Three Faculty Members Attend NAIS People of Color Conference

Three Eaglebrook faculty members attended the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) November 27, 2018  through November 30 in Nashville, TN. The four-day conference was attended by faculty from schools all across the country. While in Nashville, the Eaglebrook faculty were able to meet with alum Amani Core ’10, former faculty member Jen Youk See. Three former and current parents also attended the conference including Caroline Savage (Mother of Elijah Savage ’21), Marjorie Young (Mother of Zach Young ’17), Lauren Martin (Mother of Cole Payton ’15). Dynamic leaders and speakers in the field of diversity and inclusion spoke to the 6,000 attendees.

Yuan-Hsiu Lien, a member of Eaglebrook’s World Language Department, said, “It was an emotional and fruitful experience to learn both from the experts and from each other to be more compassionate and to gain the growth at both the personal and professional level on the topic of diversity, equality, justice, and inclusion.” She also mentioned, “It was valuable to attend the conference with faculty from different backgrounds, experiences, genders, and administrative roles at the school.” This allowed the group from Eaglebrook to generate vital conversations during the conference and while they traveled. The conference provided a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. Chris Brown, Eaglebrook’s Diversity Coordinator, said, “The PoCC was a motivating, enlightening, and replenishing experience. From workshops about racial equality in private schools to social justice and eliminating stereotypes, this conference provided an amazing platform for why diversity, equality, and inclusion are so important to be taught in schools”. He goes on to emphasize, “as the only African American faculty member on our campus, this conference truly shed light on the need to put more effort into recruiting and seeking out faculty of color. However, he mentioned, “this does not just mean looking for black faculty members, rather, finding faculty members from all walks of life that our diverse student body can relate to.” Echoing some of the other sentiments offered by the attendees, Shappy LaPointe, Assistant Head and Dean of School Life, said, "Our time at the PoCC allowed us to share and reflect as colleagues and connect with faculty members from other schools”. The eye-opening experience will definitely allow Eaglebrook to bring more diversity, equality, and inclusion to the community.
 
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