Support Bronx Youth at the BASE Equity Conference

Hi y'all!

We are bringing our 2nd annual Equity Conference back to the Bronx Academy for Software Engineering! Last year we were able to secure funds to *pay* students for presenting their projects, however, this year we're unable to provide the same and looking to GoFundMe for some support from our communities!

As educators at BASE, we believe in anti-racist, transformative pedagogy and our Equity Conference is the culmination of the 9th graders work throughout the year in their Reading for Justice course. This year's Equity Conference is also promoting our 12th graders Capstone projects - their final portfolio-based projects before they embark on their post-secondary journeys.

For this project we are seeking $3,000 in order to pay 9th graders for presenting at the conference as well as buying food to celebrate the accomplishments of the day!

Meaningful equity starts at the community level. Our Equity Conference is developed, planned and facilitated by youth who are from the Belmont and surrounding areas of the Bronx. The concepts of equity have been in discussion at our school for years: Why is the Bronx under resourced? Why are there food deserts across NYC? Why are DEI initiatives across the country being defunded? Our youth are not only questioning these things but want to take ACTION! As Vivian Vazquez Irizarry says in the documentary "Decade of Fire", "Stay, Fight, Build". The BASE Equity Conference is the space we hold to embody the fight for justice.