As we spend our days connecting with CAN families in old and new ways, it can sometimes feel like we are only putting out fires. And, in times of crisis, this is very important work!
However, we have this incredibly challenging task of trying to help our families navigate the world as it is while also changing the game so that it is not only set up to benefit whom the gamemakers have arbitrarily named as privileged with rules set up in their favor from the start.
It can feel overwhelming when we look at the big-picture state of things, but it is helpful to remember that while we might not have the power to change the entire world, we do have power in our own little corner of the world. We must use this time to pause and consider what do we have the capacity for right now and what are our highest priorities?
One thing that comes to mind as something we do have control over is how we can frame "education." While our students still need assistance for success in school as it is structured right now, we can also use our out-of-school time to re-imagine what learning can look and feel like. Education can be a part of our becoming, in a way that celebrates us instead of forcing us into neatly cut-out molds. Maybe we can find small ways we can re-prioritize what we value, what we spend time on, what we celebrate so we can center our students instead of our expectations.
What might re-prioritization look like? As an organization, we can be cognizant of these characteristics and how they are detrimental to working together to promote equity and justice.
"It does require us to reinvent the wheel. We have to envision something that is not what many of us experienced growing up. It looks like a classroom where people, regardless of age, are able to come in and be their full selves, meaning that they don’t have to lose or deny any element of their identity or their culture at the door to achieve success. That’s culturally sustaining pedagogy. Then, as a teacher: What am I doing in this room to celebrate their strengths, build on their weaknesses and help them learn actual skills, so that they’re not just reading words on paper and doing things on paper but participating in thinking critically about our society?"
--Lorena Germán
Take a deeper dive: "What it Means to Be an Anti-racist Teacher"
Highlights
It's a new month and starting now, this newsletter will highlight birthdays of current staff and interns* at the beginning of each month! This March, we want to celebrate the birth of the following incredible individuals:
Brooke Brandon, GBC Intern - March 6
Alex Ortiz, Bryant Program Assistant - March 18
Derrick Miller, Executive Director - March 29
Montana Crowell, Grants Specialist - March 31
If you see these folks this month, make sure to shower them in love! We are so grateful for you.
*If you're a staff/intern and your name isn't up here, please let me know so we can update our database to ensure your birthdate is on record.
Announcements
RECRUITING Summer Program Facilitators! Please spread the word to everyone you know that CAN is now officially hiring Summer Program Facilitators for our 2021 Educational Summer Camps! More information can be found at: https://www.canwashtenaw.org/jobs
Next All Staff Meeting is March 12 at 2pm - If you can make it, you are invited to join our all staff meeting to hear about what is happening across sites and for us to hear about the great work you are doing at CAN.
Tips & Tidbits
Check out this presentation and feel free to connect with your supervisor if you have any questions.
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Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments (or highlights, announcements, etc.), please email Katie at klampen@canwashtenaw.org.