District 88 and DuPage Regional Office of Education host Deep Equity and cultural competency events for school districts

On March 1 and 2, Gary Howard with the Deep Equity Institute and Corwin provided Deep Equity sessions for school district Board of Education members, administrators, school leaders and staff members. The events offered an opportunity to discuss cultural competency and inclusion, equity and excellence for all students. The sessions were hosted by District 88 and the DuPage Regional Office of Education.

District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton (left and center) and District 88 Assistant Superintendent Jean Barbanente (right) greet participants during a Deep Equity training event on March 1. The leadership retreat was hosted by the district and led by Gary Howard with the Deep Equity Institute and Corwin.

About 100 District 88 students came together on March 1 for a multimedia, interactive experience regarding cultural competency through the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series. That program is led by Benjie Howard and Wade Antonio-Colwell. At the end of the day, they shared their thoughts and a poem with school district administrators and leaders and participated in a question-and-answer session.

Top and bottom: Wade Antonio-Colwell (left) and Benjie Howard (right) perform music pieces that reflect their work on cultural competency and Deep Equity through their Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series. They worked with District 88 students and spoke with area school district Board of Education members and administrators on March 1.

On March 1, District 88 welcomed and hosted Gary Howard with the Deep Equity Institute and Corwin.

Gary spoke with and provided Deep Equity training to about 130 administrators and leaders from school districts throughout Illinois and nearby states. He led the group in several activities to help define cultural competency and culturally responsive teaching. The focus of the leadership retreat was to provide an opportunity for discussion about inclusion, equity and excellence for all students.

District 88 formed an Equity Task Force in spring 2015 to further enhance the district’s cultural competency, and the March 1 event was a continuation of efforts to expand the conversation to involve more school districts. District 88 administrators also have presented to multiple groups throughout Illinois to share the district’s journey with others.

District 88 students also have been involved in this process through the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series, led by Benjie Howard and Wade Antonio-Colwell. The goal of that program is to prepare students to recognize and learn from the diversity around them. On March 1, about 100 Addison Trail and Willowbrook students came together for a multimedia, interactive experience regarding cultural competency. Some of those students were new to the program, and others were returning. They then recited a poem to the adults working with Gary and answered questions.

That evening, Gary, Benjie, Wade and Sonja Hollins-Alexander from Corwin presented to about 60 school district Board of Education members and administrators from throughout the Chicago area during a dinner hosted by District 88 and the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE).

On March 2, the ROE offered a countywide Institute Day, where about 130 staff members from school districts throughout DuPage County worked with Gary on Deep Equity.

District 88 has about 40 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 pupils speak a language other than English at home. Addison Trail and Willowbrook students come from various backgrounds, and embracing that diversity has led to continued success in the classroom and beyond.

“Deep Equity training provides staff members with the opportunity to reflect on our beliefs and practices as a district to ensure our classrooms are as culturally responsive as possible,” said District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton. “One of the greatest assets of District 88 is the rich diversity that exists among our students and staff, and we look forward to continuing our work and sharing our experiences in this area.”