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Eighth Annual
Welcoming and Safe Schools Youth Conference March 17, 2020 University of Southern Maine Portland Campus Sponsored by Welcoming and Safe Schools Youth Conference 2020 Schedule 8:30 - 9:00 Registration and Coffee Lobby 9:00 - 9:30 Welcome/ Opening Session Talbot Hall, Luther Bonney 9:40 - 10:40 Breakout Session 1 Classrooms in Luther Bonney Hall See Breakout Session 1 Descriptions and Classroom Assignments 10:50 - 11:50 Breakout Session 2 Classrooms in Luther Bonney Hall See Breakout Session 2 Descriptions and Classroom Assignments 11:50 - 12:20 Lunch Luther Bonney When going to your 3rd session, you may bring drinks and food with you. 12:30 - 1:30 Breakout Session 3 Classrooms in Luther Bonney Hall See Breakout Session 3 Descriptions and Classroom Assignments 1:40 - 2:15 pm Closing and Evaluation Talbot Hall, Luther Bonney Hall Creating a Welcoming and Safe Environment at the Conference
9:40-10:40 Breakout Session 1 Spoken Word Poetry for Youth in Schools Luther Bonney 402 Presenter: Maya Williams Target Audience: High Schools Description: In this session, we learn about the history of the spoken word poetry, how it has been used as a tool for self-expression and activism, and how to apply it in schools. We will also take the time to write a spoken word poem to share out loud. Sharing is not obligatory, though it is encouraged. Presenter Bio: May Williams (she/they) is a black mixed race queer poet and teaching artist. May has worked with organizations such as EqualityMaine, The Telling Room, GLSEN, MYAN, and The Maine Humanities Council. Maya hosts a community open mic Tuesday nights at Bull Feeney’s at 8pm and a workshop Sunday mornings at Quill Books and Beverages at 10:30am. Using Immigrant Literature to Create Welcoming Classrooms and Libraries Luther Bonney 241 Presenter(s): Kirsten Cappy and Meghan Rooks Target Audience: Everyone Description: How can K-12 schools create an environment of Welcoming and Belonging for New Arrival and New American students? Libraries and classrooms are using the touring I'm Your Neighbor Books' Welcoming Libraries to "disrupt practice" and open conversations on immigration. The schools' temporary hosting of the Welcoming Library’s New Arrival/New American picture book collection and companion discussion materials changes how both students and teachers engage with this crucial topic. Discover how you can book and engage with the Welcoming Library and broaden your collection of K-12 immigration and refugee literature. Presenter Bios: Kirsten Cappy is the Executive Director of I'm Your Neighbor Books, a nonprofit organization that highlights the lives of New Arrivals and New Americans through the Welcoming Library and other children’s literature engagement projects. Meghan Rooks is a middle school librarian in Portland, Maine with previous experience in elementary school and public libraries. In addition to her library work, she advises her schools' Gay-Straight Alliances, is a Civil Rights Team advisor, and is on the board of I'm Your Neighbor Books. This is the Gay That the Lord Has Made! Being LGBTQ, Christian, and Proud Luther Bonney 502 Presenters: Ophelia Hu Kinney Target Audience: Everyone Description: Have you ever been told that you had to choose between your LGBTQ identity and your Christian faith? Have you ever felt ashamed or afraid of who you are because you were raised Christian? Come learn why LGBTQ identity is compatible with Christian faith and can even make your faith stronger. In this presentation, you'll learn basic queer theology (how we talk about God), and you'll gain an understanding of the "clobber passages": the six Bible passages frequently cited to marginalize LGBTQ folks. Come to lose the shame and leave with love! Presenter Bio: Ophelia Hu Kinney (she/her/hers) is the Communications Specialist at Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization advancing LGBTQ justice and inclusion in The United Methodist Church, and the Worship Coordinator at HopeGateWay (UMC). She lives with her wife and cats in Scarborough at the edge of the woods. Building Community Through Social Groups Leave from Talbot Hall to Library Presenter: Susie R. Bock Target Audience: Everyone Description: if you are an outsider, how do you change the community that does not include you? You build your own groups, which make you visible to the society at large. USM’s LGBTQ+ Collection has the records of Queer running, religios, social, singing, business, youth, theater, and political groups. These organizations built the LGBTQ+ community as part of Maine’s community. Visit USM’s Special Collections and engage with the artifacts of these groups and learn how the LGBTQ+ community has changed Maine. Presenter Bio: Since 1999, Susie R. Bock has managed University of Southern Maine’s Special Collections and directed the Jean Byer Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, including the LGBTQ+ Collection. This collection preserves and makes accessible primary resources documenting Maine’s Queer community. Her department has an active educational program where college and school classes engage with the collections. Gentleman’s Club: A Panel Discussion around Building Positive Change for Middle School Boys Luther Bonney 502 Presenter: Jane Hubley and Lyman Moore Gentleman’s Club Target Audience: Everyone Description: A panel discussion/conversation about the Gentlemen at Moore. How a group of boys committed to changing the narrative around behavior, academic expectations and equity grew into a force for courageous conversation and change. Presenter Bio: Jane Hubley is a middle school social worker, supporter and ally. 10:50 - 11:50 Breakout Session 2 Envisioning ESDB: Empowerment Self Defense for Boys Luther Bonney 502 Presenter(s): Dan Kipp Target Audience: Everyone Description: Empowerment Self Defense is a holistic approach to personal safety that has traditionally been offered to girls and LGBTQIA+ folk - but what would it be like to offer ESD to boys? In this workshop, participants will help to envision the specific mind and skill sets necessary to engaging boys of all identities in co-creating a world in which everyone can live boldly and freely without fear. Presenter Bio: Dan Kipp is an educator, facilitator, and advocate in the world of power-based violence prevention. Dan’s work is informed by extensive training in the issue of intimate partner violence, as well as non-violent communication and empowerment self-defense. Education Debt or Achievement Gap? Understanding Inequity in the Classroom Luther Bonney 303 Presenter(s): Barrett Wilkinson and Fiona Hopper Target Audience: Advisors/Adults Description: In this workshop educators of all levels are invited to learn about systemic inequities in education. Using Gloria Ladson-Billings framing of “education debt,” we will consider our shared responsibility to address ongoing barriers facing students in our education system. Participants will learn about Portland Public Schools current equity focus and how it is affecting district policy, curricula, and classroom practice. In this interactive session we will provide participants with tools for evaluating their pedagogy, methodology, and classroom environments with a lens on representation and decolonization. Presenter Bios: Fiona Hopper has been a teacher in the Portland Public Schools for 13 years. She started her career in Portland as a middle school language arts teacher and later became an ESOL teacher, working primarily with newly arrived students in grades 3-5. She also co-founded and co-teaches Race in the United States: Perspectives for Portland Educators, an introductory course for Portland teachers on issues of race, racism, privilege, bias, and equity. Currently, Fiona is the Social Studies Teacher Leader and Wabanaki Studies Coordinator on the district academic team. Barrett Wilkinson has spent their career working in the fields of violence prevention and conflict resolution throughout the US and in Northern Ireland. Having worked for the Center for Preventing Hate, Seeds of Peace, the City of Portland, and currently as the Equity Specialist for Portland Public Schools, Barrett's areas of expertise include prevention and resilience, social and emotional development, diversity-equity-inclusion, and strong Irish Tea. Teaching What We Weren’t Taught: Making Sex-Ed Make Sense for an Inclusive Classroom Luther Bonney 326 Presenter: Kris Pitts (Please as me my pronouns!) Target Audience: Advisors/Adults Description: Historically, sex-ed has taken two paths: abstinence-only education, or education focused on dominant culture notions of family planning. These models ignore the complexities of the individual experiences, backgrounds, and identities of young people, as well as place educators in the position of potentially providing a disservice to those who may be at increased risk of experiencing sexual violence or increased rates of STI's, including HIV. This workshop assists participants in looking towards meaningful ways to include content relevant for the realities of diverse communities, taking into consideration factors such as sex, gender, accessibility, sexuality, harm-reduction, and other lived experiences. Presenter Bio: Kris Pitts, MPS, is the Prevention & Training Coordinator for New Beginnings, Inc. Historically, Kris has worked providing community-based education and crisis intervention related to trafficking and interpersonal violence, prioritizing work with under-served populations. Kris is passionate about community organizing, accessible and inclusive education, youth mentoring, and Q+ issues. Safety through Empowerment Luther Bonney 403 Presenter: Bianca Pastrana Target Audience: Everyone Description: Empowerment Self Defense gives participants verbal and physical tools to set and maintain clear boundaries, express what they want, need, and feel and identify and intervene early for their own safety and that of others. The workshop is fun and highly interactive with games, role-plays, and verbal and physical skill building. Physical skills taught are accessible and adaptable to all. Due to their higher risk of facing gender-based violence, this workshop will focus on the safety needs of female-identified, non binary, and LGBTQ students. Presenter Bio: Bianca Pastrana is a Lead Teacher with Prevention. Action. Change. with extensive experience teaching empowerment self defense and active bystander intervention with all ages. Bianca has a master healing practitioner in Portland and has trained in several martial arts. 12:30 - 1:30 Breakout Session 3 Yoga for All Bodies and All Occassions Luther Bonney 208 Presenter: Vincent Grant Target Audience: Everyone Description: In this presentation participants will learn mindfulness techniques to use during life's difficult moments. These techniques include breathing, meditation, and gentle movement. Trained in trauma-informed yoga, Vincent teaches all his classes using these principles and draws from his own personal experience. All participants need to bring is themselves and a willingness to practice self-care. Presenter Bio: Vincent Grant is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, beginning his 300-hour teacher training this spring. He believes that yoga is a powerful tool for allowing yourself to become reacquainted with your body and spirit. Vincent creates sequences that are accessible for anyone and everyone, always emphasizing that his cues are merely suggestions. He teaches at Arcana in Portland and with Sea Change Yoga, a local-non profit. Being a Bystander Luther Bonney 503 Presenter: Mariah Reed Target Audience: Everyone Description: In this workshop, attendees will be challenged to consider how they can help foster an active bystander culture to counteract teen dating violence, especially when experienced by LGBTQ+ youth. After gaining a deeper understanding of how to recognize teen dating violence, attendees will be given the space to build empathy for survivors navigating these complicated circumstances. Attendees will also be provided with the knowledge of specific bystander techniques and how to provide survivors will non-judgmental and non-directive support. All will walk away with specific goals for their schools and community and many resources to help support this continued conversation. Presenter Bio: Mariah Reed (she/her/hers) is the community based youth educator for Through These Doors, the domestic violence resource center for Cumberland county. As a domestic violence advocate, she centers the experiences of LGBTQ+ survivors to understand the intersection of homophobia and transphobia and domestic violence. “No one is free (from bullying) until we are all free”: How to be an anti-bullying ally for LGBTQ+ and other Diverse Populations in your School Luther Bonney 302 Presenter: Elena LaNigra, Gio Yager, Ceder Levin, Meghan Curran, Meg Rooks, Susanne MacArthur Target Audience: Everyone Description: Even if schools have diversity policies, recent national and state surveys show anti-diversity language and behaviors still exist and in many cases are increasing. Informed and engaged students and school staff members are needed to take action against biased-based slurs and behaviors. This workshop, designed by youth who are LGBTQ+ diversity leaders in their schools, will address how students and staff members may become supportive allies to all types of diverse populations. Students will share their personal stories, provide opportunities to brainstorm best practices, and create plans for participants to use in their own schools. Presenter Bios: GLSEN Southern Maine, founded in 1996, is a chapter of the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people. We support school clubs called Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) or other-named diversity clubs. We are in our twelfth year of holding monthly GSA Regional Meetings for middle school and high school students and sponsoring a youth leadership team. Our presenters are students in middle school and high school and current or former school faculty members and GSA/SAGA advisors. Youth Engagement Partners Workshop Luther Bonney 402 Presenters: Christal E. Ndaye, Mena Eltahir, Casarra Abeasi, Apiyo Charles, Balqies Mohamed, Ladislas "Ladi" Nzeyimana, and Hamdi Adan Target Audience: Everyone Description: The Youth Engagement Partners (YEPs) Workshop will explore the elements of what makes a successful youth/adult partnership. YEPs believes in youth majority decision making, and the power of youth voice, as well as the necessary partnership of adults in order to tackle issues within our schools and communities. YEPs explores these topics through the lenses of underrepresented students experience. YEPs also intends its audience to be highschoolers, and advisors/adults because this partnership involves both groups of people. Presenter Bios: Casarra is a senior at Portland High School, where she is a co-facilitator of the Black Student Union. She also participates in the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institution and Let’s Talk Bulldog Block, a women of color group. With her work in YEP’s, she hopes to create permanent change within her school and other highschools. As a Youth Lead Organizer, Casarra’s goal is to become comfortable with leading meaningful discussions. In her free time, Casarra enjoys hanging out with friends, family, and playing sports such as soccer, cheer, track. Cassera is very social and loves giving advice and helping others! Mena Eltahir Mena is a current sophomore at Deering High School, where she is the president of the school’s Black Student Union. Mena is also a co-president of her class. Within Deering, Mena hopes to create real change through the hard work of YEPs! She loves hanging out with friends and Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream. She describes herself as a chocoholic! Christal E. Ndaye Christal is a junior at Casco Bay High School. Christal is also involved in Maine Youth Court and enjoys playing squash. As a Youth Lead Organizer, Christal hopes to talk about systemic racism and work to diminish its impacts in our communities. In her free time, Christal weight lifts, play’s racquet sports, hang’s out with friends, and tries new things that test her strength! Ladislas "Ladi" Nzeyimana Ladi is a senior at Deering High School, and is the current student body president. He loves to play soccer. He believes being a Youth Lead Organizer is an opportunity to expand on leadership and facilitation skills, and in addition, to gain perspective on on-going issues in Portland Public Schools, and to help solve issues. His goal this year as a YLO is to engage more people in conversations and address community issues that are being overlooked. Apiyo Charles Apiyo is a senior at Portland High School, where she is involved in the Black Student Union. As a Youth Lead Organizer, she hopes to become a better leader. Apiyo’s goal for YEP’s this year is to be more action oriented and raise awareness of problems within her school. Apiyo loves to dance and run track. She also has a twin! Balqies Mohamed Balqies is a sophomore at Deering High School. Balqies is the founder and current president of the Muslim Student Association at her school. As a Youth Lead Organizer, she hopes to bridge divides between students of all gender, race, abilities, and sexual orientation. In her free time, she enjoys baking. |