Applied Arts Department Equity Goals
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We believe in diversity, equity and inclusion
There are many challenges facing the fields that comprise Applied Arts. Among them are underrepresentation of minorities and discrepancies in gender among professionals. These historical legacies have created exclusion, biases, and inequality in traditional and in-demand Applied Arts careers in-regards to creativity, innovation, leadership, perspectives, hiring, wages and advancement. In the Applied Arts department at New Trier we must help develop student awareness of identities and teach our students to generate future solutions that are explicitly intended to improve inequalities.
As a department, we share the global responsibility of forging an inclusive, diverse and equitable culture where every student, no matter their race, gender, religion, identity or culture, will be able to see themselves as a professional in the discipline in which they are enrolled. Beyond seeing oneself as a professional (i.e. Chef, Architect, Engineer, Fashion Designer, Educator, Mechanic, Health Care Professional, Tradesperson, Computer Scientist and Hospitality), students will be prepared to work collaboratively with future colleagues and peers of different backgrounds and experiences.
We believe that outcomes and solutions in our project-based, problem-solving focused curriculum are best achieved through inclusivity and diverse perspectives. This reduces biases and expands thinking regarding the solving of real-world problems, working with others and innovating. We are committed to being change agents and have set deliberate intentions to increase racial and gender awareness and diversity amongst our students and staff by fostering a community that has a shared goal of equity and excellence in our programs. Through a collaborative process that constantly examines our curriculum, pedagogy, professional development, articulation and hiring practices we will ensure advancement of our marginalized and underrepresented inclusion initiative.
Creating a culture of belonging is also central to our mission. We recognize that a sense of belonging is essential for students and staff to participate and flourish as their authentic selves. In our Applied Arts community, we are dedicated to finding ways to stretch and expand our development, implementation, empowerment, and reflection. By fostering an environment where all races, genders, religions, identities, and cultures are valued, we ensure that everyone can contribute meaningfully and feel a deep sense of belonging. This commitment to belonging enhances our educational environment, promotes personal growth, and enriches the collective experience of our Applied Arts community.
As an Applied Arts community, we will keep finding ways to stretch and expand our own development, implementation, empowerment and reflection; creating a culture in our spaces where students and staff of all races, genders, religions, identities and cultures can participate and flourish as their authentic selves.
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September 2024 - January 2025
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Goal:
Create a hands-on experience where students can authentically express themselves, motivated by a joy for learning. Free from the sole pursuit of grades and unencumbered by fear of failure, an iterative approach will be the norm. Promote critical thinking, fueled by curiosity for solving problems, allowing students to be their true selves. We will use the book Experiments in Reflection by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro as a tool to reflect on previous and future equity goals of belonging and inclusivity in our Applied Arts spaces. Reflection activities, discussions, and future implementations will focus on:
- Curriculum Development: Project prompts and pedagogy for teaching follow best practices for belonging and inclusivity
- Fostering Inclusivity: Ensuring equitable access to high-demand career pathways
- Facilities: Accessibility, belonging, and resources
- Assessment of Durable Skills: Implement grading practices based on growth and reflection
- Student Support and Community Engagement
- Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
Status: Ongoing
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September 2023 - January 2024
Goals:
During the 2022-2023 school year, the entire Applied Arts Department engaged in reading Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. This included a department retreat where we engaged in activities to prototype changes within our daily practice. We concluded the year with a book talk with the author of Design for Belonging, Susie Wise.
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To create a department auditing, adaptation, and pivot system that measures if students are "in-flow" with the course content, assignments, and projects. Our system will measure in-flow engagement based on identities, with two checkpoints per quarter.
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To create rules and norms within our programs that foster belonging within our classrooms and program content for all students.
Status: Complete
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September 2022 - January 2023
Goals:
- Continue Building on Our Foundation: Maintain and enhance the current work that has laid the groundwork for growth.
- Department-Wide Reading Initiative: The entire department will read Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. We will organize book talks, reflection sessions, and guided workshops during department meetings. Our goal is to apply the insights from the book to improve our current projects and classroom environments. Workshops will focus on refining and recalibrating projects.
- Develop a Student Cognition Feedback Survey: Create a survey focusing on engagement, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom. Applied Arts teachers can use this survey after or during each assigned project and lesson throughout the school year. The goal is to develop lessons that foster authentic learning engagement for all students.
Status: Complete
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September 2021 - January 2022
Goals:
Every student, regardless of race, gender, religion, identity, or culture, will be able to envision themselves as a professional in their chosen discipline.
Students will be prepared to work collaboratively with future colleagues and peers from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Status: Complete
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September 2020 - January 2021
Goals:
1. Continuous Professional Development:
Allocate time in every department meeting to research and discuss racial and gender biases and inequalities in Career and Technical Education fields. Faculty will engage in a jigsaw method and brave conversations to share findings.
2. Project Relevance:
Develop projects relevant to students from various backgrounds, aiming to affect positive changes and enhance racial awareness throughout the school year.
3. Diversity in Recruitment:
Increase the number of underrepresented minorities and genders among our students, faculty, and staff.
Status: Complete
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September 2019 - January 2020
Goals:
- To establish an equity statement that will serve as the foundation for every course in Applied Arts and be featured in our opening day presentations to students.
- We will develop methods and processes to implement meaningful changes in our programs based on this equity statement.
Status: Complete
