On Thursday, March 14th, SWHS’ Equity Counsel was invited to attend a presentation for Farmington High School’s Social Justice Week. The intention of this program is to create a healthier, more open environment for a variety of cultures within our district.
The Equity Counsel is led by Mrs. Serrano, Mrs. Bravo and Mr. Zeuschner. The counsel works to change SWHS’s climate for more inclusivity. They have representatives from different cultures and clubs, all working together to figure out ways to make SWHS more inclusive and equal. After discussion within the counsel, they then propose ideas to the Board of Education.
“We are the only counsel that provides voices from both teachers and students,” Serrano told The Prowl. “It is an open invitation towards anyone who wants to promote equity and diversity.”
Farmington High School has been leading their Social Justice Week program since 2017, and is well known for their healthy, student-led curriculum that aims to promote equal opportunities and representation.
(Mrs. Serrano)
“We were invited because they know that we are a district that is promoting the values of equity, inclusion, and integration,” Serrano noted. “They are ahead of us, but want to help us get to a better place.”
“I think that the trip went well!” said Tolu Osotimehin, a representative of the Black Student Alliance in the Equity Counsel. “We observed many specific and broad diverse presentations, like a Muslim club speaking about anti-hijab laws and an Asian club representing all Asians and talking about immigration laws.”
Other topics that were presented during the trip were by a minority and neurodivergent club speaking on the issues of personality masking in the workplace, which is when an individual masks their true personality due to the fear of not conforming to social expectation, and by a queer club on trans youth and rights.
With the new ideas generated by their trip, the Equity Counsel hopes to implement new strategies to promote equity in the school district. With their upcoming Multicultural Fair on April 1st, they hope to spread awareness and emulate the values that Social Justice Week promotes.
