Diversity Day

April 6, 2017

What is Diversity Day?

Mission Statement: Pathways Academy of Technology and Design has a goal to prepare students to function effectively in a global community. Furthermore as an educational institution, Pathways cannot ignore the background and perspectives of its students and must attempt to promote an atmosphere that benefits and ensures the success of all its learners. In order to address these meaningful components of the school's diverse population, Diversity Day has been planned.

Who goes to Diversity Day?

● The day will be a school-wide event with focus on the value diversity holds for the individual and for the community.

● All grades will attend and participate in Diversity Day

Diversity Day 2017 8:30 – 9:10 Session 1 [40 minutes]

Transition Time [5 minutes]

9:15-10:05 Session 2 [50 minutes]

Transition Time [5 minutes]

10:10 – 10:50 Session 3 [40 minutes]

Agenda

Goal: Go over the session descriptions with your advisory classmates in order to select your top 5

You have worksheets for the sessions, circle the ones you're interested in as we go.

Sessions

● Protecting Yourself from Bigotry: Roger Brewer grew up in rural Georgia as a sharecropper at a time when racial segregation was required by law. At Diversity Day, he and his daughter, Nicole will teach others how to protect themselves from bigotry.

● Living with a Disability: As a legally blind man, Mr. Gregoire will tell us about the gradual loss of his eyesight and how his family and workplace have helped him adapt and thrive.

Sessions

● Rise Above It: As an African American male in a senior leadership role at a financial institution, Mr. Davis will speak on finding motivation, being authentic to yourself, and being able to celebrate your differences.

● Take Control of Your World: Mr. Prager will share anecdotes of decades of living with obesity, followed by decades of sustaining a 155-pound loss. At this session you will talk about the importance of the daily choices you make to build your world.

Sessions

● Sex & Violence in Religion: Looking through the lens of multiple religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Native American teachings; Rev. Dr. Williams' session will discuss the similarities and differences in our cultures.

● "True Islam": With many misconceptions about Islam, Ms. Chaudhry will be breaking it down in 10 points to educate students on what True Islam really is.

Sessions

● Succeeding in Your Own Way: Mr. Brown of MetroHartford Alliance will use his session as an open dialogue about being happy AND successful, even if you take a non-traditional career path.

● Be All Of Who You Are: There are a lot of Transgender people who present in one persona and pretty much ignore and/or deny the existence of another. This speaker is not one of them.

Sessions● Bridging the Gap Between Police & Urban

Teens: This session will discuss the relationship between teens and law enforcement which has been a controversial topic for awhile and is at the forefront of the nation's consciousness.

● LGBTQ History: Did you know there was a transgender Roman emperor? Or that some of the first blues singers were bi? LGBTQ history is hidden in plain sight in every corner of the world. Come learn the fascinating true stories your teacher never told you!

Sessions

● Stand Out with Your Personal Brand Statement: Unique qualities have a large impact when it comes to getting accepted into college, recognized in an organization, or selected for a future job opportunity. Ms. Savage will be discussing the importance of recognizing what makes us so different, capturing our uniqueness with effective personal brand statements and navigating the do’s and don’ts of personal branding.

● From Color Blind to Color Brave: Are you overlooked because of your age, race, gender, or your faith? Do you feel like your voice is lost in a crowd? Join me for a conversation about true power, courage, hope, and bravery.

Sessions● Do YOU know what LGBTQIAP+ stands for? Come learn

about gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, how they relate, and how you can get more involved and be a better ally to the queer community. We will discuss labels and experiences, with time for a brief Q&A!

● Making Hard Choices: Making major decisions at a young age is never easy, especially when you’re a pregnant teenager abandoned by your parents. Ms. White has come to talk about how those hard choices were always centered around the welfare of her child. Despite the hardship, she still got an education and feels her success daily.

Sessions

● My Multicultural Self: In this workshop participants will examine their personal cultural identities and how they shape who they are. A discussion of pertinent definitions and an interactive activity of self-reflection will take place with the aim to make participants more culturally aware.

● Living with an Invisible Disability: Ms. Bloomquist grew up with parents with mental illness and battled with her own depression and anxiety growing up. In her session she will talk about surviving and thriving, and the importance of finding your “tribe” in life, those people who support you and accept you for who you are.

Sessions● Beauty Standards in the Media: How does the media and the

Beauty Myth impact the way girls and women are perceived in society? This workshop will introduce and explore the concept of the Beauty Myth. We will also engage in a review of various types of images that have shaped how women in American society see themselves and are perceived by boys and men

● Immigration & Human Rights: Amidst all the controversy dealing with immigrants, it is important that we as Americans understand that there needs to be peace and justice for all, especially as a country that was built by immigrants. Human rights is not a privilege it's the foundation of our humanity regardless of one’s background.

Sessions

● Designing Opportunity: Right now, the design field in particular is trying to deal with a lack of diversity, since studies show that students of color don’t enter the design field as often, are more likely to be underpaid, and women usually are not in leadership roles in the design field. This discussion will explore why those statistics are important and how to make changes for those who are underrepresented.

● Youth Empowerment: Interested in giving back to your community and learning how to mentor and empower our youth to believe in themselves and work to change their communities? Spend this session playing games and learning through experiences so you realize your own potential to empower other youth in your community!

Sessions

● Underrepresented: This United States Marine Corps vet and is here to talk about woman within our military and government and how underrepresented they are in these fields.

● Deciding to Succeed: You don't have to be Oprah or Michael Jordan to be successful. As a woman of color growing up in the north end, Ms. Emanuel will discuss her path to success.

Sessions

● Multiculturalism & Cultural Identity: The former mayor of Hartford is here to offer his unique perspective on work and life experience . This session will encourage students to challenge themselves through obstacles, learn new languages, travel and serve.

● Healthy, Safe, Happy: Come chat with Damon Gibbs from Planned Parenthood for a session free of judgment where you can learn about healthy and safe relationships in a space where it's okay to ask questions.

Sessions

● Real Life Advice on Success: This session will touch on becoming the most powerful version of yourself. Come hear some good music and hear stories you wouldn't believe are actually real!!

● Diversity As an Asset: What turns a challenge into an opportunity is how you react to being "different" and your commitment to staying true to yourself. Ms. Bergeron will share her experiences to walk us through embracing our diversity.

Sessions

● Social Media vs. The Real World: Do Facebook, Snapchat and other social media platforms change how we interact with reality?

● Self Acceptance & Self-Esteem: Do you feel like you have to hide who you are when you're with your friends or other people? Come to this session to talk about the power of your individuality and the power of accepting yourself.

Sessions

● Let’s Talk About Race: In this interactive workshop, students will have an opportunity to discuss race, racism and privilege. Our goal is to provide a space for white students and students of color to listen and to share their experiences so that we can all increase our understanding of—and commitment to end—racism.

Sign up for YOUR top choices!

Now that you’ve gone over each session, it’s time to pick which ones you ACTUALLY WANT TO GO TO.

Number Your Top 5 choices (You will only end up in THREE) so that I can place you where you want to go.

REMEMBER: Your first and second choices are where you DEFINITELY WANT TO GO. The higher the number, the less likely you are to attend the session.

Questions?Homework:

1. Select Songs for the Spring Fling (DECADES) Dance!

2. Take the Dating Violence

Awareness Survey http://tinyurl.com/datingviolencepatd

Email Ms. Usher for more details or more information.

chelsea.usher@ hartfordschools.org