Education scholars and practitioners will lead Illinois State University’s CRCC Spring Institute from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, March 19, via Zoom. Registration is open now on the CRCC website.
Dr. Tyrone Howard of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will provide the keynote address for the institute. Considered one of the premier experts on educational equity and access in the country, Howard is the founder of the Black Male Institute, and the director of both the UCLA Transformation of Schools and the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. Dr. Kisha Porcher of the University of Delaware along with Dr. Pamela Hoff and Dr. Beth Hatt will lead the working sessions for the Institute. Find full bios of the speakers on the CRCC website.
See the schedule for the Spring Institute.
The Institute is a new addition to the Culturally Responsive Campus Community (CRCC) conference. In the fall of 2020, hundreds attended sessions on challenging anti-Black racism. This spring, the first-ever institute will provide a continuation of that work for the campus through focused workshops.
“The new institute is designed to be a deeper dive, specifically for the Illinois State community,” said CRCC Chair Dr. Christa Platt. “We have a distinct opportunity to take an intentional second look at antiblack racism as a university. Our hope is that this second campus-wide look gives us more energy, ideas, and strength behind our commitments as we move to be more critically conscious disruptors of oppression.”
Porcher will lead the institute for faculty, staff, and graduate students titled Accepting Responsibility and Developing Policies to Address Anti-Blackness in the Academy. “Dr. Porcher was well received by the campus community and was a clear choice as we pursue next steps in actively addressing antiblack racism at ISU,” said CRCC Programming Chair Angell Howard.
The undergraduate student institute will follow the “Power to the People” advocacy model led by Dr. Pamela Hoff and Dr. Beth Hatt. Just after the 2016 election, Hoff and Hatt delivered a retreat-like workshop for the campus community that focused on the levels of activism and advocacy. “Drs. Hoff and Hatt are rich treasures for our campus community and we’re grateful students who attend the institute will have the opportunity to learn from them,” said Platt. “We know our students desire to be civically engaged in the communities in which they live. We want them to know the many ways their voices can be present, active, and drive results in their spheres of influence.”
Supported by the Division of Student Affairs, the Multicultural Center, Office of the Provost, and the Office of the President, CRCC is organized by a team of volunteers from within the University.
Register at https://crcc.illinoisstate.edu/ until March 15. Those who need help registering, or require special accommodations to fully participate in this event, please email CRCC@ilstu.edu.
