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Equity & Diversity Initiatives

In February 2021, District 63 launched a comprehensive Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Initiative. Here's what we've achieved thus far!

2020-2021 School Year

District leadership began exploratory conversations of what equity work might look like across D63, and a new District Equity Task Force met to lay foundation for future work.

2021-2022 School Year

  • Thirteen employees participated in a nine-month the National SEED Project (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) pilot with Maine Township High School District 207 and Pennoyer School District 79. Participants met monthly to explore their own relationship to race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual identity, abilities, and age - and how this relationship impacts their school, classrooms, community, and workplace.
  • District and school administrators participated in year-long in-depth Using Unconscious Bias to Building Understanding training, reading, discussing, and reflecting on this topic every other month. Other professional development included an all-staff Introduction to Equity day, and a workshop for Principals focused on Talking to Children About Race.
  • More than 60 parents, guardians, and employees participated in a virtual Introduction to Equity workshop and the District kicked off its first virtual Book Club! More than 80 parents, guardians, employees, and Board members read and discussed Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race.

2022-2023 School Year

  • A 13-member District Equity/Diversity/Inclusion Leadership Team - comprising staff and Board members - was established to work on EDI issues throughout the school year. 
  • D63's Board of Education approved a formal Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Belief Statement and a formal Hate Speech Protocol to guide staff in addressing hate speech and discriminatory acts swiftly, firmly, and consistently across all schools.
  • All D63 staff participated in an afternoon of training focused on microaggressions.
  • Approximately 35 D63 staff members and parents participated in a nine-month SEED Cohort.
  • The District's second virtual Book Club - again focusing on So You Want to Talk About Race - attracted 19 staff members and parents. 

2023-2024 School Year

  • All new D63 staff participated in an EDI presentation during orientation.
  • The Leadership Team continued its work, mapping out a three-year plan to further integrate EDI elements into teaching and professional development.
  • A third nine-month SEED Cohort took place, led by D63 staff who were now trained as SEED facilitators.
  • Middle schoolers participated in EDI presentations in the spring.