The 7th Creating a Peaceful School Conference
was held on Saturday, February 9, 2019
at the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center
1035 Carol Lane
Lafayette, CA 94549
Educators, activists, and community members came together to share how we can best support our students and cultivate safe, inclusive, and critical learning spaces that allow them to thrive and grow.
This year's theme: Building Bridges Not Walls
Keynote Speaker:
LAUREN MARKHAM, Community School Program Manager, Oakland International High School and Author of The Faraway Brothers (2017)
Markham has worked in a variety of positions over the past decade in support of refugees, immigrants and vulnerable youth, with a focus on the intersection between education and migration. She has served as a caseworker and a resettlement capacity worker for the International Rescue Committee in Oakland, the Senior Programs Coordinator for Refugee Transitions and as a consultant for the Oakland Unified School District's Refugee & Asylee Student Assistance Program. Having worked with youth and families in Boston, Vermont, San Francisco, Oakland, El Salvador and Uganda, Lauren speaks Spanish, French and a fair amount of Luganda.
Her book, The Faraway Brothers, Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life, is based on the true story of a set of twins escaping poverty and gang violence in El Salvador. They grew up in a rural community in the wake of a civil war and eventually made their way through Mexico and across the Rio Grande to stay with an estranged brother in Oakland. Markham met them at the high school where she works as a refugee coordinator and through this book offers an unforgettable testament to the migrant experience.
LAUREN MARKHAM, Community School Program Manager, Oakland International High School and Author of The Faraway Brothers (2017)
Markham has worked in a variety of positions over the past decade in support of refugees, immigrants and vulnerable youth, with a focus on the intersection between education and migration. She has served as a caseworker and a resettlement capacity worker for the International Rescue Committee in Oakland, the Senior Programs Coordinator for Refugee Transitions and as a consultant for the Oakland Unified School District's Refugee & Asylee Student Assistance Program. Having worked with youth and families in Boston, Vermont, San Francisco, Oakland, El Salvador and Uganda, Lauren speaks Spanish, French and a fair amount of Luganda.
Her book, The Faraway Brothers, Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life, is based on the true story of a set of twins escaping poverty and gang violence in El Salvador. They grew up in a rural community in the wake of a civil war and eventually made their way through Mexico and across the Rio Grande to stay with an estranged brother in Oakland. Markham met them at the high school where she works as a refugee coordinator and through this book offers an unforgettable testament to the migrant experience.
BREAKOUT SESSION PRESENTERS INCLUDED:
Healing Racism in Schools |
Sharla Stevens-Webb, M.A.,
Teacher/Business Owner Healing Racism in Schools How To Create Instant Rapport with Students of Color Have you ever wondered how you could more authentically connect with students of color? Are you confused about how to make your classroom and curriculum more inclusive? Are you disappointed with the lack of professional development provided on these topics? In this session, Ms. Stevens, provided 20 years of tried and true tips that create instant rapport and rewarding relationships with all students. About the Presenter: Stevens-Webb gets her passion from her experiences as a failing black girl in public schools. After barely graduating, she went to college and graduated summa cum laude from Howard University and later obtained her Masters in Education Best Practices. Her experiences at failing high school but being an overachiever in college caused her to look more closely into the experiences of youth of color in public schools and the racism they internalize. She has over 20 years in education, mostly as a high school history teacher and outspoken youth advocate. After being appalled at the way schools mistreat students of color (and all other marginalized groups) and the lack of meaningful professional development, Stevens-Webb started her business, “Healing Racism in Schools.” Her goal is to teach tried and true tips to create rewarding relationships with all students and make schools a place that all students love. As someone who has had extraordinary success with students, she will teach how she creates instantly rapport and mutual respect with students simply by being real! |
JG Larochette
Founder and Director of Mindful Life Project, Richmond California Mindfulness in Education Mindful Life Project serves over 10,000 underserved Contra Costa students in 23 partner schools. We provide two school direct service mindfulness based social emotional learning programs as well as highly regarded mindful educator trainings. This session provided participants an understanding of our work and how mindfulness can improve both psychological and physiological well-being that create inner peace and empowerment that transform schools to be extremely healthy and compassionate learning environments. http://www.mindfullifeproject.org/ About the Presenter: In the creating Mindful Life Project Larochette was a PlayWorks Site Coordinator, Classroom Teacher at Coronado Elementary in Richmond for seven years, community advocate/organizer, mentor, and coach. All of these experiences with the young people in Richmond and Oakland inspired and taught him the deepest lessons of my life which then in turn created Mindful Life Project. He found the need to bring mindfulness based social emotional learning to our youth and educators so to create the healthiest and most empowering educational ecosystems in communities that are most effected by systems of oppression and institutionalized racism. |
Sharat G. Lin
Community Activist, Educator, Artist, Research Fellow @ San Jose Peace and Justice Center Khalilah Ramirez, Author, Artist and Educator Embracing Social Justice Through the Dance of Peace Dance and movement arts provide a forum through which to engage audiences in discussions about social justice and peace. This is particularly important when those general audiences may not otherwise be receptive, or in contexts where talks or discussions may seem out of place. The Dance of Peace is one example of an interpretive dance form performed to music and lyrics that may carry messages of social justice. This workshop informed, demonstrated, and engaged attendees in performing interpretive dance and illustrated the various ways of connecting dance to social justice narratives. The Dance of Peace is a performance art that is designed to foster peace in the hearts of everyone watching. It is exuberant, joyful, graceful and inspiring. The Dance of Peace accomplishes it's mission by radiating light in an elevated vibration of peace. Others can feel this powerful energy. It has been documented that it produces lasting positive effects on its audience. About the presenters: Lin started learning dance from Ramirez, and began performing the Dance of Peace in the streets, farmers markets, and community events in 2017 and has now taken the Dance of Peace to a number of countries around the world. Dancing together the duo expand the reach and magic of the Dance of Peace -- frequently drawing in members of the audience and passersby, and especially young children to join in joyous vibrant dancing. Both are educators, teachers and lecturers with many years of experience doing presentations to audiences of all ages. Lin is a lifelong academic, writer, lecturer, inventor, photojournalist, artist, and activist for social justice and peace. Working with Ramirez, he came to realize the potential role of performing arts in engaging audiences in discussions about social justice and peace. He is the past president of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, on the Board of Advisors of the Initiative for Equality, and co-coordinator of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Committee. He is also a contributing author in the book Studies in Inequality and Social Justice (2009), and curator for The Art of Protest. https://www.instagram.com/danceofpeace/ Ramirez is known as San Jose's "Dancer Of Peace". She founded the Dance of Peace in 2008 while seeking out ways to make a positive impact in the community. Since then, she has performed the Dance of Peace at hundreds of locations throughout the country. She is also an author, artist and educator. Learn more about Khalilah Ramirez and her work with The Dance of Peace: https://www.instagram.com/thepeacedancer/ |
Holly Sheehan
Consultant/School Design Coach: Big Picture Learning Native American Initiative Co-Presenter: Armando Ortiz Student Interest-Driven Culture-Based Education Projects: What Are They And How Can We Support Them? In this workshop, participants discovered how embedding CBE into student-interest driven learning plans allows AIAN students to authentically engage in culturally relevant learning. Indian Education scholars and Native communities agree that Culture-Based Education (CBE), a pedagogy that centers culture and language learning, is a current best practice for improving success outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native students. Meeting the unique cultural and linguistic needs of our American Indian, Alaska Native, and First Nations students is our treaty obligation and honoring the treaties is essential to peace and justice. About the presenter: Sheehan recently presented this workshop at the Teachers for Social Justice conference in San Francisco as well as at the Get Woke Stay Woke conference at Chabot Community College. www.bigpicture.org/ |
Ishaq Pathan
Deputy Director of Islamic Networks Group Creating Inclusive Classrooms This session presented ideas for creating inclusive classrooms through our INGYouth program which proactively addresses religious based bullying by providing Muslim teens with the skills and tools they need to counter bigotry and respond knowledgeably to challenging questions and negative stereotyping not only from their peers but also from teachers, school staff, and administrators. Participants had the opportunity to hear reflections from an INGYouth Speaker as well as a basic presentation about Muslims done by them. ing.org/ About the Presenter: Pathan is the Deputy Director of the Islamic Networks Group, a non-profit organization with affiliates and partners around the country that are pursuing peace and countering all forms of bigotry through education and interfaith engagement while working within the framework of the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom and pluralism. Ishaq earned his B.A. from Hamilton College with a major in Anthropology and minors in Education and Middle Eastern & Islamic World Studies. Ishaq has conducted dozens of youth training seminars, and spoken to thousands of students on topics relating to Islam and Muslims. He also holds a certificate in nonprofit leadership from the College of San Mateo and Center for Excellence in Nonprofits. |
Kaleo and Elise Ching
Adjunct Professor @ Sofia University, Palo Alto; John F. Kennedy University Arts and Consciousness Program
Qigong for Peace and Healing
Participants were taught Qigong movement and self-help acupressure points to release stress, build energy reserves and immune system, and harmonize body, mind, and spirit. They also experienced Qigong meditation/visualization for inner peace. The techniques are simple but profound. Because we believe that peace begins in oneʻs own heart, the class was geared toward the participants’ own benefit, but we hoped they were inspired to introduce some of these techniques and information to students in their classrooms and to share them with other educators as well.
About the Presenters:
Elise and Kaleo Ching co-taught at John F Kennedy University for 25 years. Now they are adjunct professors at Sofia University; teach at CURA (carnales unidos reformando adictos), a drug treatment facility in Fremont; and offer classes locally at community, spiritual, and retreat centers. Kaleo has a private Hawaiian massage, Acupressure, Hypnotherapy practice. They have written a number of books on Qi and Creativity.
kaleoching.com/
Adjunct Professor @ Sofia University, Palo Alto; John F. Kennedy University Arts and Consciousness Program
Qigong for Peace and Healing
Participants were taught Qigong movement and self-help acupressure points to release stress, build energy reserves and immune system, and harmonize body, mind, and spirit. They also experienced Qigong meditation/visualization for inner peace. The techniques are simple but profound. Because we believe that peace begins in oneʻs own heart, the class was geared toward the participants’ own benefit, but we hoped they were inspired to introduce some of these techniques and information to students in their classrooms and to share them with other educators as well.
About the Presenters:
Elise and Kaleo Ching co-taught at John F Kennedy University for 25 years. Now they are adjunct professors at Sofia University; teach at CURA (carnales unidos reformando adictos), a drug treatment facility in Fremont; and offer classes locally at community, spiritual, and retreat centers. Kaleo has a private Hawaiian massage, Acupressure, Hypnotherapy practice. They have written a number of books on Qi and Creativity.
kaleoching.com/
Emmy Akin, preschool teacher
Founder acorn.wiki and Diablo For Peace Anti-Bias in Curriculum & Restorative Justice In this collaborative workshop participants were presented with anti-bias and CSEFEL-inspired curriculum as well as anti-bias restorative justice methods. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, ideas, and knowledge in an effort to create an open space for discussion. Syllabi, pamphlets, and other resources for curriculum were available for participants to take home. About the presenter Akin holds a degree in Linguistics and Ethnobotany from University of Hawai’i, where she began her career in the nonprofit sector, specifically in Indigenous Rights. After volunteering for a grassroots NGO in Peru in 2015, she returned to the East Bay where she teaches at an outdoor preschool and operates acorn.wiki, a non-profit dedicated to Native Californian language revitalization. She is one of the founders of the youth-centered group Diablo For Peace, dedicated to cultivating an intergenerational intersectional anti-racism movement, focused on the Diablo Valley as an answer to the cognitive dissonance that plagues the cities east of the tunnel. |
Aminta Steinbach, Trainer/Coach
Be The Change Consulting, Oakland California Building Intentional Communities Designing a strong program is a complicated and nuanced art—one that requires cultural awareness, knowledge of social justice principles, and the practice of deep democracy. Given the right social conditions and held to high expectations, every young person has the opportunity to flourish. This session supported staff to define collective values, create a cohesive team unified in vision, behavior management strategies, and facilitation techniques. About the Presenter: In her 20 years working with young people, Aminta Steinbach has been a Program Coordinator, Youth Leadership Instructor and Program Director. Aminta majored in Community Studies, has studied Recreational Program Design and is a Certified Self Defense Instructor. Her areas of expertise as a capacity builder include Cultural Competency, Health and Safety Awareness and Community Building. Aminta is an enthusiastic cheerleader for her coaching clients, listens attentively, pays attention to details and acts as a compassionate guide through even the most difficult transitions. Aminta has a black belt in Kung Fu, and when not working you can usually find her kicking and punching her way to a more peaceful world. www.bethechangeconsulting.com/ |
CANCELLED DUE TO HEALTH ISSUE
Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan
Consultant, Educator/Activist, Transforming Ourselves: Transforming Our Schools
Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan
Consultant, Educator/Activist, Transforming Ourselves: Transforming Our Schools
Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center,
1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette, California 94549
(925) 933-7850
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS/INFORMATION
www.ourpeacecenter.org
1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette, California 94549
(925) 933-7850
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS/INFORMATION
www.ourpeacecenter.org