| November 2022 Dear Friend, We will soon enter that time of the year when many of us spend more time with family and friends to celebrate secular and religious holidays. Many people refer to the upcoming months as the “season of giving.” And, yes, this time of year often asks us to reflect upon what it might mean to be generous in a complicated world filled with much need. But what if we reframed our thinking about these months? Instead of viewing it as an island within a longer calendar year, what if we used this time of celebration, family, and connection to center ourselves, find peace and calm amidst the bustle of life, and position ourselves to possess a spirit of generosity all year long? In Japanese culture, there is a concept called Ikigai. This concept essentially means “live and reason,” and can be thought of as encapsulating a person’s motivation on a daily basis. To find one’s ikigai is to discover and adhere closely to the values, practices, and relationships that help you to find purpose and follow your life’s motivation. The article linked above describes the 5 pillars of ikigai, which are: No one needs reminding about how the events of the last few years have knocked some of us off of our centers. Many of us feel a little more vulnerable, a little less in control of the circumstances around us. As the holiday season ramps up the stress of travel, expectations, and tending to relationships, what if we all gave ourselves the gift of a little ikigai? The idea of ikigai seems so powerful on an individual level, but it also can work on a community level. Pollyanna’s ikigai is to work for greater racial justice, equity, and belonging for all people. Taking on this monumental task requires being rooted in each of the five pillars listed above. Whether we are starting small, finding joy in small steps, or being present; I am proud of and grateful for how each member of the Pollyanna team and community contributes to our overarching goal. While we find ourselves entering a season of celebration and generosity in a world that feels less and less stable, our individual and collective ikigai offers us a road map for navigating the world as the best versions of ourselves. | |
 | | Keynote Nzinga Shaw Set the Tone “We are proud to have hosted our 6th Pollyanna Conference, Teamwork is the Heartbeat: Building Communities of Inclusion Through Collaboration. It is an important part of working towards our DEI goals, and we are enriched by having so many of our peer schools in Los Angeles come to campus to engage in the work.” Jon Carroll, MS Coordinator of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Dean Harvard-Westlake, Los Angeles, CA | | | |  | | Mark Your Calendars - November 19 Join us for a special discussion with Schuyler Bailar this month! We come together for monthly discussions to learn how the student voice matters. Sign up on our page to receive the Zoom link. | | |  | | A 4-Part Series with 4 Insightful Professionals Join us for a master class where we will examine Admission and Enrollment through an Equity Lens. Topics highlighted include: evaluating the admission process for bias; examining DEIB values and narratives; communicating your school’s mission with an equity lens; and elevating the DEI partnership. | | | |  | | Embracing Humility, Empathy and Curiosity "Jason Craige Harris's presentation integrated storytelling, humor, and lively audience participation as he challenged each of us to consider our impact with the question, 'If you are not changing the world, then what are you doing?'" Dr. Alain Sykes, Dean of Equity and Social Impact Drew School, San Francisco, CA | | | |
