Cultivating Belonging Summit
Healing Harm, Rebuilding Systems, & Restoring Hope for Black Youth
Tuesday, Feb. 17 I 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. I Sonoma County Office of Education I Free
Dear community leaders,
I’m excited to invite you to a free, daylong summit called Cultivating
Belonging. This event on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at SCOE is focused on how we can create positive, nurturing school cultures that center the dignity, safety, and brilliance of Black youth. As a longtime educational leader in Sonoma County and California, I have heard more times than I can count about how race-based bullying, including the use of racial slurs and schools’ failure to address them, have damaged our students’ confidence and sense of self. Many of us have experienced firsthand how this can create lasting harm within schools and our wider communities.
Schools have a moral imperative to provide affirming, hopeful spaces for learning where every student can thrive. That is why, in the same spirit as our Seeds of Solidarity conference geared toward multilingual learners last year, SCOE has curated a day of professional learning focused on meeting the needs of Black students.
I’m reaching out to you because our draft agenda includes an opportunity for school district teams to create behavior matrixes with support roles for community and faith-based organizations. Ultimately, we want community and faith-based groups to partner with our districts and serve as resources.
When I talk to educators about what support they need, one of the most commonly requested types of professional development is for strategies on how to directly confront bullying and create positive school climates free from discrimination.
The Cultivating Belonging Summit will highlight for educational and
community leaders the importance of talking about race and equip them with tools and guidance to effectively lead such conversations. Presenters Zetha Nobles, Dr. Candace Cofield, and Dr. Lori Watson will discuss theory and practice for making our campuses affirming spaces for Black youth. We’ll also be exploring county YouthTruth data and anecdotes from local districts to help guide the conversation.
A flyer with additional information is attached to this email so that you may share it with your staff.
To register for the summit, please use this Google Form
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenCT9HBy7xRZA5OI8sER2xVs_RMgj1DfqAkTjzcfs1eRelVQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=112304475709300387258>.
In partnership,
Amie Carter, Ed.D.
She/her/hers
Superintendent of Schools
707-524-2603