HATHORNE Superintendent Heidi Riccio, is happy to announce that Essex Tech has been awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Schools efforts to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
The award is made possible by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Educations Hate Crimes Prevention Grant. It aims to support students in their academic success and future career paths by creating a positive educational environment.
Our students come with a variety of backgrounds and experience. Superintendent Riccio stated that we aim to create a welcoming environment where every student is treated with respect and dignity. This grant will allow us to strengthen and expand our programs and help students and staff reflect on the Essex Techs culture we want.
In recent years, many initiatives have been undertaken by the District.
- Adopting fair access policies and activities for all applicants. This included professional training with Culture 7, which helps to develop cultural competence as well as raise awareness regarding implicit bias in interactions and communication with students and caregivers.
- Spanish and Portuguese translators will be on-site for all middle school interview sessions. Materials used at parent information sessions and community-based applicants sessions will also be translated into Spanish and Portuguese.
- Examining curriculum across all disciplines in order to identify implicit biases and to revise units where necessary
- Adding new courses such as the Genocide Studies elective, which raises awareness about inequality throughout the 20th Century.
- Hire a bilingual parent liaison who is available to work extended hours in evening community outreach.
- Due to the increased stress students are feeling due to the COVID-19 epidemic, there are now more mental health supports available for them.
- Six Seconds is helping the administration research and teach the skills required for emotional intelligence (EQ). This will allow individuals, teams, schools, and communities to thrive.
- The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI Team) is being created by Culture 7. It will work with Culture 7 to develop strategies for addressing racism, bias, homophobic behavior, and other discriminatory behaviors.
- Supporting a variety of recognition programmes, including National Hispanic Heritage Month/World Hijab Day and Black History Month/Martin Luther King Day, as well as a National Day of Silence in support of LGBTQ+ rights and a Black Lives Matter movement on social media
- Kindness Week is an opportunity for students and staff to demonstrate kindness in order to increase cultural proficiency and shift the responsibility of ensuring that everyone supports and serves each other.
Superintendent Riccio stated that we are grateful to our staff members for their efforts and for doing the hard work required. We are also grateful for the support of the Danvers Police, Danvers Human Rights and Inclusion Committee and DanversCARES. Each of these organizations help us reduce bias-motivated behavior.