In the coming weeks, Key’s Equity Team will host three Affinity Dialogue Groups for parents/caregivers. We welcome Key community members to participate in one or more of the groups.
Key School Affinity Dialogue Groups provide participation in discussion as well as self-reflection to better promote equity and anti-racism at Key. Key's Dialogue Groups are intended to bring parents/caregivers together with a common identity to broaden our collective understanding of how our common experiences inform our racial equity lens and how we can turn this understanding into action at Key.
What is an affinity group? It is a designated “brave space” where everyone in that group shares a particular identity. This identity can be based on race, gender, sexual orientation, language, nationality, physical/mental ability, socioeconomic class, family structure, religion, etc. Affinity groups can be a place for people in a community to come together to learn more about their identities and to feel more connected based on those identities. During affinity groups, participants might share and talk about their experiences or focus on working toward a particular mission or goal.*
Who can be part of an affinity group? Only people who can speak from the “I” or “we” perspective with that particular group can be a part of it.*
Aren’t affinity groups just exclusive and divisive? We all benefit from interactions with people who share common identities or experiences. When you are in the numerical minority of a larger community, these bonding interactions may only occur during an affinity group. During affinity group meetings, people can share freely and without inhibition about their experiences. These groups make them feel more visible and more included in our community and in doing so, enhance our broader commitment to inclusivity.*
The three groups are:
Seeing White Podcast Dialogue Group
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Dialogue Group
International Community Dialogue Group
Groups meet via Zoom for a designated number of weeks. Facilitators are fellow Key parents/caregivers who have been trained by Kindred. Kindred is a racial justice group that partners with schools to co-design equitable, anti-racist schools that advance collective well-being.
What experience do participants need? None! Simply an interest in promoting an equitable school environment & experience for all members of the Key community; an interest in building & fostering positive relationships within Key; and a willingness to have open and at times challenging conversations.
If you are interested in participating in or learning more about any of these dialogue groups please complete this form by November 30th, 2021. And watch the videos linked below to learn more!
Seeing White Podcast Dialogue Group
The Seeing White podcast dialogue group will launch its second 6-week session in January. The first session was a big success. If you are interested in thought provoking discussion about white identity and the way race impacts our lives, the world around us and our community at Key, this is a low-stakes way to learn and explore with other white parents/caregivers from Key. The dialogue group is remote (via zoom) and lasts 6 weeks, scheduled for Thursday evenings 7:30-9:00 pm from January 13 – February 17.
Watch these parent testimonies from last year’s participants.
Dialogue Group Sign Up Here!
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Dialogue Group
The BIPOC dialogue group starts up again in January for parents/caregivers of color interested in thought provoking and personal discussion of our shared identities and the way race and racism impacts our lives, the world around us, and our community at Key. This is a 6 week remote dialogue group scheduled for Thursday evenings 7:30-9:00 pm from January 13 – February 17.
Dialogue Group Sign Up Here!
International Community Dialogue Group
This affinity group is meant for the international community at Key. In this group, we will share our unique experiences as immigrant parents/caregivers, and generate ideas to help build a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment. The group will meet monthly (via zoom) from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm from January to April (January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25).
Dialogue Group Sign Up Here!
If you have more questions, please email us at keyequityteam@gmail.com or come to our next Equity Team meeting on Tuesday, November 29th at 7:30 am via Teams (here).
*https://www.nais.org/magazine/independent-school/fall-2020/in-practice-creating-safe-spaces-for-students-to-explore-identity/
