Equity & Belonging: Community Voices

TEDXWilmington talk with College Prep parent, Lisa Bonta Sumii

Lisa Bonta Sumii, a College Prep current parent and psychotherapist, gave a TEDXWilmington talk titled My Heart Is Browner Than My Skin: The Intersection of Race, Mental Health & Sport about her search for belonging as a Fillipino and white woman and how she was able to cope with her mental health struggles through sport. In this TEDX talk she also discusses her journey as a mixed race woman to discovering that skin color doesn't reflect all of her identities and how that discovery has led to her work with elite athletes in the Bay Area on mental health and sport performance. https://youtu.be/p9SiaJTPES0

Interview with Dr. Valaida Wise

As part of College Prep's ongoing commitment to centering the work of racial justice and equity across all aspects of school life, Dr. Valaida Wise was selected to conduct an Equity Audit. We had a conversation with Dr. Wise about her experience in education, what an Equity Audit entails, and her excitement about working with College Prep.

Dr. Wise received her Doctorate of Education in Education Leadership from George Washington University. She also holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Trinity College. She has served as the Head of School at the National Child Research Center in Washington DC, The Harbor School in Bethesda, MD, and Henson Valley Montessori School in Prince Georges County MD. She is currently on the faculty at John Hopkins University, Baltimore in the School of Education. She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Creative Minds International Public Charter School in Washington DC, and sits on the board of other schools and institutions in Maryland. You can find out more about Dr. Wise through her website.

PAEBC Speaker Event: Supporting Gifted Students of Color

The Parents’ Association Equity and Belonging Committee welcomed Dr. Frank Worrell for an evening presentation and discussion with parents. We were honored to host Dr. Worrell, whose work is internationally recognized. Currently, he is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley, where he serves as Faculty Director of the School Psychology program, the Academic Talent Development Program, and the California College Preparatory Academy. He also holds an affiliate appointment in the Social and Personality Area in the Department of Psychology and is the President-Elect of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Worrell shared some of his research, focusing on topics of particular interest to the College Prep community: the psychology of high performance, the role of cultural identity in educational outcomes, and talent development as a framework for gifted education. In a wide-ranging presentation, Dr. Worrell addressed both general issues and some of the special burdens minorities face in predominantly white school settings. Dr. Worrell’s findings offered insight into the protective factors that cultivates resilience in the face of stereotype threat and other impediments. To learn more about Dr. Worrell and his work, please click here.

Thanks to the PAEBC for continuing to support important conversations with our parent/guardian community.

Interview with Sarah Hernandez, Head Librarian

Sarah joined College Prep this summer. We sat down with her to talk about her approach to librarianship as well as the barriers to academic publishing for BIPOC authors and how she’s working to dismantle those barriers through the curation of the Library’s collection of books and her newly launched Library Site.

After receiving a BA in History from Trinity University and a Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Sarah has worked in a variety of library spaces, including public and academic libraries. Sarah has instructed learners in all stages of their academic careers through the research process and encourages students to examine the barriers in producing knowledge and history-making. She is excited to bring this passion to College Prep and looks forward to working with students and faculty to build up the collection and support their learning and teaching.

Interview with Alexandria Osei-Amoako, Dean of Equity and Belonging

We look forward to welcoming Alexandria Osei-Amoako to College Prep this summer!

Having received her BA and MA from Sarah Lawrence College, Alexandria Osei-Amoako has worked with students of all ages in diverse educational settings, including Teach for America, KIPP DC: Promise Academy, and, most recently, High Tech High Elementary Mesa in San Diego. A self-described lifelong activist and learner, Alexandra has worked for more than a decade to help schools institutionalize equitable practices. She shares that her driving question is, “How can we utilize collective thought, power, strength, and diversity in order to re-envision institutions of power and privilege?”

NPHC Interview with Hannah Krenn and Guadalupe Vasquez

Student leaders at College Prep have created a wide range of programs for the community that engage in awareness-raising, effective advocacy, and meaningful action for social justice and service leadership. We sat down with Hannah K. ‘21 and Guadalupe V. ‘21, two student leaders of NPHC (No Place for Hate Coalition), to talk about the program and their experiences.

The Partners Program: Student Mentors Create Peer-to-Peer Anti-Hate Trainings

College Prep student mentors are an integral part of Partners and its mission to serve Oakland public middle school students in academic summer and afterschool programs. Samuel Beltran, Director of The Partners Program, describes how veteran student leaders are applying their anti-hate training in the creation of a peer-to-peer student training program for new mentors.

Understanding Impact: Changes to our History Curriculum

This year, the History Department faculty met with student affinity groups on campus to discuss and understand the social-emotional impact of the curriculum. We sat down with Johanna Lanner-Cusin, History Department Chair.

Dans le bureau d'admission du College Prep

Qu'il s'agisse de l'élargissement des efforts de sensibilisation de la communauté ou de la création de nouveaux événements d'admission destinés à toucher davantage de familles du BIPOC, le bureau des admissions s'engage activement dans le travail stratégique d'équité et d'inclusion qui se déroule au College Prep. Lisez la suite pour savoir comment Evie Koh, directrice des admissions, décrit les changements et les projets passionnants en cours.

Comité d'équité et d'inclusion des administrateurs : Sur la gouvernance

Le comité du conseil d'administration sur l'équité et l'inclusion, présidé par le Dr Sue Lin et Liane Randolph, a continué à se réunir cet été pour discuter de l'engagement continu des administrateurs à centrer l'équité raciale dans l'ensemble de la préparation à l'université. Nous avons rencontré les coprésidents pour leur demander comment ils perçoivent le rôle de la gouvernance à l'école en ce moment critique.

Des étudiants leaders participent à l'Institut d'été du CPS sur le leadership

L'été dernier, plus de 50 étudiants leaders ont été invités à participer au tout nouveau College Prep Summer Leadership Institute, un événement de trois jours organisé dans le cadre de Zoom, qui visait à donner aux étudiants la possibilité d'en apprendre davantage sur eux-mêmes et sur le leadership par le biais d'une pratique d'équité et d'inclusion. Nous avons rencontré Nina '21 et Adya '21, pour parler de leurs expériences.

Réexamen du programme d'études anglais à l'université

Grâce à de nombreux courriels, aux médias sociaux et à des conversations franches l'été dernier, nous avons entendu nos étudiants actuels et leurs parents, le corps enseignant, le personnel et les anciens élèves parler de la nécessité de vérifier et de modifier la culture et le programme de l'école. Lisez la suite pour voir comment Jhoanna Infante, directrice du département d'anglais, a collaboré avec ses collègues enseignants pour revoir et ajuster le programme d'études anglais.

Équité et inclusion : Nos progrès

La directrice de l'école, Monique DeVane, réfléchit à certains des travaux critiques et continus sur l'équité et l'inclusion qui ont été réalisés cet été au College Prep. Avec de nouveaux programmes et initiatives pour la communauté, ainsi que des possibilités de croissance continue, elle parle de ce qui l'enthousiasme le plus et des défis qu'elle entrevoit pour l'avenir.

Le corps enseignant et le personnel se réunissent au sein du groupe de travail E&I

Présidé par Tania Triana, professeur d'espagnol, et co-animé par Jeremiah Jackson, directeur de l'équité et de l'inclusion, le groupe de travail de la faculté et du personnel sur l'équité entre pairs a été lancé en 2018, créant un espace pour notre communauté professionnelle afin de partager son intérêt ou son expertise en matière d'équité, d'inclusion ou de justice sociale. Lisez ce qui suit pour connaître leurs expériences et leurs enseignements de l'année écoulée.

Le droit constitutionnel dans une optique antiraciste

Lorsque Dan Song est passé de la pratique du droit à l'enseignement de l'histoire au CPS, il a apporté avec lui son amour de l'apprentissage et sa passion pour le droit. Dan a enseigné des cours d'histoire à nos étudiants plus jeunes et plus âgés, mais il trouve son option de droit constitutionnel particulièrement enrichissante. Lisez comment il a évolué pour inclure l'étude du droit à travers une lentille antiraciste.