Our Educational Institutes are designed to share theory and practice with small working groups from school sites who are ready to make changes to school culture, curriculum, and practices with an anti-bias lens.

Strategic working teams of 3-5 individuals spend time together in a 3 day intensive training experience designed to share principles of anti-bias education and inclusion so that participants can derive inspiration and benefit from modeling from the standpoint of an expert learner. This shared learning experience will inform those they observe in classrooms from a practitioner perspective as they design for adults and students in their own community. Participants leave Institutes with a deeper understanding of anti-bias education, by seeing it in practice and thinking about its implication in their own educational spaces.

Teams leave with a clear goal and actionable steps that impact the design of PD, curriculum shifts, and instructional practices for students.

We believe that to create human centered educational spaces, intentional choices should be woven throughout the day and throughout the curriculum; not isolated to one class in one hour of one day or confined to one month of learning. We believe that schools should be places where children see themselves in curriculum; are taught to think critically, examine and address biases regularly, and learn that their voices matter in creating change. Most importantly, we believe that teachers and school leaders have the power to create these spaces, and our Educational Institutes were created to support folks in this process.

This Institute takes place in person, May 20-22, 2024 at our learning site in Brooklyn, NY.

Equity and access are a primary focus in developing inclusive schools and classrooms. Educators will explore how inclusive mindsets and practices support anti-bias schools and use the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to consider how to develop powerful goals for units and lessons that increase student access and eliminate barriers to learning.

This institute offers teams of 3-5 educators and school leaders the opportunity to:

-Observe (live) model lessons and classroom practices

-Develop/refine a shared mindset around inclusion

-Explore curricular and planning examples based on Universal Design for Learning

Teams leave with a clear goal and actionable next steps that impact inclusive design of PD for staff and instructional practices for students.

Further details, general agenda, and registration may be found here.

This Institute takes place in person, December 9-11, 2024 at our learning site in Brooklyn, NY.

Creating a culture and designing curriculum that centers our humanity is critical for schools to consider. The Centering Our Humanity Anti Bias Culture and Curriculum Institute offers teams of 3-5 educators and school leaders the opportunity to:

-Observe (live) model lessons and classroom practices

-Develop/refine a shared mindset around anti-bias cultures of belonging and curriculum

-Explore curricular and planning examples of representation, critical literacy and social action

Teams leave with a clear goal and actionable steps that impact the design of PD, curriculum shifts, and instructional practices for students.

Further details and general agenda may be found here.

The Community Building institute creates space for connection, immersive experiences and application to practice. Roots ConnectED supports leaders and staff of schools in building a strong school community, focused on identity work and inclusion. We will emphasize why Anti Bias and Community Building work is urgent. Participants will develop a shared language around community building and identity work and have the opportunity for personal reflection and identification of goals.

There will be direct experiences with community building, storytelling, and the development of norms. There are many barriers to community building and space will be created to identify these and how they manifest in the school setting. Processes for mitigating them and implications for cultivating interdependence, and power shifts on a personal and school level will take place. Teams will be guided to use what they see and experience to think about and design for staff and family programming in their own communities and school sites.

Tentative Schedule for Community Building Institute

What

Anti-Bias and Community Building institute - Three day (or equivalent) Institute experience focused on building a strong school community, focused on identity work and inclusion. Identity and inclusion are at the heart of ABAR work. Building a strong school community is where this institute experience would start.

Day 1

Session 1- Why Building Community is Urgent

• Connecting to your/our why

• Experience Community Building

• Connections to Anti-Bias Education

• Dual Process for Change-personal identity work/intersectionality

• Nature of change/mindset

• Barriers to community building

• Pathways to community building

• Developing your why

Session 2- Essential Components of Community Building

• Creating Norms

• Using norms to center and lead into an activity

• Reinforcing norms during and after

• Listening to understand

• Storytelling

• What to do with your own reactions to stories

• Mitigating harm

• Closing circle / activity

• Post Session Open Work

• Additional Application work of choice

Day 2

Session 1 - Recognizing Bias:

• What it means (collective transformation)

• Developing shared language to name and understand how it shows up in your setting

• Systems for identifying biases in your practice

Session 2 - Confronting and Mitigating Bias:

• Recognizing personal power and shifting

• Developing a culture of collaboration/interconnectedness

• Mitigating bias, cultivating a flexible growth mindset about others

• Interdependence and UDL connection in relationships with stakeholders and learners

• Closing circle / activity

• Post Session Open Work

• Additional Application work of choice

Day 3

Session 1 - Culture of Action:

• Community building with three stakeholders (staff, families, students)

• Developing and using tools to articulate/share experiences

• Planning community building events (staff, families,and/or systems)

Session 2- Planning for Action

• Refining goals

• Next steps, roles and processes for bringing these goals to life.

• Additional supports and reflection process

• Closing and Share

Upcoming Dates Will be Added Soon!

Roots ConnectED supports leaders of new schools in their preliminary planning year to think deeply about the foundational building blocks of school culture, practice, and anti-bias structures to create equitable and inclusive school communities.

The New Leaders Institute creates space for leadership teams to be immersed in strong inclusive and integrated school culture elements by looking at case studies and examples of practice. Leadership is guided to use what they see and experience to think about and design for their own communities and school sites around core values and community building practices, engaging families, anti-bias curriculum, and considering the needs of all learners.

The New Leaders Institutes provides 1-1 coaching, coupled with theory and practice in order to meet the needs of its participants. This institute can be shifted and catered to meet the needs of anyone supporting new leaders of new schools.

*Must register with 2 school leaders from the same school site.

Below is the tentative agenda for the New Leaders Institute.

Schedule for New Leader Training Institute

Day 1:

• Introduction and Community Building

• Elements of School Culture

• Classroom Visits and Debriefs

• Developing a Set of Core Values

• Lunch

• Restorative Practices

• Considering all Learners

• Reflection and Closing

Day 2:

• Community Building

• Introduction to Anti-Bias Education

• Classroom Visits

• Critical Literacy

• Lunch

• Leadership Roles and Responsibilities

• Reflection and Closing

Day 3:

• Community Building

• Hiring and Founding Staff Development

• Engaging Families

• Lunch

Consultancy:

Establishing Core Values and Norms

Identifying Essential Elements of School Culture

Other

Goal Setting and Prioritizing

Planning Seminar

Closing

If a registered participant cannot attend the institute for any reason, they have the option to make a substitution. This can be arranged by contacting the registrar and providing details for the replacement attendee from the same school, institute, or organization.

If the registered participant is unable to attend and cannot transfer their spot to another person within the same school, institute, or organization, the following refund policies will be applied:

• Cancellations made more than 60 days before the event will be eligible for an 80% refund of the registration fees.

• Cancellations made less than 60 but more than 30 days before the event will qualify for a 50% refund of the registration fees.

• Cancellations made less than 30 days before the event will not be refundable.

All refunds will be processed through the original payment method, Eventbrite, and credited back to the credit card used for the initial registration purchase.

Accommodations

Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel, lodging, and evening meals (breakfast and lunch included). Explore the list of conveniently located hotels near Community Roots Charter School below. We recommend booking accommodations early, especially during peak travel seasons in NYC.

The Tillary Hotel

Address: 85 Flatbush Ave Ext, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Phone: (718) 329-9537

Holiday Inn Downtown Brooklyn

Address: 300 Schermerhorn St. Brooklyn, NY 11217

Phone: (718) 624-2211

EVEN Hotels Brooklyn

Address: 46 Nevins St., Brooklyn, NY 11217

Phone: (718) 552-3800

Hampton Inn Brooklyn/Downtown

125 Flatbush Ave Ext, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Phone: (718) 875-8800

Airbnb Fort Greene Locations

Transportation

All attendees must arrange their own transportation to and from the Institute location:

Community Roots Charter School Address: 51 St. Edwards Street, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Transportation Options:

Subway: The closest stations are the G train at Fulton Street, A, C at the Lafayette Avenue Station, or 2, 3, 4, and 5 at the Nevins Street Station.

Walking: The listed hotels are within a 10-minute walk to Community Roots Charter School.

Parking is limited near the school. If driving, allocate ample time for parking. Taxis, Uber, Lyft, and car-sharing with fellow participants are viable options.

Accessibility and Inclusion Resources

RootsConnectED prioritizes an accessible environment. Unfortunately, our location lacks wheelchair accessibility. Gender-neutral bathrooms are provided. For specific assistance, including sign language interpretation, contact Kevwe Abamwa at programs@rootsconnected.org. For ADA-compliant accommodations, communicate directly with your hotel.