April 2022 Newsletter
"Celebrate Diversity" Month with The School District of Philadelphia!
April is Celebrate Diversity Month
It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.
~ Audre Lorde
April is “Celebrate Diversity” Month here in the United States, although Global Diversity Awareness Month is in October. The formal national induction for the month occurred in 2004. The month was started to notice and uplift the diversity around us in the hopes that we can celebrate what makes us different and unique.
Now is a chance to reflect on diversity in a variety of ways including; how we identify, how we speak, how we think, how we move around in the world, and where we come from.
Celebrate Diversity Month Calendar
This month we are highlighting different types of diversity. If you are looking for small ways that you can educate yourself on different types of diversity we created a calendar with tips, tricks, and activities.
Submit Songs to the SDP Cultural Playlist
The Office of DEI is collecting submissions for songs to be added to a playlist. This playlist will be available on the DEI page and the DEI Youtube Channel. If you have a song that is representative of you or where you come from add it to our list! Submissions can be sent here.
Highlighting Student Diversity This Month!
The DEI Office will be highlighting the ways in which our students and schools are diverse. See the flyer below to learn how you can submit student videos and pictures for us to highlight!
April Holidays and Recognitions
April Recognitions:
- Arab-American Heritage Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- Celebrate Diversity Month
- Earth Month
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month
- National Volunteer Month
- Tartan (Scottish-American) Heritage Month
Holidays
- April 2- World Autism Awareness Day: this day is about raising awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder and reflecting on ways to improve wellness and inclusion.
- April 2- Equal Pay Day: Equal Pay Day is the symbolic day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap.
- April 2- Ramadan Begins: this is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It ends May
- April 8 – National Day of Silence: This is a day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students
- April 10 – Palm Sunday: This day recalls an event in the Christian Scripture of Jesus entering into Jerusalem and being greeted by the people waving palm branches.
- April 15 – Passover Begins: This holiday, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt
- April 15 – Good Friday: A Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death.
- April 17 – Easter: A Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is also a day filled with food, Easter egg hunts, and for children, the promise of a visit from the Easter Bunny.
- April 20 – Start of Rivdan: a twelve-day festival in the Baháʼí Faith, commemorating Baháʼu’lláh’s declaration that he was a Manifestation of God.
- April 22 – Earth Day: An annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
- April 27 – Yom Hashoah: a day set aside for Jews to remember the Holocaust
April 29 -Laylat al-Qadr: Islamic festival that commemorates the night on which God first revealed the Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel
Events & Philly Happenings
Celebrate Diversity Month Events
April 7th, 5:00-6:00 pm: Appreciating our Bilingual Counselling Assistants- This is a prerecorded panel discussion that will air on Facebook live. We will hear from some of the School District BCA’s as they talk about their journey and share advice and resources.
April 7th, 6:30 pm: WHYY Screening: Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming The Odds- This is a free virtual screening in partnership with WHYY. The screening is an hour-long program sharing the inspiring stories of a diverse group of resilient Americans who have overcome extraordinary odds in their own lives. Click here to join!
April 12th- “Equity Is” Podcast Relaunch- Whether at home, on the go, or on your lunch break, you will be able to listen to the latest episode of Equity Is!
April 20th 6:00pm-7:00pm: Uplifting Our Voices: Family Equity Training: Families will engage in conversation about equity work within the district. Families will begin by examining their personal core values and working in small groups to deconstruct the equity definition to understand. Families will end the event by participating in a visioning process with local community members. Click here to register.
April 21st, 6:30pm: WHYY Family Screening Celebrate Our Diversity- This is a free virtual screening in partnership with WHYY. The screening is a short children’s programming celebrating diversity. “We will virtually visit with neighbors for story time, and we’ll enjoy yoga, music and a finger puppet craft!” Click here to register.
April 26th, 5:00-6:00pm: Resources for Immigrant Families- This panel discussion will feature a variety of organizations that offer resources for immigrants in Philadelphia. They will discuss what they offer and provide insights on how to be an ally.
April 28th, 5:00-6:00pm: Gender and Pronouns: A Presentation from Students at KCAPA- This will be a prerecorded presentation put together by students on what to think about when respecting peoples gender and pronouns.
Philly Happenings this Month
WHYY Media Lab Program Applications Due April 29th
Submit an application for the 2022-23 school year. The application deadline is Friday, April 29. Participating students learn video and audio production, critical thinking, STEM education skills, problem solving, research, develop a strong sense of self-efficacy and are better prepared for a wide variety of workplaces. Apply Here.
Mayors Office for People with Disabilities
April 6th, 6:00pm-7:00pm: Informational Session: Disability Characteristics Map-Join the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Amy Nieves, as she provides an introduction and demonstration on the Disabilities Characteristics Map of Philadelphia. Click here to Preregister.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
April 10th, 10:30am: Summer Art Camp Open House– In person event. For more information visit the event page.
April 24th, 10:30 am-12:00 pm: Free Family art making workshop: The Taste of Summer-live, on Zoom. For more information visit the event page.
The Rosenbach
April 24th 12:00pm-6:00pm: Free Open House-Sponsored by Eleanor and Peter D. Nalle. Explore The Rosenbach’s library, historic house, and galleries. Free; advanced timed tickets encouraged. Please note: if you reserve tickets but are unable to attend please email rsvp@rosenbach.org to open your space to another visitor. Register Here.
Eastern State Penitentiary
April 25th, 12:00pm – 3:00pm: Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Successful School Reintegration Following Congregate Care Placement– This training examines the educational barriers associated with a youth’s return to a community school setting following placement in a congregate care facility, and offers positive and collaborative approaches to support a youth’s successful return into their educational community. You can register for this free event on Eventbrite
The National Liberty Museum
Apr 23rd, 2022 12-4 pm: Family Day- Celebrating Puerto Rican Culture- Families are invited for a day of games, crafts and activities to celebrate Puerto Rican culture and heritage as part of our newest exhibition La Brega: Art for Reimagining the World, in partnership with Taller Puertorriqueño. Featured activities include drop-in jewelry workshops led by local artisan and frequent Taller Puertorriqueño instructor Aida DeVine, a combination workshop/performance from University of Pennsylvania music and dance group Fuerza, and much more.
DEI Office Updates
The Equity Is Podcast Relaunches April 12th
The Equity Is podcast will begin airing new episodes on April 12th. The podcast will be focus on the many forms equity takes on throughout our district; including programs, initiatives, offices, and people!
You can listen to the first episodes of the podcast on the DEI page, Youtube, Apple Podcast, and Spotify. If you want to stay up to date on new episodes make sure to join the DEI mailing list.
To nominate topics for the podcast you can use this google form.
Sign up for Affinity Groups!
What are Affinity groups? They are groups designed to ensure people, sharing a particular identity, have opportunities to gather and connect, centering their experiences. Affinity Groups support the cultivation and sustainability of both “brave” and “safe” spaces, where members can share their feelings, thoughts, and understandings without fear of judgement by outsiders. It is a space where the “unspoken” is understood and the understood needs no validation.
Affinity Groups kick off This Fall! Sign up here!
Highlights from March
Thank you to everyone who attended, helped plan, and participated in our March events! You made this an incredible women’s history month. Below you will see some highlights from the month. Make sure to check out the Women’s History Month Page and the DEI YouTube Channel to stay connected.
In honor of Trans Day of Visibility the Office of DEI hosted a panel where Trans people in the community could share their stories and offer advice for students and allies.
We hosted a panel that offered resources and advice for women on the job hunt or who are looking to be more economically empowered which you can find here. Our panelists offered a lot of insight. All panels are on the DEI YouTube page.
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