Third Space with Jen Cort

High School Students reflect on school based DEI work, share advice and ideas for future programming.

Student Bios:

Ty’Shea Woods (she/her) is a recent graduate Garrison Forest School, and will attend Northwestern University to double major in psychology and international studies with a minor in Japanese. She was President of the School, on DEI advisory board, a member of the Baltimore Girls Student Leadership Coalition, and black student alliance. She has attended, planned, and been a lead facilitator for both the Middle School Student Diversity and Leadership Conference as well as the Baltimore Student Diversity and Leadership Conference.

David Velos (He/Him) is a recent graduate of Loyola Blakefield and incoming Freshman at Brown University, Majoring in Engineering (undecided), Leader of Maryland Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Conference.

Caleb Woodlon (he/him) is a rising senior at the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, a student body officer, a member of our Black Awareness Club, and a student leader of our Diversity Club. he has facilitated at the AIMS Gender and Sexual Orientation Conference, been a lead facilitator at the Middle School Student Diversity and Leadership Conference, and a core student facilitator for the Baltimore Student Diversity and Leadership Conference.

Katharine Lennon is passionate about justic work and has served as a leader in DEIJ conferences throughout high school. She is excited to pursue a career in criminal justice and psychology in college at Saint Lawrence University and hopes to become a lawyer.
Akintola Oluwatoni Erifeoluwa (Toni): A student at Loyola Blakefield and has been involved with DEI work for three years now, and loves how it brings about open, intellectually stimulating conversations that lead to tangible change. Toni’s future goals are to do social impact work that will stimulate the economies of Nigeria and other nations in West Africa, and to reach my full potential as a poet, athlete, and moral thinker.
Mentions: AIMS, POCC, BSDLC, Kalea Selmon, Kristen Tubman, Garrison Forest, Loyola Blakefield, Boys Latin, Key School

Liza Talusan returns to Third Space! Liza (LIE-zuh) earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Connecticut College, a Master's Degree in Student Personnel Administration from New York University; a certificate in Human Resources; a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston; and her certified coaching credentials from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. Her scholarship has been published in peer reviewed journals, edited book collections, online platforms, and she has been featured on a number of podcasts and interviews related to education, identity, and inclusion. She serves in a number of national organizations focused on education and equity, and she has consulted with well over 375 schools, organizations, and corporations across the country. Currently, Dr. Talusan (tahLUS-ahn) is a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she teaches graduate level courses focused on leadership, equity, and justice. Her new book “The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building habits and skills for more inclusive schools” is published by Solution Tree Press and was released in March 2022.

Book ordering through publisher www.bookshop.org and independent book store
https://www.solutiontree.com/the-identity-conscious-educator.html

Susan Yao (she/hers) is an educator with experience as a middle school humanities teacher and middle school head. She is passionate about building communities of racial solidarity and believes that collective thriving is possible when we learn how to be in a community together in supportive and authentic ways. Susan has launched professional development programs such as the Friends Institute for New Administrators of Color and the New Teachers of Color Institute at the Gordon School and serves on the New England chapter of the POCIS (People of Color in Independent Schools) board. Susan lives on a homestead with her family and animals in Massachusetts.

Laura Dombrowski has provided professional development for educators for the past six years. She works closely with teachers and school leaders to support individualized coaching in schools serving grades PreK through 8. Laura supports UPK programs and literacy and math instruction in kindergarten through 8th grade. She believes in teacher collaboration and professional relationships and builds in-school support systems that promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Laura has two decades of international work experience in education. She has taught all grades, kindergarten through sixth, led a teacher team through a school‘s founding and inaugural year, and developed school democracy models for elementary schools. She is passionate about forest schools, has developed a forest school program, and has consulted on outdoor education.

Laura has advanced degrees in Psychology, TESOL, and School Leadership, serves on a school board, and co-authored a math instruction book series.

Logan Dechter (he/they) is a May 2022 graduate of the University of Maryland School Counseling Program and a professional school counselor in Montgomery County Public Schools. Logan serves as one of the advisors for his school's Rainbow Club, a developmentally appropriate Genders and Sexualities Alliance for 4th and 5th grade students. Logan also led the charge for the implementation of a Genders and Sexualities Alliance Prince George's County Public Schools middle school.

In addition to his work in school counseling, Logan has experience in suicide prevention and crisis intervention, which has greatly influenced his research interests. Logan has worked on the Trevor Lifeline, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the Lifeline Chat service in addition to various other social service lines, such as the local Homeless Hotline and the Domestic Violence Hotline.

Logan's research interests include LGBTQ+ student wellbeing, Latinx student mental health, and suicide prevention. Outside of education, Logan is passionate about Kesem, a nonprofit organization that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer, where he serves as a mental health professional and advisory board member for various local chapters.

Logan can be reached at [email protected] or at linkedin.com/logandechter.

Kristen Tubman grew up and lives in Baltimore, though she was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She has spent the last 15 years teaching Spanish and engaging in Diversity & Equity work with 6th-12th grade students. Additionally, Kristen facilitates and learns with adults in various white affinity groups and workshops on a wide range of topics including Anti-racism, Whiteness, and Privilege. She has also been honored to be a co-planner of the Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference for high-schoolers and the Middle School Student Leadership in Diversity Conference, both of which are led by brilliant student facilitators. She is always excited to learn more, to engage in dialogue, and to grow from feedback.

Jonathan Fichter has been teaching for 17 years, 14 of which have been in independent schools. Jonathan trained as a dialog facilitator in Challenging Racism’s Learning To Lead program. Along with Kristen Tubman, he co-facilitates the Accomplices in Action series under the leadership of The Wells Collective. He has two elementary-age children. Jonathan also works with Washington, DC's chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice and participates in local housing justice groups.

Kristen and Jonathan reference the Wells Collective, follow their work at https://www.thewellscollective.com

Elizabeth Tingle is a secondary teacher from Calgary, Alberta. She recently completed her Master's in educational research and is currently a sessional instructor at the Werklund School of Education and the lab coordinator for the Body Image Lab at the University of Calgary. She is passionate about weight-neutral health education and is the mother to three school-aged kids. She is also a producer and co-host for the Teacher Fanclub podcast https://teacherfanclub.com/podcast and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.

Jen Williams (she/her) is a middle school counselor in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her tenure in middle school education spans two decades and includes a state board position for the Pennsylvania Association for Middle-Level Education. Mrs. Williams earned her M.Ed from Villanova University and her M.S. from The International Institute for Restorative Practices. She is the author of Peacekeepers: Empowering Youth Using Restorative Practices.

Nate Bridge is Haverford School Math teacher and has taught in international schools. Principally interested in systemic changes to education and school culture that would result in more equitable outcomes such as Criterion-Based Grading for student assessment and Rank Choice Voting for electing student leaders. Twitter: @schoolmrbridge https://natebridge.wixsite.com/teaching

Kentaro Iwasaki- The son of Japanese immigrants, Kentaro Iwasaki knew from a young age that he aspired to become a teacher. He was a high school math teacher and department head for 16 years and led his department in dismantling the tracked honors math program, resulting in an increase of AP math enrollment by 400% and increased passing rates on AP math exams among students of color. Kentaro then served as the Associate Director of Learning and Teaching at non-profit ConnectEd for 7 years, where he trained over 1000 math teachers in creating collaborative classroom learning environments. Kentaro holds a doctorate in education leadership from Harvard and holds a BA from Stanford. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2011 and is a National Board Certified Teacher.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentaro-iwasaki-476a953b/


João (John) Gomes (he/him/his)
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, John moved to New Jersey at a young age. With degrees from BS in Math and Computer Science with a Minor in English from Fairfield University and an MSEd in Education, Culture, & Society from Penn. Math teacher and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at The Agnes Irwin SchoolJohn wants everyone tied to the school community to see him learning and growing in real time. He wants everyone to know they belong. He makes mistakes. Twitter: @JoaoGomes84

Afrika Afeni Mills is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with BetterLesson and an Education Consultant. She is the author of 'Letter to White Teachers of My Black Children' a blog on Teaching While White that went viral, and an upcoming book. Afrika works with colleagues, teachers, coaches, and administrators to transform practices. She has been featured on podcasts, blogs, delivered keynote addresses, and facilitated sessions at conferences across the United States. She will also be publishing a book with Corwin Press in 2022. Afrika believes that all educators can be motivated, engaged, dynamic practitioners and leaders when provided with the support needed to create student-centered, culturally responsive learning environments that inspire wonder and creativity and nurture diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Camille Simone Edwards, Consultant With a Coach’s Approach believing in the infinite power of courage. With a strategic course of action, she partners with clients to create new pathways to their short/long-term goals related to personal + professional development. Camille Simone trains clients on how to use courage as the foundational tool to change their lives and then to fiercely maintain it. Camille Simone is excited to meet clients who are seeking to be coached in the learning areas of leadership development, culture, team building, diversity, inclusion, vision, goal setting, and interpersonal communication. Camille is also the Director of DEI at Friends Academy of Long Island New York, a school that she has consulted for across the last 12 years.

Bobby Edwards has been a leader in independent school DEI efforts for 35 years. He was one of the original 1986 participants at what is now known as the NAIS People of Color Conference, where he attended as a new Admission Officer from Phillips Academy (Andover). During his 20 years of service at Andover, Bobby rose to be the Senior Associate Dean of Admission and spent his last decade at the Academy as the Dean of Community and Multicultural Development. Bobby moved on to serve as the Director of the DC KIPP to College program. In 2008, Bobby joined the McLean School community in Potomac, Maryland, as the Assistant Director of Admission and Director of Financial Assistance. He went on to serve as the Head of the Lower School and now holds the position of Director of Community Inclusion and External Relations. Bobby is also a resident faculty member at the annual summer Diversity Directions Independent School Seminar. Bobby has presented on DEI issues at a number of conferences and is a contributing author to the AISNE Guide to Hiring and Retaining Teachers of Color, and AISNE’s Thriving in Independent Schools: A Guide for Teachers of Color.

[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.camillesimoneconsulting.com/
Instagram: camillesimone_coach