January 2025 Equity Newsletter
Visit the Cultural Celebration Page for upcoming events, professional development panels, academic resources, and more!
Events & Happenings
National Poverty Awareness Month
Hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion, disabilities, restricted access to participation in the democratic process. These are just some of the many manifestations of poverty. More than 40 million Americans live in poverty, but we can eradicate poverty.
As Nelson Mandela said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the action of human beings.”
In addition to recognizing National Poverty Awareness Month, January also serves as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Thyroid Awareness Month, and National Blood Donor Month.
DEI Happenings
The Power of Student Voice!
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hosted “The Power of Student Voice,” an inspiring feedback session spotlighting the progress and impact of equity-focused student clubs across the district. Student leaders took center stage to share their achievements, challenges, and innovative ideas for advancing equity in their schools.
This interactive event provided a platform for students to voice their perspectives, celebrate milestones, and collaborate with peers and district leaders to identify opportunities for growth. Attendees gained valuable insights into the transformative work happening within these clubs and explored actionable ways to amplify student-led equity initiatives.
By fostering open dialogue and partnership, “The Power of Student Voice” reinforced the critical role of students as changemakers in creating more inclusive and equitable school communities.
For more information, please email equity@philasd.org.
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.
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.
In celebration of National Poverty Awareness Month, check out Equity Is Access: Food Equity in Practice at the School District and in Philadelphia- Episode 11 to learn more about food security and the importance of access in the City of Philadelphia.
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