KC: It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm about the recently developed Pollyanna Intra-Conference and Aspirational Action Program . Ryan, what will a school gain by working with Pollyanna on this program?

RE: Extremely exciting, Kathy. As you know the From Diversity to Community Conference began with independent schools in a given geographic region asking questions about how to create more inclusive schools. Now, the Pollyanna Intra-Conference can bring the same type of conversations to just a school’s community specifically: students, parents, employees, alumni and parents of alumni. Themes for conferences can come from an existing strategic plan, need for building community, writing or re-writing a mission or vision statement, or Pollyanna can help develop a tailored theme. Building off the Intra-Conference, the Aspirational Action Program addresses the common question, “now, how do we hold our institution accountable to move the needle on all of this and how do I stay involved”?

 

RE: Kathy, as a team member, what is the main purpose of the Intra-Conference?

KC: Pollyanna designed the Intra-Conference as an institutional capacity-building and excavating tool for schools wanting to deepen their knowledge, enhance practices and improve skills in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The very nature of the Intra-Conference, its emphasis on Pollyanna’s motto Every Voice Matters brings a school together and establishes and strengthens community connections. The conference informs the community and provides a platform for sharing personal experiences, expressing opinions and perspectives, and generating ideas and solutions for growth. This results in an enthusiasm and a strong desire for informed Aspirational Action by the school community.

 

KC: Ryan, how would you describe the Aspirational Action Program process?

RE: Aspirational Action ideally picks up shortly after the Intra-Conference. Pollyanna helps structure retreats for stakeholder groups, co-designs DEI projects with metrics and starts down the path of creating goals for the school year. Accountability is made visible through in-process data being captured along the way. Results from projects will be collected and shared with the community to highlight how the needle is moving on respective initiatives. Regardless of how a school decides to approach Aspirational Action, Pollyanna serves as facilitators the entire way. Ultimately, Pollyanna’s goal is to ensure that positive and sustainable capacity-building approaches to the work of inclusive practice becomes institutionalized within a school so that year-to-year as demographics evolve and the community widens, approaches continue to be relevant, inviting and engaging.

 

RE: The Dalton School just held its first Intra-Conference titled The Dalton Citizen: Community & Belonging. Tell me about it?

KC: Dalton’s Intra-Conference was very successful as it addressed one initiative of the new strategic plan. Author and keynote Charles Vogl kicked off the day and focused on how to create a culture of belonging. He set the stage for morning discussions by constituent groups to share their experiences and brainstorm ways to make the community more inclusive. The afternoon included a panel discussion with two representatives from each constituent group, next steps and closing remarks.

 

The Intra-Conference allowed:

 

The Pollyanna team provided guidance and support throughout the planning and execution of the Dalton Intra-Conference.

 

Please contact us for more information about the Intra-Conference and Aspirational Action Program.