Culture of Respect: Expert Advice for Building an Inclusive Classroom

Presented by Jesse Bridges, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, EVERFI; Dr. Chezare A. Warren, Associate Professor of Urban Education and Teacher Education, Affiliate Faculty, Program in Mathematics Education, Michigan State University; and Derek Francis, Manager of Counseling Services, Office of College and Career Readiness, Minneapolis Public Schools (MN)

Moderated by Lauren Pingul, K-12 Product Marketing Specialist, EVERFI

Sponsored by EVERFI

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Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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We find ourselves in a moment where the dialogue about racism—both systemic and interpersonal—is happening across the nation. As we continue to build our class culture, many educators are looking for ways to address these conversations about race in their classrooms in alignment with culturally responsive teaching practices.

In this edWebinar, watch EVERFI’s Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Jesse Bridges, special guest speaker Dr. Chezare Warren, a nationally recognized researcher in the field of urban education and teacher education, and expert educator Derek Francis, Manager of Counseling Services for Minneapolis Public Schools and Consultant with Hatching Results, for a conversation about how educators can both strengthen their culturally responsive instruction and facilitate discussions around race, privilege, systemic racism and more in their classrooms.

Educators will leave this recorded session with an awareness of the Culturally Responsive Teaching framework as well as strategies to create opportunities for deeper classroom conversations surrounding race and equity. Viewers will also gain access to a digital resource for teaching about Black History as well as an Anti-Racism Extension Guide, complete with lessons, activities, and relevant articles.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to elementary through high school teachers and school and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Jesse Bridges serves as the SVP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at EVERFI. In this capacity, she is EVERFI’s lead subject matter expert on DEI, representing EVERFI’s thought leadership across their corporate, higher education, and K12 networks. Jesse also serves as part of the executive team to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization. Prior to joining EVERFI, Jesse served as the Senior Director of Organizational Culture and Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Education Advisory Board (EAB). In this role, Jesse developed and executed against an integrated diversity strategy that spanned talent management, community and team member engagement and equity in customer offerings. She also served as the primary facilitator of learning experiences on diversity, equity and inclusion related topics. Before joining EAB, Jesse served in higher education administration, most recently at Purdue University as the Associate Dean of Students.

Dr. Chezare A. Warren is a tenured associate professor of urban education and teacher education at Michigan State University, in the departmental home of the nation’s #1 programs in curriculum and instruction, elementary and secondary education. Dr. Warren has about a decade of professional experience as an urban educator and is a recipient of numerous national recognitions for his scholarship including the American Educational Research Association “Teaching and Teacher Education” 2018 Early Career Award. He has held postdoctoral or visiting faculty appointments at Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University. Author of more than 35 articles, reports, and chapters, his book, Urban Preparation: Young Black Men Moving from Chicago’s South Side to Success in Higher Education, was the first book to appear on Harvard Education Press’ “Race and Education” series in 2017. He consults nationally on issues of race and education justice. For more information, visit www.chezarewarren.com.

Derek Francis is a passionate school counselor focusing on a proactive, equity-based and proactive approach. He currently serves as the Manager of Counseling Services for Minneapolis Public Schools. Derek specializes in helping students and staff build trusting cross-cultural relationships and has presented at conferences throughout the country including American School Counselors Association, Minnesota School Counselors Association, Texas School Counselors Association and Wisconsin School Counselors Association. Recently, Derek lead a webinar for over 25,000 counselors and educators on “Proactive School Counseling After a Major Racial Incident.” Some of Derek’s published work includes contributions to Contemporary Case Studies in School Counseling, published blog “This Is Not A Fire Drill – Supporting Students after George Floyd” and articles for American School Counselors Association and American School Board Journal. Spending time with his wife and daughter and traveling are Derek’s favorite hobbies. Derek also serves as a Professional Development Specialist for Hatching Results.

About the Moderator

Lauren Pingul has been in education for the past ten years, as both a teacher and administrator. She now works as a Resource Specialist for EVERFI in Illinois, where she helps districts, schools and teachers implement no-cost digital resources in their classrooms. Lauren used EVERFI’s resources in her own classroom in New Orleans, and now gets to help students across North America gain access to engaging content around diversity, equity and inclusion, digital wellness, STEM, health and wellness, social-emotional learning and financial literacy.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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From grade school through retirement, EVERFI’s free digital education curriculums empower learners of all ages to make safe, smart and informed decisions. We bring together the public and private sectors so K-12 teachers can equip today’s learners with the skills they need to become tomorrow’s leaders.