MAY 2024

Two Compelling Opportunities to Consider

2024-25 School Membership for Pollyanna Teen Council

As a Member School, you are welcome to send as many students (13-18 years old) as you'd like, and every student is welcome to any of our meet-ups for the school year! Learn More About Teen Council Here

2024 Summer Workshop Series for Administrators, Faculty, Parents and Trustees

If you loved our 2023-34 Workshops Series (2 more to go!), don't miss the Summer Series! One price for all 12 workshops for your whole community. Click to learn more and secure your spot today.

LOOKING BACK

4/6/24: New City School's Conference in St. Louis

New City School in St. Louis hosted peer schools for their 2nd Pollyanna Conference: Conversations that Build a Stronger Community. Keynote Liz Kleinrock, a teacher and author of Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to AntiBias and AntiRacist Work in Your School Community, shared her wisdom on identity-based issues and the importance of anti-bias and antiracist work in schools. Liz set the tone for a day of discussion and community building. We loved collaborating with HoS Alexis Wright and DEI Dir Jonelle Harris!

4/14/24: Naledi Semela Speaks with Teen Council

Pollyanna Teen Council welcomed Naledi Semela, Director of Equitable Practices and Social Impact at the Browning School in NY. The discussion focused on Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation and how to embody the latter. One piece of advice he left the Teen Council with — “The world is an exciting place and there is so much to learn and appreciate. Don’t walk on eggshells and don’t shut down your own curiosity out of a fear of appropriation.”

4/17/24: Melissa Mirza on Affinity Spaces

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Melissa Mirza's informative workshop: The Need for Affinity: The Purpose of Affinity Spaces in a Challenging Climate.

Affinity spaces can take many forms and are crucial to nurturing positive identity development. Check out some of the key takeaways from this informative session on our LinkedIn here.

4/27/24: Parker Hosts Again

Francis Parker School in San Diego hosted its 3rd Pollyanna Conference -- Belonging: Consciously Cultivating Community. Keynote Jason Craige Harris opened the day explaining how our desire to belong and our tendency to other are in tension with each other. The discussions that followed focused on how to make schools more inclusive for all community members. It was great partnering again with Christen Tedrow-Harrison, Parker's Head of Belonging.

LOOKING AHEAD

5/5/24: Pollyanna Teen Council: Starts With Us

All 13-18 year olds -- please join us on May 5 for our last meet-up of the school year -- Making Space for Differing Opinions with Starts with Us. Starts With Us empowers the 87% of Americans frustrated with extreme political and cultural divisions with the skills to engage across our differences and move our country forward.

This is one you won't want to miss this election year. Click here to learn more.

5/8/24: Upcoming Workshop with Jaci Nelson

Join Jaci Nelson on May 8 for Wonders Never Cease: Anti-Bias Education in Early Childhood. In this workshop, participants will consider the social science implications as it pertains to identity development and learn practical strategies for setting a strong anti-bias education (ABE) foundation. Click here to learn more and register your school today.

RESOURCES

Civic Life Project’s Video Storytelling Curriculum

Civic Life Project (CLP) is a nonpartisan organization that empowers and advances youth civic engagement using video storytelling, nurturing Democracy for generations to come. The organization was founded by two Emmy Award documentary filmmakers and educators as a unique educational initiative to inspire students to learn about civics and to actively participate in the democratic process through documentary filmmaking. In partnership with the National Council for Social Studies, CLP is offering, free of charge, Citizenship in Action, a semester long civics and digital storytelling curriculum for high school students. CLP will offer on a fee basis virtual PD and technical assistance. For more information go to our website or contact Catherine Tatge, Executive Director, ctatge@civiclifeproject.org.

ENDORSEMENT

"Pollyanna has supported City and Country School for a number of years, by developing and leading specific trainings for teachers, parents, and trustees. I’ve been so impressed by how well Pollyanna partners with our school leaders to tailor learning experiences specific to each group. Pollyanna has helped us make steady progress on our DEIB goals."

– Frank Patti, Head of School, City & Country, NYC

FOLLOW POLLYANNA

Pollyanna, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation 501(c)(3).

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