By Sanorah Eldred

Each semester Lindenwood University prides itself in the work that it does with the community. Most recently, the Lindenwood school of Education  had the opportunity to provide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training to the Collinsville school district. This training was made possible by the work of Lindenwood staff members Dr. Sarah Patterson-Mills and Dr. Tammy Moore.

The DEI training started in the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester and was done as a requirement for the Collinsville School District to receive DEI certification. The certification itself was a new development for the district, and lead by former alum and Illinois School Counseling President Elect, TaRael Keye.

Throughout the process  65 different educators met virtually on four separate occasions. Each of the meetings we an hour long and discussed a wide range of topics. When asked what topics were included Moore said, “They covered LGBTQIA student needs with a current education student who volunteered to speak on their experiences as a non-binary person. Next, implicit bias, microaggressions, and processing sessions with an emphasis on application was presented.” In addition to these discussion points there were also conversations regarding diversity issues with LGBTQIA+ populations and their mental health needs in k-12 settings, as well as initiating strategies through developing personal agency for change.

These important conversations are steppingstones in the process of improving the learning experience of students from all walks of life. Though a continued effort, these kinds of conversations will lead to improvements not only in the community, but in the education system as a whole.