Building Inclusive Schools: September 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

The start of the school year is always an energizing time for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities . While we have added a wide range of workplace and community programs over the last several years, a significant amount of our programming is still geared towards students and educators. And it is truly inspiring to see what these participants are able to do with the knowledge, motivation, and skills that they gain from VCIC's programs to create more inclusive classroom and school environments.

For example, at last month's 25th anniversary Harold M. Marsh, Sr. Connections Institute , high school students from across Virginia spent a week exploring prejudice, building community, and establishing plans to share what they learned with their schools throughout the 2018-2019 school year and beyond. The program evaluations continued to be strong this year. Here is an example of some student feedback:

"Thank you all for one of the most amazing weeks of my life! I am so lucky to have spent time with so many of the most accepting, kind, funny people I have ever met. I am so thankful for the chance to meet you all and I will never forget this."

"Thank you for this life-changing experience and for teaching how to make the world... a better and more inclusive place."

"I may have left Connections, but Connections will never leave me. I learned so much this past week. My view of the world has been widened! I'm so excited to take what I learned back to... my community."

This update includes details about upcoming VCIC programs, many local and national resources, and organizational updates. As you embark upon the 2018-2019 school year, please let us know how VCIC can partner with you. Contact our office by phone at (804 ) 515-7950 or by emailing Director of Programs Jessica Hawthorne .

We look forward to working with you!

Welcome New VCIC Staff

The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities continues to grow! This summer, we welcomed Anne Gibbons and Tiffany Patton to our staff team. Anne serves as Outreach Programs Coordinator with primary responsibility for community programs and partnerships. Tiffany is RVA Educational Programs Coordinator, a special grant-funded position to deepen our work with Richmond-area schools.

2018-2019 Calendar of Holidays and Festivals

VCIC's 2018-2019 Calendar of Holidays and Festivals is a resource designed to encourage public awareness of the great diversity of religious and ethnic groups that live in the United States. Holidays and festivals are included for many religious, ethnic, and public occasions. Educators may find the calendar helpful as it identifies opportunities for objective, noncreedal instruction about particular cultures. It also serves as a reminder of religious observances that may result in absences, as well as opportunities for increased sensitivity.