to learn more about DEIB, please join us to meet YA author Bill Konigsberg and other teens committed to building more inclusive communities. In 2018, The National Council of Teachers of English Assembly on Literature for Adolescents established the Bill Konigsberg Award for Acts and Activism for Equity and Inclusion through Young Adult Literature. Join is for this special Teen Pollyanna meeting. Click here to learn more and register. 5-18-22 -- MaPaGa+ABCs of Race-Conscious Parenting with Jacqueline Nelson Join us at noon ET for the last 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 more and register. 6-4-22 through 7-13-22 -- PD for Pollyanna's 8 High School Racial Literacy Subjects Summer Professional Development with Pollyanna at NYSAIS Reach Out if We Can Be of Help | | | | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | |
