RIMSD#41 staff and Augustana College Staff shared a sneak peek of the documentary Defining US - Children at the Crossroads of Change which debuted at the Toronto Black Film Festival in February.
The documentary series focuses on how education, both traditional and non-traditional, can play a pivotal role in developing pathways and solutions to the social issues that make us most human: race, gender, identity, mental health, and more. Educators are coming together to counteract harmful stereotypes and help all students discover their power, potential, and ability to lead us into the future.
One of the Executive Producers, Paul Forbes, was present at the sneak peek session to guide discussion and reflect on strategies to counteract bias and inequity. In the last three years, RIMSD #41 has worked on implementing best practices and training staff on anti-bias and equity, diversity and inclusion. Mr. Forbes has been consulting with the Rock Island-Milan School District for the past two years on anti-bias training and equity, diversity, and inclusion practices.
"It's important, ongoing work for us in the Rock Island-Milan School District #41," said RIMSD #41 Superintendent Dr. Reginald Lawrence II. "We both believe that education can be a pathway for positive social change."
After the documentary staff had a great discussion about acknowledging youth and affirming their identity and unique circumstances.
You can learn more about the documentary here https://definingus.org/
