Southern Oregon Equity Summit 2020

Native Wellness Institute

The Native Wellness Institute recognizes the great impacts of historical trauma and oppression on our people. We understand that historic trauma has caused current day trauma in our families and communities. This is evident by the high rates of substance abuse, violence, gossip, negativity, poverty and other destructive behaviors and conditions.

As Native people we have the strength and resiliency to move beyond and forward from the hurtful past and utilize what our ancestors left us- prayer, faith, songs, dances, ceremony, language and the perseverance to leave a positive legacy for our future generations.

The Native Wellness Institute exists to help create an awareness of where our negative behavior comes from, provide opportunities for growth and healing and most importantly to help our people move forward in a good way. We do this by providing training and technical assistance based in Native culture that promotes the well-being of individuals, families, communities and places of work.

NWI lives and promotes the “Warrior’s Spirit” which means paying the greatest respect to our ancestors by being as positive, productive and proactive as we can, everyday of our lives.

Keynote: Historical Trauma to Historical Wisdom: Healing is the Answer

In order to better understand our own selves, each other and the youth and families we serve, we have to be grounded in our historical past and embrace cultural strengths to move us forward. We will go on a journey of experiencing the world through our ancestor’s eyes, release and let go of the challenges that hold us back, and re-member and re-learn and re-engage the tools that will uplift our healing so that we and future generations will continue to thrive.

Session I: Navigating Ism’s

Colonialism and racism are powerful ism’s that hold many Native students and families back. This interactive workshop will provide a brief overview of how colonialism and racism continue to impact tribal families and communities and what are the solutions in moving forward. We’ll look at how adverse childhood experiences can be mitigated through cultural resiliency and Native self-actualization.

Session I: Healing Strategies for Young People

As adults, we may forget that our young people experience trauma, hold on to hurt and pain and may not know how to articulate their need for healing. When we look at how trauma plays out in our families and communities, we have to assume that our young people could benefit from healing opportunities. This workshop will give examples of how healing opportunities can be integrated into school and community settings.

Presenter: Jillene Joseph Executive Director

Jillene is an enrolled member of the Gros Ventre or Aaniiih people from Fort Belknap, Montana. She lives in Oregon with her life partner and children. She is the Executive Director of the Native Wellness Institute and helped to found the national non-profit organization in 2000. She has a Bachelors of Science degree in Community Health Education and has served Indian Country for 30 years providing training and technical assistance in a variety of areas. Jillene has traveled to hundreds of Native communities and interacted with and learned from thousands of people. Whether she is providing youth leadership training, assisting women heal from childhood trauma or helping to bring wellness to the workplace, Jillene shares her passion for being positive, productive and proactive. She enjoys beading, reading, pow wowing and spending time with family and friends.

Communication Across Barriers

For 30 years, Communication Across Barriers (CAB), a national and international consulting firm, has been serving professionals and entire communities as they break the cycle of poverty in America. Dr. Donna Beegle…poverty expert, life-changing speaker, and recognized author…launched the company to provide meaningful, memorable, and realistic strategies for individuals, organizations, and communities that want to make a real difference in moving and keeping people out of poverty. Our team provides keynote presentations, trainings (in-person and on-line) from two hours to four days, organizational assessments, customized action planning, community development, and educational materials. CAB-produced resources include books, learning guides, articles, research, organized games and activities, as well as custom-designed curriculum available to all organizations we work with. CAB, under the passionate commitment of Dr. Beegle, is dedicated to broadening and improving opportunities for people who live in the war zone of poverty and to assist communities and organizations to “fight poverty, not the people who live in it.”

Keynote:  An Insider’s Perspective on Growing up in Generational, Migrant-Labor Poverty to Achieving a Doctorate: What Worked?

Most of the speakers and researchers talking about poverty have never been hungry. In this inspirational keynote, Dr. Donna M. Beegle shares her moving story of being born into generations of poverty and illiteracy. Her experiences of living in rural Oregon will resonate with the experiences students and families are facing today. She shares intersections of poverty and race along with tools for examining our own attitudes, actions, and organizations through the eyes of people who have lived poverty. She will illuminate evidence-based, best practices that allowed her to gain a GED at 26 and—10 years later—a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Prepare to “See Poverty and Be the Difference.”

Breakout 1:  Breaking the Iron Cage of Poverty to Improve Education Success

When Dr. Donna M. Beegle asked students from generational poverty, “What did education mean to you and your family,” the number one answer was “stress.” What does poverty teach? What does education look and feel like when you live in the crisis of poverty? Learning the answers to these questions can provide educators and community partners with a deeper understanding of the many different types of poverty and what can be done on an individual and organizational level to improve outcomes. Dr. Beegle will also share five evidence-based, best practices along with case studies of school districts who are changing the statistic that students in poverty are the least likely to gain an education.

Breakout 2:  Communicating, Relating, and Educating More Effectively Across Poverty Barriers

Communication is complex. If you are communicating with people from a similar background there is a 50 percent chance of misunderstandings. In her research, Dr. Beegle found that 92 percent of students and families living in the crisis of poverty leave educators and other helping professionals confused and often not knowing what to do next. In this session, Dr. Beegle provides five main causes of communication, learning, and relationship breakdowns. She offers practical communication tools for increasing shared meanings, building relationships that matter, and ensuring relevancy. Participants will better understand their own communication and learning styles and gain proven tools for guiding students on their journey to education success.

Dr. Donna Beagle

Born into migrant-labor, generational poverty, Dr. Beegle is an authentic voice from poverty that speaks, writes, and trains across the nation to break the iron cage of poverty for others through Communication Across Barriers (CAB). She married at 15, earned her GED at age 26, and — within 10 years — received her doctorate in Educational Leadership. For 30 years, she has traveled throughout hundreds of cities in all 50 states and four countries to assist professionals with proven strategies for breaking poverty barriers. State agencies, politicians, and other organizations have partnered with her to implement community-wide approaches to improving outcomes for citizens in poverty.

At Corwin, we take pride that our stakeholders are learners all over the world: that’s whom we invest in; that’s whom we want to live rich, abundant lives through education. On the eve of profound political, cultural, and social change, CEO David McCune challenged us at Corwin to dream, to dare, and to innovate. So dream, dare, and innovate we did, quickly establishing ourselves as the essential source of what works best, when, and for whom in education.

Keynote: Building LGBTQ+ Cultural Proficiency: An Introduction to LGBTQ+ Equity in Schools

In our work to create inclusive and safe schools for all students, it is critical that we support LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families. We are in a time when LGBTQ+ identities are more visible and the ways that these identities are expressed and articulated are proliferating. However, anti-LGBTQ+ bias and discrimination has also steadily increased in schools over the past few years. In this session, we will: explore the spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities; identiy both challenges and best practices creating LGBTQ+ affirming schools; and be introduced to a spectrum of multi-tiered supports for fostering LGBTQ+ equity in schools.

Breakout Session I: Building Belonging~Supporting LGBTQ+ Students & Their Families

Family acceptance and support is critical for the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. When LGBTQ+ youth encounter ambivalence or rejection at home they are vulnerable to depression, suicidality, substance use, and other detrimental outcomes. In this session, we will: deepen our understanding of the impact of family acceptance and rejection on LGBTQ+ youth; be introduced to important resources for communicating with parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ students; and explore ways to support LGBTQ+ who are experiencing family rejection.

Breakout Session II: Building Resilience~Supporting LGBTQ+ Students During Distance Learning

Distance learning, blended instruction (online/in-person), and social distancing have been critical for protecting public health while also contributing to experiences of social isolation for many students. As a result, LGBTQ+, especially those who are living with rejecting families, may have had fewer positive and affirming interactions with peers and teachers during this time. In this session, we will explore ways that educators can foster engagement, connection, and social-emotional well-being for LGBTQ+ students during distance or blended learning.

Ricky Robertson

Ricky Robertson has had the privilege to work with students from pre-K to 12th grade who have persevered in the face of adversity and trauma. Ricky is the co-author of the book, “Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach.” As a consultant and coach, Ricky assists schools in developing trauma-informed systems of support and Restorative Practices that foster resilience and success for staff and students.

The Resolve Center for Dispute Resolution and Restorative Justice

The Resolve Center for Dispute Resolution and Restorative Justice transforms the way the people and communities of southern Oregon manage and resolve conflict and repair from harm.

Resolve has been serving southern Oregon communities since 1990, helping people manage conflict through mediation, restoring harmed relationships and communities through dialogue and mentorship, and advancing peace through education and training.

Keynote Imagining Justice in School: What is possible?

This keynote will invite us into a collective vision for what a just, equitable, and relational education system could look like. Stories, data, and examples will be used to illustrate the promise of restorative justice for addressing individual and systemic harms, supporting racial equity, and creating meaningful relationships and community at school. How can we, as a community of southern Oregon educators, expand our concept of justice to address the complex issues facing our education system today?

Session I: Introduction to Restorative Justice in Schools

Restorative justice is a trauma informed set of principles and practices that supports schools in strengthening communities, repairing harm, and restoring relationships when wrongdoings occur. When applied in schools, restorative justice contributes to greater equity through demonstrated reductions in suspension, expulsion, and behavior referrals, increases in attendance and graduation rates, and a strengthened sense of belonging and community throughout the school climate. This presentation will offer an introductory overview of restorative justice and examples of the applications in a school setting. It is designed for those new to restorative justice or who want a refresher.

Session II: Aligning Restorative Justice with an Equity Lens

Restorative justice holds the promise of creating equitable spaces and outcomes. However, if not practiced with clear intention, these practices can cause further harm and perpetuate systems and processes of inequity. This workshop will highlight questions we should be asking, practices we should be adapting, and filters we should be applying to ensure our restorative justice initiative is truly equitable. This workshop is open to all but designed for those with some knowledge of restorative justice practices.

Raphaelle (Raphi) Miller, Director of Education & School Services

Raphi began working with Resolve in 2011, assuming the role of Director of Education & School Services in 2013. In her work as a restorative justice practitioner, trainer, coach, and consultant, Raphi supports schools in system-wide implementation of restorative justice practices. Raphi works collaboratively to advance restorative justice in education through participation in regional collective impact initiatives. She graduated magna cum laude from Southern Oregon University with her B.A. in Human Communication, certificates in Conflict Resolution and the Management of Human Resources, and a minor in Business Administration and she expects to complete her Master’s in Public Administration from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill this fall.

Cara Walsh, Director of Restorative Justice

As the Director of Restorative Justice, Cara has been working to support the development, implementation, and delivery of restorative justice services since 2010. In addition to providing training, consultation, and coaching on a local level, Cara works for the advancement of restorative justice throughout the region via her leadership with the Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon and the Transforming Justice Advisory Committee. Her professional and educational experience is grounded in her passion for creating and facilitating integrative opportunities and experiences for community engagement, empowerment and transformation. Cara earned her M.A. from Prescott College.

Oregon Center for Educational Equity

The Oregon Center for Educational Equity is a network of highly skilled, diverse facilitators and professional development leaders whose mission is to interrupt and transform current and systemic educational inequities to ensure all students have access to personalized, equitable and high performing schools that believe and demonstrate each student can, should and will succeed.

From addressing systemic issues of educational inequity to implementing effective collaboration practices to creating school structures and classrooms that work for historically oppressed student populations, we are committed to working with educators, organizations and communities to collectively meet the needs of our children through strong, effective, and equity-focused leadership.

Keynote:

Understanding Diversity to Effectively Create and Sustain Inclusive Cultures and Structures.

Improving diversity knowledge and actively addressing the need to create and sustain inclusive environments in schools, work sites and throughout our communities is essential.  We need to collaborate with one another to make significant changes in people’s beliefs and behaviors.  We need to see diversity as an asset.  Honoring diversity makes people feel respected and valued for who they are as individuals and group members .  Inclusion is an authentic sense of truly belonging.   Inclusion provides the supportive energy and commitment that brings out the best in everyone by nurturing safe, welcoming and positive environments.  Understanding diversity and implementing inclusion helps organizations understand, accept and capitalize on differences.

Session I

LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD

The history of Oregon and the United States; our laws, policies, and interactions with our communities of color show strong patterns over the years that still influence how we engage in schools and throughout our communities today.  Explore a timeline of history and learn more about the legacy and continuing beliefs and behaviors around race, immigration and education that impact the decisions we all make today.  To more accurately understand how race and its counterpart, racism, are woven into the very fabric of American society, we must explore the history of how race, White privilege, as well as prejudice, discrimination and oppression of Blacks, Indigenous Peoples and People of Color came to be.  Oregonians can not effectively lead for equity without understanding the legacy of oppression and privilege intertwined in our history of race, immigration and education.  You will learn many things about Oregon and the United States that you never knew and be reminded of others that you’ve forgotten.

Session II

TALKING ABOUT RACE AND INTERRUPTING RACISM

Talking about race, although hard, is necessary.  Interrupting racism is essential and often challenging to know how to do it.  This session will frame how to talk about race and also how to receive messages from others around race.  We must be able to have conversations about race if we are ever going to effectively take actions against racism.  It is essential to lean into discomfort to deepen our capacity to recognize and interrupt racist attitudes and actions that occur all around us, every day.  If we want to be part of the solution, we have to be willing to get uncomfortable.  We can’t ever hope to heal the wounds that racism has inflicted — and continues to inflict if we refuse to talk about it. Those conversations aren’t always easy, they aren’t always pretty, and they aren’t always comfortable. But they are absolutely necessary. They are critical.

Instructor: Daryl Dixon

Daryl Dixon is a native of Atlanta Georgia, and he is regarded as one of the most powerful, inspirational and relevant speakers and trainers on the subject of workforce diversity.  Daryl is the founder of Diversity Resource Group (DRG), and the author of Understanding Diversity; What Managers & Supervisors Need to Know To Manage Diversity Effectively.  Daryl works with organizations to help create an optimal work environment – an environment where every employee feels recognized, appreciated, valued and that his/her talents are being optimally utilized.  Daryl has consulted with organizations that range from small non-profits to Fortune 500.  Daryl received certification as an EEO Investigator.  An award winning diversity practitioner, Daryl has presented at the national SHRM Diversity Conference and was cited in HR Magazine for his expertise in the area of workforce diversity.  Daryl earned his BA degree from Morehouse College and the Master of Divinity degree from George Fox University.

Instructor: Jesse Scott

Jesse has been an educator for 20 years.  He is currently a middle school social studies teacher in Eugene, Oregon, focusing on teaching history through a non-dominant lens.  He guides his students to critically examine, discuss and explore, through historical analysis and current events, an array of social justice issues and actions.  Jesse embraces opportunities to engage in challenging conversations around equity, diversity and inclusion with his colleagues, his students, and his own multi-racial children. He also provides professional development as a Facilitator for the Oregon Center for Educational Equity (OCEE).

Keynote

Belonging and Dignity: The Keys to Equity Implementation

Too often, equity implementation reinforces a vicious cycle of failure because the keys to success are missing and the purpose of the effort is muddled. This session will bring clarity to what equity is all about so we can address it through specific actions (behaviors, professional practices, and policies). To that end, participants will experience an inspirational speech that invites them to interrogate their own beliefs and socialization. They will leave with a pragmatic framework for dignity and belonging that they can use to guide successful equity implementation.

Session I

Avoiding the Dysfunctional Cycle of Equity Work

Racial inequality and injustice have captured the world’s attention, however most schools and districts seeking to “do something” are poised to fail (again) with equity implementation. Big time. Why? Because there exists a predictable cycle of failure, which includes experiencing a catalyst, committing to equity, fumbling around with implementation, and upholding the inequitable status quo until the next catalyst occurs. Learn what you can do to break this dysfunctional cycle once and for all.

Session II

Belonging – Beyond Access

To redress inequity and create a socially just system of education, ensuring access is not enough. For educational equity, access and belonging are both vital. In this session, participants will explore why aspirations to eliminate so-called achievement gaps must first prioritize eliminating gaps in belonging.

John Krownapple

John Krownapple specializes in helping organizations learn and grow in the area of human relations. His career has focused on education, diversity and inclusion, equity, and social justice. In his book Guiding Teams to Excellence with Equity, he provides a protocol for facilitating systemic, equitable change. His most recent book, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity, co-authored with Dr. Floyd Cobb, concretely illustrates his mission to help each of us get in touch with our own dignity so that we can honor the dignity of others on structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels. In doing so, John believes that we can grow as effective organizations, inclusive communities, and as a democratic society. Simply put, we can improve quality of our lives and the lives of others through dignity.

An inspirational speaker and workshop facilitator, John is currently an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. He also serves as the Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Howard County Public School System.