Racial Equity and Restorative Justice PD

As a social worker and educator I hope to be able to take full advantage of the summer break by further educating myself on racial equity and restorative justice practices so that I am better able to serve the students, families, and community where I work. Being that there is so much racial inequity in our education system, receiving restorative justice training and implementing the model into our school (an "inner-city" Title One school) would be particularly beneficial to our students of color. We know black students are disproportionately penalized within our current punative systems in the United States. Bringing restorative  justice practices to our school would allow us to keep students (who are currently sent home/suspended) in school while fostering a sense of community, empathy, remorse, justice, and healing. Many educators feel there is a lack of punishment and many administrators are doing to best they can to support students and staff but do not have the framework by which to do so most effectively; restorative justice is that framework. 

For those of you who don't know me, I'm bold and unapologetically devoted to doing whatever it takes to providing all of my students-especially those who are impoverished and oppressed- with the tools they need to succeed! In the past month I have: attended protests; signed petitions; engaged in panel discussions on racial equity and justice; joined a committee to address inequity in our school district; spoken to policy makers; read a dozen books on the topic; completed anti-racism courses; watched various webinars, panel discussions, TED talks, and documentaries on these topics; and had many difficult conversations at home, work, and in the community about systemic racism. Yet none of these rich educational opportunities have provided me with the skill set or knowledge the aforementioned restorative justice training and racial equity resources will!

Unfortunately, during the summer months I only have part-time work through the school department (3 hours a day) and can not afford to take advantage of these professional development opportunities without financial support. The district is not able to provide funding for this training, which is why I am reaching out for your support! I am kindly asking for your support so that I am able to attend Suffolk University's  tier 1 (Introduction to Restorative Justice Practices and Circle Training for Educators) and tier 2 (Restorative Mindset And Restorative Classroom Management) restorative justice trainings, which total $700. I am also planning to attend Yale's Online African American History: From Emancipation to the Present course, which is tuition free but has textbooks totally $300.  Any contribution helps me towards my goal of fundraising $1,000 by mid-July! If I am unable to attend the courses due to insufficient funds, I will use donations to obtain additional resources on racial equity and restorative justice in educational institutions. Thank you so much for your consideration, generous donation, and for making a difference in the lives of young people and the institutions in which they're educated!

Yours In Service,
Emily Edit: Although the funding has not been approved by central office yet, the Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Diversity has agreed to partially fund the restorative justice trainings (1 out of 2 courses)! With your support, I will be able to attend both trainings AND purchase the rest of the books for the additional Yale course. I extended my thanks to everyone who has supported me in spreading the word of this campaign, especially those of you who have made generous contributions as well!