The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in honor of this we centered a conversation around an important topic, The Model Minority Myth. I am joined by Dylan Van Duyne (he/him), an Equity Training Specialist within the SDP Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

We continue our Equity Snapshot series in which our Equity Training Specialists discuss different concepts and topics in equity work. We are working through Oppressive Thematic Ideologies, which the ETSs will be conducting trainings on throughout the year. Oppressive Thematic Ideologies highlight different forms of oppression and inequities that people of various identities experience. The aim is to educate and increase awareness of the challenges and the assets that different communities have in order for everyone to grow more aware of our society and explore a better way forward towards equity. 

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is by students from Rock to the Future, an organization offering free music programs to students in Philadelphia. 

To learn more about what our office does visit our website.

Report an incident/Get involved:

Report AAPI Hate- https://stopaapihate.org/reportincident/

Report Bullying, Harassment, or Discrimination within the Philadelphia School District- https://www.philasd.org/studentrights/bhd/

Save Philly's Chinatown- https://apipennsylvania.org/chinatown/

Philly AAPI Organizations:

Asian Arts Initiative- https://asianartsinitiative.org/

SEAMAAC- https://www.seamaac.org/

Gapura Philadelphia- https://gapuraphilly.wixsite.com/website

Philly Asian Queer- https://phillyasianqueer.com/

Vietlead- https://www.vietlead.org/

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture- https://www.albustanseeds.org/

Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia- https://www.cagp.org/

South Asian American Digital Archive- https://www.saada.org/

WOORI Center- https://www.wooricenterpa.org/

HIAS PA- https://hiaspa.org/

Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance- https://apipennsylvania.org/

Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation- https://chinatown-pcdc.org/

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance- https://www.apalanet.org/about.html

CAIR Philadelphia- https://pa.cair.com/

Other resources/recommendations:

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Lunch and Learn Talk with Al-Busan Seeds of Culture- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGziUj5DmIM

We continue our Equity Snapshot series in which our Equity Training Specialists discuss different concepts and topics in equity work. We are working through Oppressive Thematic Ideologies, which the ETSs will be conducting trainings on throughout the year. Oppressive Thematic Ideologies highlight different forms of oppression and inequities that people of various identities experience. The aim is to educate and increase awareness of the challenges and the assets that different communities have in order for everyone to grow more aware of our society and explore a better way forward towards equity. 

In this episode we will be talking about the intersection of disability and race, and I am joined again by Dylan Van Duyne

In addition to raising awareness of mental health concerns, we are seeing a rise of disability-based bullying in the district. The School District of Philadelphia does not tolerate any form of disability-based bullying or harassment of students, and if a student or their parent/guardian feels they have been bullied on the basis of their disability, they may use any of the following reporting methods: 

Resources from the Episode

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is by students from Rock to the Future, an organization offering free music programs to students in Philadelphia. 

To learn more about what our office does visit our website.

On this episode of Equity Is we talk to some folks running a different kind of violence prevention program in Learning Network 6. Breakfast with the Brothers is a gun/crime diversion, prevention and intervention program. BWTB is geared towards youth, who are at risk of being or currently a perpetrator of violent crime. Breakfast With The Brothers does not consist of skilled workshops like your average diversion program. They are confident it will have the same effects through a more conscious & consistent group guided discussion amongst male professional leaders, over a hot breakfast.

The program is run by Trust Factor.  Trust Factor is all about bringing Trust back to the community. Founded in 2021 by Zachary Frazier and Jessica Hill, Trust Factor encourages community involvement, intensive self-reflection, positive critical thinking, trust building, and self accountability. BWTB is one of many programs Trust Factor runs to ensure they are providing more resources to their communities and youth. 

You will hear from:

Links to Resources and Information from our Guests:

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff, families, and the SDP community at large. We do this by showcasing the equity work that is being done throughout the SDP community. With each episode we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Visit the DEI Webpage: philasd.org/dei

Sign Up for our Email Blast: https://philasd.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=fec1a58d7683e2e09fb2bad38&id=5f8c915957

The Equity Snapshot series dives deep into topics that highlight different forms of oppression and inequities that people of various identities experience. The aim is to educate and increase awareness of the challenges and the assets that different communities have in order for everyone to grow more aware of our society and explore a better way forward towards equity.

Links and resources mentioned in the episode:

Language Access from the Office of Multilingual Curriculum & Programs

FACE- Office of Family and Community Engagement

Multilingual Family Support

Bilingual Counselling Assistant Panel Discussion

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is by students from Rock to the Future, an organization offering free music programs to students in Philadelphia.

To learn more about what our office does visit our website.

On this episode of Equity is, we discuss programs that target food equity. Access to food and nutrition is essential for students and families and has ties to student success in school. However, food inequity and insecurity is something that many students face. Food insecurity is usually defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. This also means providing foods that fit the cultural practices of those in need.

There are various programs that target food insecurity and work to help district families and students get access to the food they need.

You will hear from:

Links to Resources and Information from our Guests:

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff, families, and the SDP community at large. We do this by showcasing the equity work that is being done throughout the SDP community. With each episode we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability. 

Visit the DEI Webpage: philasd.org/dei

Sign Up for our Email Blast:

On Monday, January 16, 2023 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the School District of Philadelphia’s Equity Coalition is hosting the second annual virtual Social Justice Summit. Grounded in the theme “Always Forward'' the purpose is to uplift and amplify the voices of individuals, program offices, and organizations throughout Philadelphia who are working to advance equity and social justice within the School District of Philadelphia.

This episode is a preview of the event featuring Michelle Gainer, Senior Project Manager from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She tells us how the event came to fruition and what folks can expect from the day. You will also hear from several of those who are leading interactive workshops and presentations for the Summit this year. 

If you still haven't registered for the event, REGISTER HERE. 

Visit the MLK Day Page for More Information. 

Find the event flyer HERE. 

If you are unable to attend you will find recordings of the sessions on the DEI Youtube page after the event.

Stay up to date with our office by joining our MAILING LIST

Equity Is is a podcast from the School District of Philadelphia's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing on  the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is from Rock to the Future, an organization offering free music programs for Philadelphia Students.

On November 16th, in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance, The School District of Philadelphia hosted its second annual Trans Day of Remembrance Coffee House and Open Mic. This was an event about balance sadness and joy. To honor those trans lives that were lost this year, while also bring joy and community together for folks to share their voices in a warm and loving environment. There was a candle light vigil as well as an open mic in which students, staff, families, and community members were able to sing, dance, read, and showcase their talents. Performances were not recorded but we hear from event organizers and from those who wanted to remind us about trans joy, visibility, and ally-ship. 

Community Organizations tabled the event to let attendees know the services they offer. You can find their information below:

Galaei- Galaei is a Queer and Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) radical social justice organization. Continuing to serve the Latinx community, while widening our embrace, Galaei provides and facilitates Queer educational services, community wellness, and is committed to healing historical harm. Galaei is dedicated to creating access, opportunities, sexual empowerment, and economic development for all QTBIPOC individuals while fighting systemic oppression, structural racism, discrimination, and white supremacy.

PASH- Promoting Adolescent Student Health (PASH) is the HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy prevention program at the School District of Philadelphia. PASH provides access to evidence-based curriculum, technical assistance, workshops, and professional development to students, teachers, staff and parents on topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention, safer sex, LGBTQ+ support, healthy relationships, parent/child communication and peer mediation.

Mazzoni Center- To provide quality comprehensive health and wellness services in an LGBTQ-focused environment, while preserving the dignity and improving the quality of life of the individuals we serve.

GLSEN- GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together we can transform our nation's schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.

Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness- We work to reduce and remove educational barriers for youth experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. If your living situation is in transition, our office is here to help you.

William Way- We seek to engage and support the diverse LGBTQIA+ communities in the greater Philadelphia area through arts & culture, empowerment, and community connections.

KCAPA GSA- Official Instagram for the Kensington CAPA GSA 

*Transcript Coming Soon*

Equity Is is a podcast from the School District of Philadelphia's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing on  the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is from Rock to the Future, a free music program for Philadelphia Students. 

On this episode of Equity Is- Equity Snapshots we continue our discussions on Oppressive Thematic Ideologies that our Equity Training Specialists will be providing trainings on throughout the year. We are joined by Dylan Van Duyne who will offer some terminology, misconconceptions, and ways to learn more about  The Gender Binary and Socializtion of Gender Norms and Sexual Orientation.

The Equity Snapshot series dives deep into topics that highlight different forms of oppression and inequities that people of various identities experience. The aim is to educate and increase awareness of the challenges and the assets that different communities have in order for everyone to grow more aware of our society and explore a better way forward towards equity.

Resources from the Episode

Organizations to support:

Educational Resources

This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Our music is by students from Rock to the Future, an organization offering free music programs to students in Philadelphia.

To learn more about what our office does visit our website.

Peace Day was September 21st and the United Nations theme for the year is: End racism. Build peace. Schools across the district have found ways to honor the day, but staff from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, myself included, were invited to join Parkway Northwest High School in their celebration.

The Parkway Northwest High School for Peace and Social Justice has a proud heritage as a school focusing on the unique mission of helping students become leaders for peace and social justice. In honor of this, the school put together a program in order to uplift student voices and give them a platform to discuss issues that are important to them.

"Parkway Northwest High School for Peace and Social Justice is dedicating our efforts on the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2022, to sharing our voices on the obstacles that need to be dismantled as we seek to build peace by ending racism."

In this vein students were able to share their voices and present on social justice topics that are near and dear to them. 

Learn more about Parkway Northwest by checking out their website. 

*Transcripts coming soon*

Equity Is is a podcast from the School District of Philadelphia's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing on  the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

English Transcript: HERE

Transcripción en Español: HERE

This year, "Equity Is" will be launching a new series, "Equity Snapshots". These are shorter episodes that delve into specific equity concepts and are led by our Equity Training Specialists, who provide learning opportunities throughout the district. This year, Equity Training Specialists will discuss eleven oppressive thematic ideologies.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, our Equity Training Specialists; Sia and Ryan will provide information on Hispanic and Latinx identifying communities. They will discuss terminology, breakdown some stereotypes, and also offer ways to deepen our understanding of these communities. 

We are also joined by Principal Awilda Balbuena of Gloria Casarez Elementary School. She will discuss her own personal experience as a Puerto Rican Latina and how she leans on her identity in her leadership role at the school. She will also discuss the importance of the recent renaming of the school. 

The music for the podcast is "Mr. Loopside" by Jim and Aiden from Rock to the Future- Rock to the Future equips Philadelphia youth with life skills to support current and lifelong wellbeing through free, student-driven music programs. Through music, we disrupt cycles of poverty.

Equity Is is a podcast from the School District of Philadelphia's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This podcast is about cultivating prosperity and liberation for students and staff. We do this by showcasing and debriefing on  the great equity work that is being done throughout The School District of Philadelphia community. With each episode, we hope to cover topics that will create pathways for marginalized populations in our District, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trust, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.