September 15, 2021 Update
Dear Friends for Equity in Avon Schools,
We hope you had a fun and fulfilling summer! Your Friends for Equity (FFE) steering committee has been busy behind the scenes fundraising and networking to be able to start this school year off strong and focused on our mission to support a learning environment in our schools where ALL children can thrive.
Here’s what we’ve been up to since June:
We met with the APS district leadership to share our progress and learn about the work they are focused on. We’ll continue to have monthly check-ins.
We met with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the State Education Resource Center, and the Pro Bono Partnership, all focused on how to most effectively achieve our mission.
We are in discussions to incorporate and obtain 501(c)(3) status and continue to have the support of the Center for Leadership and Justice as a partner and our fiscal sponsor.
In partnership with AFPL we co-sponsored community discussions on the books Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You for teens and Stamped (For Kids). Meaningful conversations were had in both groups.
We are planning monthly community conversations around a focused topic, to be scheduled on the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM.
Last month we had our first playgroup at PGS playground where APS kids and parents came to connect and kick off the school year with friendship and fun! These will continue on the last Sunday of every month.
CALL TO ACTION!!
Our success depends on community involvement. Please consider lending your talents and time to support our development, organizing and fundraising efforts. Beyond helping our kids and community, you will make friends and learn a great deal about the many facets of diversity, equity and inclusion. We need your support! Please tell us how you'd like to help by completing this survey.
SAVE THE DATES:
Raising awareness around the issues of race and bias is at the core of our work. We invite you to join us at these upcoming community events.
SEPTEMBER 28 @ 7PM: Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s GREATER TOGETHER 2021 Celebration of Giving featuring special guest Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us and social justice activist. More info and registration here.
OCTOBER 2 @ 3PM: We’re excited to host our first annual Community Fest at Elizabeth Park to celebrate our diverse student body. APS students, families, and staff welcome! Please let us know if you’ll be joining us by signing up on our website here.
OCTOBER 3 @ 4PM: S.E.E. CT’s next community meeting titled Mental Health and Rising from Trauma to Create Positive Change including how school-age experiences (especially racist comments/targeting) affect one’s adult life. Registration here.
OCTOBER 12 @ 7PM: Friends for Equity Community Meetup. This will be the kick off to monthly community meetups and conversations we will be holding on the second Tuesday of every month. Hold the dates and stay tuned!
OCTOBER 14 @ 7PM: Stamped from the Beginning book discussion hosted by the AFPL on any of the three versions of the book (but aimed at adults) led by our Avon librarians. More info and registration here.
From the words of Stamped for Kids author, Dr. Cherry-Paul (from this highly recommended MindShift podcast) who spoke directly to Avon families this past July, “We have to find ways to talk about complex topics so we can help young learners make sense of the world that they live in. The truth is the truth, and children deserve the truth, and children want the truth and children can handle the truth,” referencing a quote from children’s literature author Carole Boston Weatherford. The hope is that all of the children we nurture will be equipped to express curiosity, challenge when appropriate, and imagine new and better worlds.
THANK YOU for your interest, support, and commitment.