Nelson Moves Conversation to Action: The Future of Education for Black Students
TORONTO, May 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Nelson Education, Canada's leading education and content provider, is launching additional learning opportunities for educators coast-to-coast that focus on The Future of Education for Black Students on May 18 and May 25, 2021.
On February 3, 2021, Nelson hosted the national event The Future of Education for Black Students, (FEBS) a virtual event that engaged educators, parents and students from across Canada. With over 2,500 registrations, the event trended number one on Twitter that evening (hashtag #FEBS21). As a result of educators wanting to continue the conversation, Nelson is offering two follow-up sessions, to be held on May 18 and 25, 2021. As May 25 marks the first anniversary of the tragic death of George Floyd, the second session will recognize and commemorate this tragedy and how it relates to the anti-Black racism experienced in Canada, especially for Black students in classrooms.
Dr. Andrew Campbell, Adjunct Faculty at OISE, University of Toronto and Adjunct Faculty at Queen's University, will act as moderator for both sessions, and panelists from the first FEBS event will return to expand on their thoughts. "Too many of our students are made to feel like they are strangers in schools—as if they are interrupting something," says Dr. Campbell. "Let students feel that the classroom is theirs!"
The first session, taking place on May 18, titled, "Anti-Racism, Leadership and Curriculum Change," includes panelists Colleen Russell-Rawlins, Interim Permanent Director of Education for the Peel District School Board; Claudette Rutherford, Educator, Community Advocate and Co-Founder of Parents of Black Children; and George McAuley, Curriculum Coordinator: Senior Mathematics and Science and Anti-Racism Education, Inclusion and Diversity with the London District Catholic School Board. Regarding the event, Colleen Russell-Rawlins emphasizes, "We are always accountable. It is crucial that professional learning informs the daily practice of identifying and dismantling systemic inequities."
The second session, happening on May 25, titled, "What Matters Most in The Future of Education for Black Students?" includes panelists Gregory Birkett, Educator, Author and Spoken Word Artist; Jacob Robinson, Student at the University of Waterloo; and Claudette Rutherford. "If we want to understand what Canada is and what it could be, we have to understand what it has been," says Gregory Birkett. "Knowing the Black Canadian experience really allows us to fill in a lot of the gaps in our often-romanticized national narrative."
Each session will be opened by Nelson's CEO Steve Brown. "As Canada's leading educational publishing company over 100 years old, Nelson prides itself on educating the life-long learner." He goes on to say, "We have a social responsibility to elevate the voices of those that need to be heard; it is part of our mission. If we can't create equity and equality in our classrooms, what hope do we have in society?"
Both events, held virtually, continue the themes developed in Nelson's webinar series, See Us, Learn Us: Teaching About the Black Canadian Experience. Led by Gregory Birkett and his sister, fellow educator Coleen Birkett, this nine-part series gives educators a historical foundation, information about resources, and access to the ideas necessary to learn about and teach the Black Canadian experience.
Event Details:
Session 1: Anti-Racism, Leadership and Curriculum Change - Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (EDT)
Session 2: What Matters Most in the Future of Education for Black Students? - Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 PM (EDT)
To register for, and learn more about, The Future of Education for Black Students, visit the event website.
About Nelson Education
For over a century, Nelson has worked in partnership with Canadian educators to develop quality resources that are tied to curricula and that meet provincial learning expectations. As Canada's largest educational publisher, Nelson dedicates its business efforts to the creation of quality, innovative solutions that empower learning success by supporting the needs of every student and educator. Visit www.nelson.com to learn more.
SOURCE Nelson Education Ltd.
Media Contact, Colleen Aguilar, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, Nelson, [email protected] or Marco Delgado, Digital Marketing Manager, Nelson, [email protected]
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