AccessLex Institute’s Post

“We had to trust that youth really knew what the biggest problems were and what the most important solutions would be. And we had to trust that they were the ones with the deep expertise here. This was a sea change, particularly for the adults in schools who had positions of authority and great power over students. For them, learning to trust student voice and wisdom was a deeply rooted challenge.” https://lnkd.in/eJu-tS9y Californians for Justice (CFJ), a community-organizing group devoted to building power for marginalized youth within the public education system, has significantly increased the representation and voice of young people at decision-making tables in schools and at district and state levels. In SSIR’s Winter ‘24 Issue, John Kania and Juanita Zerda of Collective Change Lab take an in-depth look at CFJ and its approaches to building power and creating systems change through relationships: “CFJ’s approach to fostering relational and collective power aims to make transformation everyone’s responsibility.”  #Education #Equity #Power #Relationships #SystemsChange

Command/control and transactions are one way to run things. In such systems people are instruments. This SSIR piece speaks to a more human-centered and inclusive way to go. It is a deeper and more rooted way that is also harder to dismantle as well.

"I am SO excited to announce that Jeff Wetzler, Jenee Henry Wood, and I are teaming up to write a book focused on how communities can envision and create learning environments where every student thrives! We founded Transcend because we believe in equitable education systems and the power of authentic community partnerships. This book highlights the incredible work of our partners and the lessons we've learned about what it takes to cultivate the conditions necessary for sustained innovation. More details to come, but it's going to be phenomenal!"

NEW on Wonkhe: As universities try to save money, James Coe takes a look at the future of civic engagement and the unintended consequences of dependencies https://lnkd.in/edcQhTP2

NEW today on Wonkhe: As universities try to save money, James Coe takes a look at the future of civic engagement and the unintended consequences of dependencies @James_Coe1 https://lnkd.in/eu8bmhQk

Language is an ever involving thing. Words take on meaning often times concurrently with the time and space in which they exist. The history of the Civil Rights movement demonstrates how langauge evolves. During the movement, the undercurrent was to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Then we spoke more in terms of freedom, justice and equality. In short equality of rights. These terms were how we perceived the goals of the day. The terms DEIA while on the books were not the primary means for messaging, civil rights and or Equal Opportunity as means for ensuring that our society promoted the diversity of our communities, the equity that we create when we meet people where they are and uplift them to promote fairness in our nation, that anti-segregation and discrimination is to promote inclusion, and acceptance,and accessibility. DEIA was deeply embedded in the language of Civil Rights and Equality of Opportunity. Fundamental means in which our nation demonstrates its capacity to offer its people a level playing field. While the lack of using the term DEIA did not mean that its was not the ultimate reality for the desired outcome. In the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown versus Board of Education, the court there ruled that the seperate but equal Doctrine espoused in Plessy versus Furgerson was inherently unequal. This decision began laying the groundwork for diversity in education and eventually employment as a matter of good conscience decision. Not long after in Birmingham Alabama, a woman stood up by sitting down against segregation, furthering the declaration that separation is wrong and that inclusion permeates the notion that we, our nation is served best by ensuring the inclusion of its citizens in the best that we as a nation has to offer.

Meet the Programs to Watch: Excelencia in Education recognized 8 innovative, up-and-coming programs from 4 states (FL, CA, AZ, and MO) that have positively impacted the success of their Latino students and are growing evidence of effectiveness as Programs to Watch. The programs address the academic, financial, and social needs of Latino students and their families to support access and opportunities in #HigherEd. Learn more about their efforts by reviewing brief summaries of the programs → https://lnkd.in/g9rmTRbR

Check out my latest opinion piece on CSUF community resource centers needing more support from higher administration.

📸 Here’s a #PhotoDump for your Thursday of all the adventures our students went on during the Summer Racial and Social Justice in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 💡 Feeling inspired? Our Spring 2024 and Winter 2024 applications are currently open. Schedule a meeting with an EGL advisor to start your #ExperientialGlobalLearning journey. Visit egl.uconn.edu to explore your options ✈️ #ExperientialGlobalLearning #UConnEGL #uconnchangeyourworld

Interested in learning more about the biggest issue facing young people in the state of Connecticut? Read more in the full report from Dalio Education at https://lnkd.in/eph4qeNZ