First Annual Education for Social Justice Conference Brings Hope for Change in Schools
The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont and partner organizations* hosted its first annual statewide Education for Social Justice conference on Saturday, April 1st at White River Valley High School in South Royalton. The theme was “Reimagining Schools, Connecting Communities”. There were 250 in-person attendees and about 25 virtual attendees.
The conference was in honor of disability rights activist Deborah Lisi-Baker, who passed away suddenly in March of last year. The conference was free to attend and open to educators, students, parents/caregivers and community organizers who are working towards justice in our schools. There were hybrid options available. They provided childcare and help with carpooling. It was an example of what it can look like to truly prioritize accessibility.
Providence Student Union, an organization based in Rhode Island that empowers students to become powerful advocates for their own education and well-being keynoted sharing about sharing about their youth-led campaigns for justice in schools including ending high-stakes testing throughout Rhode Island, expanding free transportation for thousands of students, and launching Providence’s first Ethnic Studies courses.
The 26 workshops offered were led by youth, local organizations, and educators throughout the state. Randolph Union High School students shared about “Microaggressions: Intent vs. Impact”. Youth organizers with Outright Vermont gave workshops on “Queering Up History” and “Racialized Gender Stereotypes and Dynamics”. There was a hybrid panel about furthering education justice through school boards. Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie, professor at UVM, gave a workshop on disability pride. Winooski youth gave a workshop on intergenerational trauma. There was a workshop where participants built their dream classrooms using boxes and craft supplies.
U-32 student, Kai, designed a collaborative poem that people contributed to by responding to a prompt. “Freedom is a future that belongs to me”, is an excerpt from the end of the poem. The conference came to a close with a performance by hip-hop activist group, Rebel Diaz.
Read about the 2023 conference in the White River Valley Herald.
*Education Justice Coalition partner organizations include: The Vermont Educators of Color Association, UP for Learning, The Peace & Justice Center, Outright Vermont, Upper Valley Educators Institute, Vermont Center for Independent Living, Regeneration Corps, White River Natural Resources Conservation District, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, and All Brains Belong VT.
Collaborative Poem
Participants were able to engage in a collaborative poem using a prompt designed by U-32 student, Kai. Here is the poem:
Life's not about finding yourself
It's about creating yourself.
Freedom is the ability to be who you are at your core,
Resilience is internal strength.
Freedom is equality-
Gender liberated bathrooms-
Access for all.
Freedom is your voice-
being heard-
To be yourself.
Freedom is knowing you belong, embracing change.
Freedom is learning to see things from new perspectives.
Freedom is...
In the recognition of oneself and others
The embrace/ The celebration!
Resilience is in community,
Resilience is in the voice of the soul,
Resilience is in heart.
Freedom is life-
whatever it needs to be.
Freedom is... passion-
Resilience is in hard times.
Freedom is:
speaking up- loud-
projected intentions- clear and resonating-
accepting with love-
caring-
empathy.
Freedom is...
voices heard- changes made.
I'm a loud voice, but a lonely one.
-Regardless of your past, no one is weak//
Freedom is walking to a school where you can speak.
Freedom is feeling 100%.
To be you- everywhere you go.
Resilience is in Social Mycelium
Weave it!
Grow it!
Hope for the future of youth-
organizing and power.
Freedom is--
an open book
full of stories and voices-
that can never be silenced- censored- or banned.
Freedom is "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Resilience is power-
Resilience is in moving forward.
Freedom is change.
Resilience is in all of us.
Resilience is in every time you smile.
Resilience is in...
Our blood, our histories,
our spirits, our minds-
the imaginations of all those before + the many, many after.
Resilience is in today, tomorrow, forever.
Freedom is a future that belongs to me.
