December 2024 Equity Newsletter
Visit the Cultural Celebration Page for upcoming events, professional development panels, academic resources, and more!
Events & Happenings
National Human Rights Month
December recognizes National Human Rights Month. This month and every month to follow, everyone in the United States is encouraged to come together and stand up for equality, justice, and the dignity of all humans. December is a time to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an international document stating the fundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. These rights include freedom from discrimination, the right to equality, and the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
In addition to recognizing and celebrating National Human Rights Month, December also is the beginning of Hanukkah. First night of Hanukkah begins on December 25 and first night commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days despite being enough for just one. It holds cultural significance as a celebration of Jewish resilience, the triumph of light over darkness, and the preservation of religious freedom, marked by lighting the first candle on the menorah, prayers, and festive traditions.
DEI Happenings
Community Advocate Circles!
The School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invites you to join us for our second “Community Advocate Circles” meeting. In partnership with IDEAL from Temple University, the December 9th Community Advocates Circle will provide attendees an opportunity to engage in shared learning around the importance of inclusive language in communication, with a focus on the practice of respectful dialogue that centers cultivating space for greater equity. The meeting will conclude with an opportunity for attendees to practice the tools shared through a facilitated discussion.
Please see the logistics below.
Date: December 9, 2024
Time: 6:00-8:00pm
Location: The Constance E. Clayton Education Center (440 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19130) 2nd Floor Auditorium
Registration is required to attend. Registration closes Saturday, December 7, 2024 or as space is available.
For more information, please email equity@philasd.org.
Cultural Celebrations Toolkit
The School District of Philadelphia is pleased to share our Cultural Celebrations Toolkit for school communities. This guide contains messages of cultural recognition, important dates to uplift throughout the
month, resources for learning, and ideas for celebration. This toolkit serves as a guide that supports educators and school based staff to uplift, acknowledge, and celebrate historically marginalized communities. When we say historically marginalized communities, we are referring to BIPOC / racially minoritized persons, LGBTQIA+ community, marginalized religions, neurodiverse people, multilingual learners of English, unhoused students, those with disability, immigrants and refugees, and numerous other marginalized identities. We recommend using this guide to think through the unique ways each of your school communities highlight and recognize the diverse experiences of your staff and students.
Equity in Practice: National Poverty Awareness Month Panel Discussion
The Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, will highlight National Poverty Awareness Month by hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday, January 22nd from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. The discussion will cover the negative impacts of poverty in the City of Philadelphia and how we can combat these issues inside and outside of the classroom.
Panelist will include School District of Philadelphia staff and Community Advocates
Community Resources & Opportunities
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Opportunities’
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is excited to offer learning opportunities for SDP employees to enhance their personal and professional growth in areas of anti-racism and advancing equity. The equity
professional learning series offers insight into core learning and growth, terminology and concepts, different types of oppression that marginalized communities experience and how we can all work to make
our schools and offices more inclusive and equitable.
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