Equity through Education:

Embracing Challenges, Building Leaders and Fostering Inclusion

Saturday, March 2, 2024
Greenwood College School
443 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto
Greenwood College School invites delegations from peer schools to attend its first Equity Through Education conference.
We are excited to provide this opportunity to learn and grow together. During this one-day conference, we will build upon the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work and collaboration that has been happening in our independent schools. 
Our 2024 theme “Embracing Challenges, Building Leaders and Fostering Inclusion” speaks to the important steps we must all take to create safe and inclusive spaces within our schools and communities.
We are working with Pollyanna, Inc., and using their conference model. Read more about Pollyanna.

The conference has taken place; thank you to those who attended.

Meet Our Keynote Speaker: Paris McLean

    • Paris McLean

Paris has been an independent school educator and leader for 20 years. He has served as a 2nd Grade Lead Teacher, curriculum coordinator, multicultural diversity team chair, and head varsity basketball coach at his alma mater, the Princeton Day School (NJ). He then went on to serve as the Head of Lower School and the Assistant Head of School (Head of the Lower and Middle School) at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart (NJ). Paris is a graduate of LaSalle University (B.A.; Elementary and Special Education), The Klingenstein Center, Teachers College Columbia University (Ed.M.; Private School Leadership), and most recently, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Aspiring Heads Institute.
 
Paris has presented at state, national, and international conferences focusing on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion within school structures. He is also a faculty member within the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Summer Leadership Institute (LI), where his educational focus is on themes of pluralism within school communities. Paris is currently a Trustee and President of the Alumni Council at the Princeton Day School.

Registration

FAQs

List of 8 items.

  • What is a Pollyanna Conference?

    A Multi-School Pollyanna Conference welcomes peer schools to discuss challenges and effective practices around a specific diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) topic. Participants work together to generate actionable ideas to bring to their home communities.

  • Who is this conference for?

    This conference is for peer schools who would like to further their DEIB knowledge, education and action. It is for your students, alumni, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, diversity practitioners, board members, and heads of schools.

  • What is the purpose of the day?

    This day was created for two reasons: sharing the wisdom in the room and creating an Action Plan of ideas to bring back to your school to move your DEIB initiatives along.

  • Who else will attend?

    Pods made up of delegates from schools in our geographic region.

  • If we don't have two people per constituent group, may we send additional people from another group to create the School pod of 15 people?

    Ideally, it’s important to send two people per constituent group when creating a pod, because too many voices from one school and none from another can weaken the effectiveness of the morning break-out discussions. Having said that, please reach out if you’re having trouble creating the pod.

  • What is the approximate schedule for the day?

    The agenda will be shared with you closer to the event date but here is a sample agenda:
    8:30 a.m. – Registration and light breakfast
    9 a.m. – Welcome and Keynote
    10:30 a.m. – Morning discussion by constituent group
    12:30 p.m. – Lunch
    1:30 p.m. – Student presentation
    2:30 p.m. – Afternoon discussion by School pod
    4 p.m. – Reception 

  • Am I expected to stay the whole day?

    Yes, it’s important to be part of both discussion groups.

  • How do I sign up?

    Registration takes place by school. Registration is now closed.

    Registration is not open to individuals. If you are a student, parent/guardian or alumni of a peer school, please speak to your school staff to encourage participation of a POD from your school.

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Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.
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