Meet the Equity Team

Now in its third year, the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) office is solidly positioned as an institutional pillar. The office has been working with students, but also has been involved in administrative tasks and support for teachers. In response to a need to more effectively connect to the day-to-day experience of students, building-based Equity Teams have been added to the DEIB team to support this mission. All equity work is relational, and the Equity Teams will support all members of the Sturgis community to expand on our relationship building strengths and deepen our understanding of our own identities. 

Since the inception of the DEIB office, through various professional learning opportunities and our culturally appropriate responsiveness to our dynamic and evolving community, Sturgis has deepened its understanding about diversity, equity, and inclusion in classrooms and in the world, and acknowledges that there is still work to be done. It has always been our goal that students experience a sense of belonging in our classrooms and a connection to the wider world as members of the global IB learning community. 

The Equity Teams are a culmination of work that has gone on for the last few years. Under the direction of Jessica Lynch, the DEIB Coordinator, Sturgis is lucky to have two experienced teachers leading the teams at each building. Savannah Moynihan has taught Spanish for 9 years at Sturgis West. Savannah is a queer, neurodivergent person with Jewish heritage and a dynamic disability, who is excited to help other staff and students in our community feel included, accepted, supported, and like we all truly belong. Having heard the passion for justice of students in M.A.R.C.H. in past years, they look forward to facilitating a platform in which student equity concerns can affect real change, and working with everyone to make sure the systems in place allow equitable access for all. Iona Masil is Indian American and a 1st generation U.S. citizen, and this is her 7th year teaching ELD (English Language Development) at Sturgis East. She is a proud graduate of Barnstable High School, and her experience navigating predominantly white spaces as a teen and young adult has inspired much of her work at Sturgis, like the creation of the Students of Color Coalition. Her work with multilingual learners and families has cemented her belief that the most powerful voices are those of our students, so she is incredibly excited to formally partner with them through the Equity Team. 

The Equity Teams will be positioned to make recommendations, review policies, access data to inform decision-making, and respond to current events as needed. Each team is comprised of its lead, the building principal (Patrick O’Kane at East or Jenn Kirk at West), the DEIB coordinator (Jessica Lynch), 5 additional teachers/staff, and 8 students. The students are currently 10th and 11th graders to ensure that the team can learn and work together over a two year period on long-term goals.

As the Equity Teams are a new initiative, their processes are evolving. Last year,  teachers at each building volunteered to take part in discussions and focus groups that determined who should be on the teams and what their scope should be. As IB learners, we are all committed to reflecting on how this year goes and using our knowledge and methods of inquiry to make adjustments as needed. Based on that input, below are some possible tasks the Equity Teams may take on:

1. Share concerns that students are hearing with administration

2. Address ways to learn about or respond to micro-aggressions

3. Review survey data and determine ways to respond to areas of concern

4. Plan and implement facilitated discussions between students and teachers or administration to deepen understanding and share experiences

5. Plan ways to address current events that may be impacting students

6. Review school policies

7. Share information about equity work being done

8. Engage in personal reflection and growth

9. Look at fees and costs of field trips, senior week, dances, and prom

10. Develop an equity decision making tool for the school 

The students and teachers are very excited about the possibilities for this new initiative. The students on the Team have introduced themselves to their peers so that they can be recognized as a resource. They also spent a few advisories in October looking at Panorama student survey data collected last year, identifying trends to prioritize as a team, and brainstorming ideas on how to address specific pieces of data related to teacher-student relationships, engagement, school climate, and students’ sense of belonging. Some of these ideas include specific suggestions to share with classroom teachers and some ideas for student-led workshops. The students recently presented their takeaways and data-based suggestions to the Equity Team adults, who will continue to provide feedback and work with the students on a plan to further disseminate this information to teachers in department meetings throughout November and December. 

Additionally, several students on the Equity Team attended a virtual conference hosted by the IBO on using your voice, young entrepreneurship, and self-care. They also attended the Human Rights Academy on October 29th, where they shared with students from other schools and brainstormed ways to support student wellbeing and mental health.

We look forward to sharing with you in the future how our work has progressed.