RISE Micro-credential Program Webinars | Citizen U Primary Source Nexus

Reflection, Inquiry, Self-awareness, and Empathy: Strategies to Integrate Racial Equity in Teaching

Educators have been launched into uncertainty and unpredictable changes in teaching and learning. Navigating the emerging world of school calls for new levels of support for teachers. Citizen U, a program of the Barat Education Foundation, and DePaul University’s Office of Innovative Professional Learning with support from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, are providing a free micro-credential program consisting of three one-hour webinars to support teachers as they rise to meet the challenges of the unknown and the known. Teaching during COVID-19 and in a time of dismantling systemic racism requires innovative approaches grounded in compassion, mercy, and empathy.

The RISE program puts teachers at the center of transforming our schools with equity and innovation, providing strategies that integrate social emotional resources with racial equity. RISE—Reflection, Inquiry, Self-awareness, and Empathy—deepens educator knowledge and skills in using inquiry-based teaching to operationalize equity throughout school culture.

Educators will receive professional development credits for attending the live webinars AND completing post-webinar evaluations (3 CPDUs total) and receive the micro-credential by creating a lesson plan using the Primary Source Analysis tool and inquiry to discuss equity.

Webinar 1: RISE – Reflection
Facilitators will support teachers in healing the unique trauma experienced during the time of COVID-19, remote teaching, and systemic racism. This webinar will also provide instructional strategies that engage students in discussing the emotional, economic, and educational impact of racism from a historical and a current perspective using inquiry and story. Using primary sources from the Library of Congress, participants will be guided in the use of the Primary Source Analysis tool alongside a new and innovative Reflection Tool as a resource to launch candid and respectful dialogue around racism.

Webinar 2: RISE – Inquiry and Self-awareness
Self-awareness is the key to operationalizing racial equity in teaching and learning. Participants will use tools of self-awareness to examine beliefs about teaching and learning and use primary sources from the Library of Congress as an essential resource to engage in this process. Additionally, participants will learn the process of helping themselves and their students to investigate stories of racism in education through both historical inquiry and current context analysis. Using sample models that integrate Library of Congress resources and inquiry methods, participants will gain skill to have controversial discussions.

Webinar 3: RISE – Empathy
Empathy is the key to racial equity in the school and everywhere. Participants will examine five practices of empathy to learn methods of operationalizing racial equity. Facilitators will model the integration of culturally relevant pedagogical practices as well as leadership practices that consider equity at the forefront. Participants will work with texts such as “How to be an Antiracist” by Kendi as well as documents from the Library of Congress to create a personal plan of action for their own professional and personal vision of racial equity.

WEBINARS HELD 3:30 to 4:30 pm CST
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Registration will be limited, so save your spot now!

The RISE Program is led by Dr. Donna Kiel and three educational experts in the field.

Dr. Donna Kiel
Dr. Kiel is the founding Director of the Office of Innovative Professional Learning at DePaul University and a professor in the Educational Leadership. Dr. Kiel has been a secondary counselor, teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Dr. Kiel is a much sought after professional development provider and leadership coach. As Principal, Dr. Kiel’s work to support success of marginalized students resulted in a US News World Report Bronze medal. Dr. Kiel was a key founder of the Catholic Schools Opposing Racism organization and is a consultant for teaching methods to support racial equity.

Dr. Tina Curry
Dr. Curry is a distinguished equity consultant who has been an educator for 22 years. She earned an Ed. D in Reading and Language from National Louis University in 2015 and has worked as a middle school language arts teacher, high school reading teacher, middle school and high school literacy coach, high school equity coach, district literacy specialist and university adjunct professor. She is the author of The Tale of Two Literacy Coaches: Implications for Building Coaching Capacity and a contributing author of Teaching for Racial Equity: Becoming Interrupters. Her expertise includes culturally responsive teaching, equity, diversity in literacy, and instructional coaching.

Felicia Shaviri
Felicia is an equity and life coach and best-selling author. Felicia combines her personal experience growing up in Englewood with her 20 year experience as a correctional officer to inspire others to live with unity, authenticity, insight, and wellness. Felicia has led workshops and retreats in which she has inspired countless people to become active agents of change and equity. Felicia’s passion for health and fitness add to her work in helping others realize their potential. She is a much sought after consultant and coach.

Suzy Evans
Suzy has been an elementary educator and professional development provider. She has worked with the Our American Voice® Program (OAV) since its inception. Suzy led OAV students from the Englewood and Back of the Yards neighborhoods on a civil rights study through the south, learning through history in Selma, Birmingham, and Memphis so that these young leaders could use their voices in their own communities.